Former Miami Heat guard Avery Bradley does not believe the franchise will return to the NBA Finals in 2023-24.
Instead, Bradley expects the squad to “maybe” advance to the second round of the playoffs. Bradley also doubts that Miami can beat the Milwaukee Bucks given that the team boasts seven-time All-Star guard Damian Lillard.
“I don’t,” Bradley told Betway Insider when asked if he thinks the Heat could win the title this season. “I feel like they will maybe get to the second round of the playoffs. I don’t want to just say no, because Erik Spoelstra is such a good coach and when it comes to playoff basketball, he’s just able to really get the guys to lock in, and his game plan is going to be on point. He’s going to prepare the players and put them in position to be successful. But I just feel like the Bucks with Damian Lillard – it’s hard to beat those guys. They’ve been able to beat Milwaukee in the past, but not this year. Not with Dame, it’s just not happening.”
Bradley’s time with Miami was brief, as he appeared in only 10 games for the team during the 2020-21 season. After being traded by the Heat in the deal that brought Victor Oladipo to Miami, he finished the season with the Houston Rockets.
Despite the Heat reaching the NBA Finals as the No. 8 seed in the East in 2022-23, Bradley is skeptical about the team’s chances this season.
The Heat did lost a few of key players from last season’s squad, but they are optimistic that their current bunch can show enough progress to narrow the gap.
Gabe Vincent (who signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency) and Max Strus (who signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers in a sign-and-trade deal) all played significant roles for Miami last season, and Bradley may be concerned about their departures.
The Heat have had a sluggish start to the season, going 2-4 in their first six games. They did win a game against the Washington Wizards on Friday night, which was a step in the right direction.
While Bradley may be dismissing Miami, the squad has been incredibly successful since Jimmy Butler joined the team prior to the 2019-20 season.
In four seasons with Butler on the roster, the Heat have reached the NBA Finals twice and the Eastern Conference Finals three times.