As a team that didn’t make the playoffs, it is worth reflecting on the teams that did and what we can learn from them. The Pacers should be watching.
The Heat are doing some things that are wowing the NBA world, making it to the NBA Finals after barely making it through the NBA play-in tournament. Many had written them off months ago as serious playoff contenders, but here they are, playing on the biggest stage, the NBA Finals.
HEAT STEAL GAME 2 TO TIE THE SERIES 😱 pic.twitter.com/lLCQzFHWhh
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 5, 2023
And just a few metrics that really show how unlikely the playoff run truly was:
- The team went 44-38 in the regular season and scraped into the playoffs.
- They lost their first play-in game to Atlanta by double digits and had to play an additional play-in game.
- They have been missing multiple key rotational pieces such as Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo.
- They were 30th in points per game and 29th in pace for the regular season.
So by all accounts the Miami Heat should not be in the NBA Finals, nor should they even be remotely competitive. But here they are and they are certainly competitive. What can the Pacers learn from them?