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NBA: Way-too-early deep dive into the consensus top-5 championship favorites

By Ryan McCrary

DENVER, CO - MARCH 8: Nikola Jokic #15 and Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets slap hands after a second half score against the Chicago Bulls at Ball Arena on March 8, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - MARCH 8: Nikola Jokic #15 and Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets slap hands after a second half score against the Chicago Bulls at Ball Arena on March 8, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /
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Caleb Martin (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
Caleb Martin (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images) /

5. Miami Heat +900

Last season, the Miami Heat had a miraculous playoff run, making it out of the play-in tournament and beating the top two teams in the Eastern Conference to make it to the NBA Finals. They ended up losing to the Denver Nuggets in five games in the Finals, but they still had a fantastic season, and now they are among the favorites to win the championship this upcoming season.

After last season, their roster changed just a bit as they lost Gabe Vincent and Max Strus in free agency. Both players played a lot in the playoffs, but their production didn’t warrant the contracts they received. Losing them should not be the end of the world, though, because the Heat signed Josh Richardson in free agency, who is probably better on both ends of the floor than both Vincent and Strus.

Overall, the Heat have a really strong roster heading into next season. They have two stars in Jimmy Butler (arguably a top ten player in the league) and Bam Adebayo (one of the best defensive big men in the league with legitimate skill offensively), and they have a lot of solid complementary pieces who fit extremely well next to their stars, like Tyler Herro, Kyle Lowry, Kevin Love, Duncan Robinson, and Caleb Martin.

The key for the Heat as they try to make it back to the Finals is their offense. Last year, they had one of the worst offenses during the regular season because they were below average at finishing at the rim and shooting from behind the arc. If that happens again, they will not make the Finals, no matter how good their defense is.

The one advantage they have over most teams is their depth. They have a lot of good players who they can trust in the postseason. They also have a lot of players who have a ton of playoff experience. Their top seven or eight players have all played serious playoff minutes, and some of their players were on the team in 2020 when they faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals.

Next. Predicting what a Damian Lillard to the Toronto Raptors trade could look like. dark

If the Heat can replicate their offensive performance from the postseason, they could be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. This seems unlikely, though, because their playoff success had a lot to do with the fact that they shot ridiculously well from three-point range. Nevertheless, they have the talent to be really good on both ends of the floor. They may not be elite on offense, but they should be incredible on defense.

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