Is Miami Heat Culture Just Luck or is Bill Simmons Wrong? | Miami Heat Podcast

Is Miami Heat Culture Just Luck or is Bill Simmons Wrong? | Miami Heat Podcast

Just over 21 games left in the regular season but still some questions remain despite Miami’s recent hot streak is Nica yic the permanent starter is Miami codling Tyler hero and could Bill Simmons be right are the heat just playing Lucky we’ll answer that and other five burning questions on today’s

Episode of Locked on heat you are locked on heat your daily Miami Heat podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day all right welcome to locked on heat your daily podcast on the Miami Heat I’m West Goldberg editor at allou can heat.com joining me as always it’s longtime NBA

Reporter David lill however you’re tuning in on YouTube Odyssey or your favorite podcast app thanks so much for making lockdown heat your first listen every day got a great show for you today we’re doing five burning questions for the Heat’s final 20 games of the Season we’re going to address Bill Simmons’s

Claim that the heat are lucky and that heat culture doesn’t exist but we’ll do that later let’s start with this question our first one Josh Richardson is expected to miss the rest of the season after un uh undergoing surgery on his dislocated right shoulder on Wednesday the question David is who

Steps up for Josh Richardson if he does have to miss the rest of the year it’s a tough one to answer I think on the surface I think that’s what the addition of Delon Wright means like we questioned yesterday whether or not the addition of Patty Mills was because of

An extended injury to Tyler hero or for some other reason or maybe because D had fallen out of favor but I think if you’re looking at a guard who can kind of play some occasional minutes and play some point of attack defense bring the ball up court maybe stretch the floor a

Little bit if they happen to get lucky from three-point range that’s basically what Josh’s role would have been anyway and you and I had talked about this we weren’t sure that Josh was gonna even be part of the playoff rotation but first I should say above anything else that we

Wish Josh a speedy recovery friend of the program we appreciate everything that he’s done here in Miami it’s just a really unfortunate timing for him because you he was hoping to make a you know an impact in the postseason but I don’t know how much of an impact he

Would have been able to make I don’t know that he had a clearly defined role so I look at it from Delon Wright as being the obvious choice there but you have other options in terms of you know we’ve seen Nica yich we’ve seen Duncan Robinson step up we have t you know

Terry Rosier now you have other scorers other Defenders other guys that can handle the ball now you’ve got Patty Mills you’ve got the right there are a lot of options in terms of what it was that Josh was expected to provide so I don’t know that there’s going to be an

Incredible significant drop off with the of Richardson the key part there is uh we didn’t know what his role was going to be in the playoffs anyway and I know we still have a bunch of regular season games to get through but even with Josh Richardson hurt Delon Wright’s not

Getting in the game with Josh wson and Tyler hero hert Delon Wright’s not getting into these games which I find a little interesting but uh Eric spoler has decided right now to go with Rosier Duncan Caleb Martin Jimmy Butler haime yovic some Haywood wood minutes bam atab

Bio and then Orlando Robinson or Thomas Bryant while Kevin Love is out and then obviously Kevin Love will take over those backup center spots when when when he’s healthy uh Tyler hero and Kevin Love both ruled out for Thursday’s game in Dallas by the way not traveling with

The team so I’m assuming they’re not going to be there for Friday’s game in Oklahoma city either um so yeah I don’t know it’s I don’t know that Josh Richerson was already on The Fringe of the playoff rotation you you I I think we have a few

Guys cemented in terms of what that playoff rotation was going to be Terry Rosier Tyler hero if everybody’s healthy Duncan Robinson Caleb Martin Jimmy Butler Hae bam and probably Kevin Love and so that’s like a that’s a top eight right and then after that you kind of

Get into the Haywood High Smiths the Nik yices dlan Wright Josh Richardson like that’s where those guys kind of occupy so um it’s a tough loss Josh richon was starting to play some of his best basketball the three-point shot was starting to go in a little bit more his

Averages were starting to perk up um at the time when when he went down it kind of sucks the way that he did go down dislocated right right shoulder didn’t look very pleasant when it happened and obviously uh it’s cut his season short so um in terms of who steps up it’s

Going to be it’s going to be Delon Wright anytime they needed a Josh Richardson type of minute type of contribution it’ll be dlon Wright who kind of takes over that role but we’re still talking about Fringe of the rotation guys at this point let’s go to our next question Bernie

