In 2020, LeBron James won his fourth championship in the NBA, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a victory in the NBA Finals over the Miami Heat. It was significant for a number of reasons, one of them being that it was the first time LeBron had faced the Heat in a playoff series.
Not once during his four-year Return did the Cleveland Cavaliers face off with the Miami Heat. Nor in his first run in The Land. He also never faced Cleveland when he was in Miami. In fact, the Cavaliers and the Heat have never once faced one another in the NBA Playoffs.
That will change Sunday, as the Cavaliers now know who they will face in the 1-8 matchup to start their title run. The Miami Heat defeated the Atlanta Hawks 123-114 in the Play-In Tournament Friday night, becoming the first 10th-seed to advance out of the Play-In and make the playoff field.
After blowing out the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, the Heat traveled to Atlanta and looked to be doing the same to the Hawks, going up by 17 points in the first half. The Hawks then battled all the way back, taking a six-point lead in the final minutes. Miami was not done, however, closing the gap and ultimately prevailing in overtime.
Tyler Herro was phenomenal once again, scoring 30 points two nights after dropping 38 points in the win over the Bulls. Andrew Wiggins had 20 points, Bam Adebayo had another excellent all-around game, and six Miami players scored in double-digits. That included nine points in the overtime period for Davion Mitchell, who torched Hawks guard Trae Young again and again to put the game away.
Miami winning is both the best-case and worst-case scenario for the Cleveland Cavaliers
Facing Miami is the best-case scenario
The Miami Heat went 37-45 this season, becoming one of the worst teams to ever make the playoffs in the modern era. They did become the first 10-seed to advance out of the Play-In Tournament, winning two consecutive road games to end the dreams of the Bulls and Hawks.
Miami finished the season just 21st in offense, playing an extremely slow pace (28th) while not shooting particularly well (19th in effective field goal percentage) and rarely creating extra possessions by pulling down an offensive rebound (27th). They were better on defense, ranking ninth, but put it all together and you get a mediocre team.
The Cavaliers aren't afraid of Tyler Herro, and the Heat will struggle to score and keep up with Cleveland. A whopping 27 wins separated Miami and Cleveland this season.
Facing Miami is the worst-case scenario
The Atlanta Hawks were injury-riddled and relying on a rookie in the starting lineup. The Chicago Bulls had a mishmash team of players who had very little combined experience with one another or in the playoffs. They were massively flawed teams the Cavaliers would have simply rolled over.
The Miami Heat, on the other hand, have something more to draw on. Multiple players on the roster have been to the NBA Finals, and Bam Adebayo in particular is a consummate winner in the playoffs, with a number of "kills" under his belt. He is also an incredibly mobile and savvy defensive big, one of the few who can match up with Evan Mobley.
The Heat are also used to playing two bigs, giving them comfort matching up with Cleveland's own two-big lineup. They are obviously better than their record, even if they do not have Jimmy Butler anymore to elevate them in the playoffs. This is a team that is not afraid of Cleveland, and as many as three games in the series will be played in South Beach, a place the Cavs have historically struggled.
This matchup has never happened before; the Cavaliers will be significant favorites. The pieces are there, however, for an experienced Miami team to make things difficult for Cleveland. Whether that means winning one game, or two, or three, or making it a war of attrition, the Cavaliers will face a stiffer test than if Atlanta or Chicago had made it out.
Playing Miami in the playoffs is technically the best-case scenario, and subjectively the worst-case scenario. The Cavaliers will need to lock in and not overlook this wounded former lion.