NBA Power Rankings: Lakers, Bucks remain the favorites as restart approaches

NBA LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
NBA LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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NBA Miami Heat Jimmy Butler (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

9. Miami Heat (41-24)

The hiatus couldn’t have come at a better time for the Miami Heat who were struggling out of the gate after the all-star break. Some of that could’ve been chalked up to injuries and the activity that took place at the NBA Trade Deadline, but with somewhat of a clean slate the restart presents a golden opportunity for a team like the Heat.

While it could come down to matchups in the playoffs, the Heat are an interesting team to watch in the next few weeks. Miami is generally one of the most well-conditioned teams in the league and could be well-suited for the restart.

The Heat has one of the best coaches in the league’s too, along with one of the best on-the-court leaders in Jimmy Butler. If their young players can step up in the bubble, perhaps the Heat could be a dark horse team to make a deep run in the East.