Are the heat coddling Tyler hero David what do you think yeah I I wanted to uh bring this up because I think a lot of people on social media have been kind of debating this and it’s it’s just you know it’s an interesting situation because nothing’s been finalized yet but

As as Tyler continues to miss time and we get this you know uh news that he’s gonna be out for the two game road trip we see Barry Jackson at the Miami heral basically saying that Tyler has been cemented as a starter and that that’s obvious Remain

The case you and I had debated you know maybe it’s a better time now with the significant minutes that we’ve seen with Duncan as a starter and with the lack of chemistry with Tyler as a starter potentially his return maybe it’s time to consider a move to the bench and that

That’s not necessarily an insult well fans have taken it in an extreme way and saying you know what we’re winning now with Duncan basically screw Tyler hero the heat shouldn’t have to worry about his mental Frailty or anything like that and I I just I I find it very strange

And I will say this I am definitively Pro Player when it comes to these kinds of things like I I think fans in general tend to gravitate towards franchises and they also tend to have these ideas of suck it up buttercup and play hard for your team Etc but these are human beings

That we’re talking about we talk about trades as easily as as you know we talk about doing our laundry you know these these are not just Commodities these are not just things these are people with families can actions and feelings and so I I think it matters and I know the

Justification is well they get paid a lot of money well it doesn’t necessarily guarantee that you can dehumanize somebody just because they make a lot of money in Tyler’s case again he is a young player looking to establish himself and create a legacy and create you know the kind of player that he

Wants himself to be and he wants to be a star- level player and as such and as you and I have talked about before he needs to be a starter so I I think that’s his vision for himself and and maybe he can change and maybe he can

Fluctuate but it has to come from him he can’t and I think it there’s a valid point to saying that it would be demoralizing for the coaching staff to say sorry you got hurt we’re playing kind of good with Ty with Duncan right now you kind of have to come off the

Bench screw what your plans for yourself off screw what your vision for yourself is and what your legacy might be Etc you kind of just have to adapt and play to a bench role and I don’t know that that necessarily is an easy pill to swallow I

Think it’s very difficult for Tyler to accept that that’s not to say that he can’t do it I don’t think they’re codling him I I think I think they’re they’re fully cognizant of how difficult it is and they don’t want to they don’t want to burn that bridge they don’t want

To piss him off they’ve been pissing him off for three seasons they’ve been trading his ass at every offseason and and and he has to come back every time and he gets hurt and that’s through no fault of his own and I don’t think that he’s uh you know injury-prone as a lot

Of people want to say now but it’s just he’s he’s come back and he’s retooled himself and rebuilt himself and yes he has flaws as a player but he’s a 20 point per game scorer and he’s a good player and at the same time now everybody has is kind of going on the

Opposite direction and saying oh what too bad who cares that you’ve done all this who cares that you’ve had to go through these things over the last various offseasons you got paid a lot of money accept a role whatever that might be and it doesn’t work out that way like

These are human beings I don’t know maybe that was a bit of a ramble but at the same time I just I can’t understand why people have turned on a guy when he hasn’t even said anything basically it was Barry Jackson’s opinion that Tyler should continue to start and we all know

Tyler wants to start but maybe we should hear it from him first before we start burning him alive I I don’t know that it was Barry Jackson’s opinion so much as this is what we’ve seen every time Tyler Hero has been healthy Eric spoler has started Tyler hero he’s been very uh consistent

About that ever since Tyler her became a full-time starter Tyler Hero has been a full-time starter and you mentioned how it it’s up to Tyler hero and I’m not disagreeing with you I think if Tyler her were to go to Eric spoler and say hey I think I should come off the bench

The way that this team is playing I I think and I need to be eased back in or whatever the reason was if he were to tell SPO hey I need to come off the bench maybe SPO would consider it but I do also think that if Eric spola really

Truly believed that for Miami to win a championship they needed Tyler herro to come off the bench and for Duncan Robinson to start then Tyler hero would be coming off the bench Eric spoler is not jeopardizing their chances to win a championship to coddle anybody or for

Anybody’s ego we know that we’ve seen it in the past and that’s just not the way SPO operates you know who can get away with something like that is SPO with his job security and his equity and what he has done and his credibility he can bring anybody he

Pleases Off the Bench he can bring Jimmy Butler Off the Bench it doesn’t matter right and so I and he wouldn’t get fired for it right and so it doesn’t mean anybody anybody’s going to be happy about the decision but he could do whatever he pleases I don’t I don’t

