Damian Lillard reminds Heat what they're missing as Bucks continue upward trend

Damian Lillard and the Milwaukee Bucks remind the Miami Heat that they're not close to contention in the Eastern Conference.

As questions continue to swirl about the future of the Milwaukee Bucks, they're still in a position to bounce back in a big way this season. Even as they continue to be doubted, the Bucks have played well below their talent level to start the season. Generally speaking, that leaves the great opportunity for a huge bounce back during the second half of the season, or perhaps even before. If nothing else, that's what the Bucks could hold hope in.

For a team like the Miami Heat, there's not much hope in that. Miami is old and the talented pieces they do have on their roster, don't mesh. On Tuesday night, Damian Lillard and the short-handed Bucks (who were playing without both Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokouonmpo) reminded the Heat that they're not close to competing in the Eastern Conference. If the Bucks aren't close to competing at the same level as the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, the Heat are miles away.

Milwaukee beat the Heat Tuesday night thanks to Lillard's huge offensive explosion. The All-Star guard finished with 37 points and 12 assists in the win. Lillard's big performance was another reminder that not only are the Heat far from contention, which even Jimmy Butler admitted after the game, but that they don't even have the talent for blind hope this season.

The Miami Heat needs to realize they're not good

The Heat doesn't have a Giannis, nor a Lillard. For as good as Jimmy has been in the past, he's beyond his prime years and isn't consistent enough of a player to be in that same group of superstars. The Heat's one player, Bam Adebayo, who is supposed to be a star in his prime has taken a substantial step back this season. Through the first few weeks of the regular season, Tyler Herro has been the Heat's best player. While Herro does deserve some credit for improving, the Heat aren't winning anything with Herro as their best player.

That's not necessarily a knock on Herro, who has his own fit issues with this team, but that's just the state of the current NBA. Mind you, Herro has never made an All-Star team. To expect him to be the best player on a good team would be foolish. The bottom line is this: the Heat isn't a very good team right now. And to be perfectly honest, I'm not even sure if they have the potential to be one.

The Bucks and Heat are two teams that have struggled throughout their respective starts to the season but also two teams that are headed in opposite directions. Milwaukee has won five games in a row and seven of their last eight overall. They're also going to get a huge boost from the return of Middleton which is expected to come shortly after Thanksgiving. Despite their bad start, things are beginning to look up for the Bucks.

Miami, on the other hand, is 5-7 in their last 12 games and still very much looks like a team in disarray. Their starting 5 doesn't fit and they don't have a lead star on their roster. Most nights, they look like a team that doesn't want to play with each other. It's gotten so bad for the Heat that even Erik Spoelstra is getting some heat for head-coaching decisions. The Heat is in a bad spot. To make matters worse, there's probably not much they can do in-season to change that.