5. Miami Heat
The Miami Heat quickly became the talk of the NBA during the restart after they (pretty much) ran through the playoffs, beating the Indiana Pacers in four games, the Milwaukee Bucks in five games, and the Boston Celtics in six games.
The Heat ultimately lost in the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers, but this team proved it can play with anyone in the conference and on the brightest of lights. Jimmy Butler proved that he’s a legit No. 1 option and Bam Adebayo is one of the brightest stars in the NBA.
If the Heat’s young players (Bam and Tyler Herro, specifically) can continue to grow as players and develop entering their fourth and second seasons, respectively, Miami is going to be a factor in who comes out of the East. I’m not sure if they’ll be a top 4 team in the regular season, but they’ll be a tough out in the playoffs.