Think it’s just up to Tyler I I think and that means that SPO still believes that the best version of this team is one that has Tyle hero in the starting group at least for now I do think that there look I don’t know what Barry knows

I but I do know that we haven’t seen Tyler herro come off the bench and that Eric exposer has had opportunities when Tyler Hero has come back from past injuries to keep Duncan Robinson in the starting lineup and to bring Tyler hero Off the Bench and by the way the numbers

With Duncan Robinson are are pretty convincing the heat are 18 and six in the games that he starts he’s shooting almost 49% overall 46% from three uh averaging 163 16.3 points per game uh in his starts and the heat out score their opponents by 149 total points with

Duncan Robinson on the floor in the 24 games that he started this year they are flat out dominant when Duncan Robinson is starting but that’s short-term stuff I think that and I don’t think it’s debatable that the heat are better with Duncan Robinson starting than Tyler hero

Right now but Eric spoler is not thinking about right now Eric spoler is thinking about June and if he thinks that to beat Denver or Boston or Oklahoma City or whatever team you think’s going to come out of the West and whatever team you think that the could potentially face in the Eastern

Conference Finals that’s what Eric spoler is worried about that’s what he’s thinking about and I wonder if the thought is no we need we need our 20 point per game score we need Tyler hero playing at an Allstar caliber level to win those because if we don’t have that

No matter how good Duncan has been we don’t have a chance it’s one thing you know to beat Utah and Sacramento and Portland in the regular season with Duncan Robinson’s a starter it’s a whole other thing to try to get over the hump that they have not gotten over in part

Because they haven’t had a healthy Tyler hero so um you know I I think that’s where we’re at are they coddling him I don’t think so at all I don’t think that that’s part of it I will say for people who say you know they achieved a lot of

Success last postseason with the loss of Tyler her I would say from the Miami Heats perspective and probably from spos perspective that they won despite the loss of Tyler herro not because of the loss of Tyler herro that’s how they see it because they think that if they had

Tyler in those opportunities either those wins would have been more easy and they may even have been able to advance deeper in the playoffs I mean they may might have been able to beat Denver like I don’t that might be far-fetched but that’s how they view him and I think

It’s a fair point of view considering they they’ve developed him and grown him to this point and but I’ve already made the point that I think Duncan Robinson should probably continue to start but it doesn’t matter what I think and it doesn’t matter what you think and it

Doesn’t matter what the fans think it’s what Eric spoler thinks he makes the decision uh and and I could I could be swayed either way and if the the Outlook is hey we’re better long term with Tyler hero as a starter then that’s the decision um was Bill Simmons actually

Right in saying that the heat are lucky no he wasn’t we’re going to talk about that next on lock on heat today’s episode is brought to you by Nissan Motors are you the kind of driver that likes to push things a little further ever wonder what Adventure could be around the next

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Now comment let us know what you think about Tyler hero about Josh Richardson season ending injury and on whether or not Bill Simmons was right when he said this here’s my hottest take for you Rell the he lucky this hot ass thing it’s so upsetting this isn’t even this is Bill

Gets pissed no I so they get hero because they win a coin flip with Boston they get bam at 14 because the moreon uh Portland Trailblazers trade two picks to move up to 10 and then take Zack Collins instead of bam and then Canard goes to

The Pistons 12 bam Falls to 14 they get roer for barely anything they get Butler because Portland again Portland helps them twice Portland’s stupid they’re like yeah we’ll take Assan whes side so you can fit Butler in your cap cool um and then they get hakz when the Lakers who he’s

Playing at UCLA he’s five feet away and he’s ready to play he’s ready to be in a rotation like I like the point guard they took from Indiana yeah I know he has potential but you have LeBron he’s 39 you need to get somebody in that

Draft who can play now and they just pass on him and they end up with him and it makes me mad but all of it’s luck this doesn’t sound like a hot take yeah it’s lucky everyone’s like heat culture you know what the heat culture is luck

It was a hot take it was fiery it was something uh that was the other voice I think he’s I think he’s right I think Bill Simmons is just angry uh this obviously got social media stirring uh what do you think I think it was just

Plain idiotic I I I think it was not a uh a Nuance perspective I think it was purely from the heart uh the heart of a Celtics fan that is upset at seeing Miami achieve the success that they have like the the points that he’s made we

Could break it down like hwz you wrote about the Lakers not even wanting to look at hakz they had seen him for four years and yes well they had seen his work ethic and his development and everything else like that like even on draft night there were people saying

Well there’s limited tools there he’s G to be a fine player he might not be a star they were looking to hit on a star that’s what the draft is all about right it’s a crap shoot which is why I hate it but this is why it’s successful this is

Why Miami’s good at it as far as bam being drafted at 14 nobody wanted bam at 14 Miami didn’t even want bam they had s kolic they had Hasan Whiteside is he want to pick earlier that’s right that’s right so they kind of fell into bam but the Cleveland Cavaliers maybe I

Don’t know that’s part of Miami’s look so I think you put yourself in a situation to capitalize on things other teams other people make mistakes and if you do things the right way if you follow a smart process then you’ll wind up getting successful which which is why

Miami has been able to win as much as they have yes they have good players but they’ve also made smart decisions they’ve also created a culture that has been there for 20 plus years we have Pat Riley there’s a consistency throughout the front office from The Scouting to

The secretaries to the PR department I mean you walk down that hallway and seeing pictures of people that you and I work with they’re sitting there taking pictures next to Shaquille O’Neal 18 years ago during the championship celebration like these are still the same PR people that we talked to there

Are franchises that we’ve dealt with that go through PR people every other year when a new coach or a new jam takes over they just kind of say you know what let’s just change everything guess what in the organization a lot of consistency and a lot of similar ways of thinking

And that’s what they do look I I’m not going to debate this I’m not what am I supposed to a Celtics fan gets mad and and starts talking about how he doesn’t like he culture like supposed am I supposed to be surprised by this this I

Saw I heard this I listened to the Bill Simmons podcast man I I find it entertaining I heard this and I’m like okay that’s fine think what you want I don’t know why Heat fans are acting shocked and I I I you could disagree I I disagree obviously I wrote a whole I

Wrote a whole thing about heat culture for Bill Simmons’s website a year ago all right like it’s on his site that people on the record talking about what heat culture actually means and nobody said the word luck so I I’m fine with it I don’t care this is I I just don’t know

Why I’d be surprised by this and if I’m not surprised then why should I over why should I react strongly that said respectful here’s who is lucky the Boston Celtics how about this let’s let’s flip the coin the Boston Celtics are lucky let’s go through the uh let’s

Just go through the uh the resume here the Boston Celtics are so lucky right now to have the best team on paper in the NBA right now to have this net rating this unbelievable team that everybody’s talking about hey are they the next Dynasty are they the next

Golden State Warriors nobody could beat this team they’re a juggernaut it’s it’s a it’s it’s a foregone conclusion that they’re going to make it out of the East and be playing whoever they play in the NBA finals this is the year they finally get over the hump you know who’s lucky

That team that team that everybody’s talking about that’s the team that lucky that’s lucky want to know why let’s go back the Brooklyn Nets traded a million first round picks to washed up for to to Boston for a washed up Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce what did you get from that

If you’re the Celtics you got the pick that got you Jason Tatum you got the pick that got you Jaylen Brown Who are the cornerstones of this whole build around you and it didn’t just start there you’ve got Philadelphia stupidly trading back trading up from number

Three to number one so go get Marquel fultz and you you had Jason Tatum land in your lap when you’re the Boston Celtics there at number three do I actually think that that’s like just good skill work by the front office yes but if we’re just counting that as luck

Now apparently then that’s lucky then that’s lucky uh Milwaukee let’s talk about them they or Portland let’s talk about Portland let’s yeah they screw he talk about Port helping Miami trade yeah Portland helping Miami Portland helped the Celtics more than they’ve ever helped Miami so what Portland took Hassan whiteside’s contract they

Actually thought Hassan Whiteside would be helpful they wanted a rim protecting Rim Running Center and they traded Myers Leonard’s contract for ran Whiteside they didn’t just trade for Whiteside to clear Miami’s cap space they thought it would be a helpful thing for them with a team with Damen Lillard but then they go

Ahead a few years after that and trade Damen Lillard not to Miami not to Miami but in spite of Miami trade him to the Milwaukee Bucks and Milwaukee screws up and instead of making it a three- team deal to ensure that they move Drew holiday to another team that wants him

Because Portland didn’t want him Portland was going to flip them they knew that instead of making it a three- team trade to send Drew holiday to the Western Conference somewhere where he wouldn’t be a problem they don’t do that because they’re so excited so giddy to get their

Hands on Daman Lillard and get Giannis to sign that another extension that they they they they Overlook it and what happens the Celtics end up tring trading for Drew holiday and now all of a sudden they’re the Juggernaut that they are so you want to talk about Portland helping

Anybody Portland helped Boston More Than they’ve ever helped the Miami Heat you get that you got the Spurs trading Dereck white to them just because they worried about cap space for a couple of first round picks you got the Wizards waiting for their rebuild two years too

Late and when they finally decide to do it they trade kristo porzingis to Boston are you kidding me like there are so many instances where if you want to talk about luck that’s luck but here’s why I will also push back on this David every team that wins a championship is a

Little bit lucky like who cares like the Golden State Warriors were lucky that they got a cap in 2016 that got them Kevin Durant no I I I you know Celtics have been luckier the Le no they they say themselves right the luck of the leprechaun they’ve been luckier than any

Franchise in goddamn NBA history they’re lucky that in 2008 former Celtic GM Kevin male said yeah I’m on my way out anyway I’m a lame duck president I don’t give a damn I’ll trade I’ll trade Kevin Garnett one of the best players of his generation for Al Jefferson uh you know

Who was too slow even at that point in his career he was only 25 and he was still too slow like they traded a future Hall of Famer for Al Jefferson and we love Al Jefferson in these here Parts but that wasn’t the player that they

Thought he was going to be so they they gifted the Celtics then too and they got him their last championship in what was it the last 30 years or so before that they got lucky that Larry Bird played for an extra season and IND State and

Then wind up going to the Celtics after nobody thought he was going to enter the draft in the first place so they got lucky with that too they got lucky that this guy wanted to even play in the NBA and he waited a year in order to do so

And he wind up pointing they got lucky that red arbach used to basically Strongarm the rest of the NBA they got lucky that they took some dude out of the University of San Francisco nobody even heard of and he want up being so damn competitive that he W up carrying

Bob Koozie in a bunch of lunch pail losers for the next 11 championships that’s why they got ban a 17 up in the rafs is because nobody wanted nobody wanted Bill Russell in the first place so talk about luck that’s all you’ve had Celtics you’ve never done anything smartly you’ve only done everything

Luckily so congratulations to you I love it I love it um is nikich the permanent starter at Power Forward more heat talk coming up after this I forgot I was supposed to do an ad read I got a little too incensed here but today’s episode brought you by our

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Game time today last minute tickets lowest price guaranteed thanks for making lock on heat your first listen every day make sure you’re subscribed on YouTube and on your favorite podcast app time to continue on with our five burning questions question number four should nikovic remain the permanent starter at Power Forward

David oh man with every game you know we talked about this after his recent ejection he’s shown a lot of fire of late I I think you kind of have to lean into it like you have to we’ve made the argument before Eric spoler is only

Concern is winning and if it was at the cost of winning I wouldn’t say that you even consider it like if Nico was unplayable or potentially just dangerous for Miami’s chances of success then and that could still be the case I I think you can make adjustments on a game to

Game or match up to matchup basis but I think you have to lean into it the way that they have it’s not just a matter of injury I think Nico is part of your future I know you look to trade him for Damen Lillard over the offseason it is

What it is you moved on and you got a great young player who can do something like he his numbers on three-point shooting for the corners have been very very good he’s got gotten better like you you see him playing with more Authority more confidence he gets gets

Better almost every game out there and I think if you’re looking to not just capitalize on this window now but also build for your future lean into it as much as possible if not for Jimmy Butler being Jimmy Butler we’d probably see haime as an obvious starter right

Because he is so duplicative of what Jimmy can do and that’s the next future phase right Tyler hman Nico and Bama de bio alongside I don’t know Tyree Rosier perhaps or some other point card but the point is that you’ve got a young player here you want to lean into developing

Him and growing him as much as possible and I think that’s why it makes sense to continue leaning into him as a starter you want to test what you’ve got here it’s not just enough to say you know we’ve got this great raw potential Talent on the roster you have to put him

In those situations and see if he rises to the to this you know to the the opportunity like you have to test him in these moments here he can’t just be and I don’t know what’s going to happen and maybe he cost you maybe he completely

Winds up you know I don’t know just falling apart in the playoff situation but for now I think he should be the starter and I would expect him to be continuing as a starter during the postseason I expect him to be the starter for most of the regular season

If not all of it um if Eric spoler comes to the decision with like a week left I think we could see Caleb Martin just go back to being the starting power for sure but I do think that right now Eric spola hasn’t made a decision on yic it’s

Not like he’s got some secret that he’s not telling anybody I think we’re like you said we’re testing it I I that’s what we’re looking at can he be the guy and it’s it was very meaningful to me when he went ahead and started Nico against the Denver Nuggets the other

Night I’ll be really interested to see what happens this weekend uh the Mavericks are struggling right now but that’s a that’s a good team in the Western Conference the Thunder are Juggernaut like what does Nico look like in those matchups those are the ones I’m circling when it comes to okay can this

Guy survive in a playoff game can this guy survive in a playoff series uh that’s what I’m going to be looking at here’s a quote um he’s taking advantage of his opportunity he’s a great passer a willing passer and when you play alongside somebody like that it just

Makes your five much more Dynamic that’s spam out of Bio talking about Nik yovic last night in the locker room um Eric spoler has talked about the fact that nicoo pushes the pace and that that’s something that he likes Nico brings something to the table that nobody else

On this Heat team brings and that value ad sticks out to the the biggest stakeholders on the team right Jimmy Butler has his picture hanging in his locker like the guys who want Nico the stakeholders in the team whether it’s whether it’s it’s Jimmy or bam they are

All on board for nikovic so it kind of feels like the people who are in charge of making these decisions are pro nikovic I’m here for it they don’t have a real other kind of traditional sized power forward we’ve talked about what his size adds to this team on both ends

Of the floor um I’m at the point now again I don’t think a decision has been made but if I were to guess I do think that this is the way the heat go because they’re going to need size especially when you look at who’s coming up right

If you’re going to have to go through Milwaukee Boston if you’re in the finals against Denver again you need size you need it and you need not just Nico and Bam but you also need Kevin Love to be fresh and for him to be fresh he has to

Come off the bench he can’t start the way that he did for parts of last year there’s just going to be things that this team needs so for better or worse I think Miami’s highest ceiling is is one where niik yovic starts here and I don’t

Think that that was the case earlier in the season it was a lot rougher during that first stretch of him starting he’s actually holding it down I thought he’s improved a lot lately and and that’s been noticeable too so uh is nikovic the permanent starter we don’t know I guess

We’ll find out quickly David our fifth question what heat will the Heat or what seed will the Heat end up with by the end of the regular season what do you think I think you know that changes so much every day if I had to guess I think

They wind up as the fifth seed uh it’s it’s not that I doubt that I just think with the mounting injuries and the loss of Tyler and Kevin Love like these next two games were going to be such a huge factor I think you’re you’re you’re

Seeing the flip side of that in New York Cleveland I think can be gotten to Philadelphia is certainly dropping Orlando is going to be dropping to if I had to guess I think Miami winds up as a fifth seed in the Eastern Conference and that’s fine as we’ve said before a home

Courter manage doesn’t matter as much to them they’re going to go into New York they’re going to go into Cleveland they’re going to go into whoever they’re going to do the job that they were expected to do without having those first two games in the ca Center you

Said Orlando’s dropping man they’ve won eight of their last 10 they’ve won four in a row they don’t they just keep win somehow the magic just keep winning games I don’t know what’s going on with them they’re they’ll drop they’ll drop everybody keeps expecting them to they

Haven’t done it yet uh they are right now a half game behind Orlando and the New York Knicks uh who are tied in record at 36 and 26 Miami is 35 and 26 with a six seed I expect them to be out of the playing tournament I do think

That they’ll end up somewhere between the four and the five seed that’s where I I expect them to be I think I’m with you I think I’d get them at the the four seed I don’t think that the the Cavs are catchable at number three they’re five

Games up at the for the three seed I just think that that’s too much ground to gain right now with 20 games left but Philadelphia right now has dropped all the way to seven uh they have the same record as Miami Miami has a tiebreaker

Over them so um but I do expect them to be out of the playing tournament and I would guess they’re probably playing somewhere in the four five matchup according to basketball references playoff probabilities report the have a 55% chance of being a top six seed and their highest chance is of being the

Sixth seed at 20.7% they have a 16 1.2% of being the fifth seed and a 13.9% chance of being the number four seed so take that for whatever it’s worth it’s just one playoff probability um formula but that’s what that is something like that thanks for making

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