Miami Heat Not Among Top-Six in East Playoff Odds After Missing Out on Westbrook

• The Miami Heat are -250 to make the playoffs after missing out on the Russell Westbrook sweepstakes
• Miami has improved its roster significantly this offseason and the back half of the Eastern Conference looks weak
• Will the Heat coast to a playoff berth in the East?

The Miami Heat may have missed out on the Russell Westbrook sweepstakes, but the upgrades they did make to their roster this offseason should easily propel them to a postseason berth in 2020.

Odds to Make NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs

*Odds taken 07/16/19

Miami’s NBA playoff odds are the seventh-shortest in the conference, but there’s a strong argument to be made that they should be even shorter.

Aside from Milwaukee and Philadelphia, the East is wide-open and although Boston, Indiana and Brooklyn all added big name talent to its rosters, the Heat landed the biggest difference maker of the bunch in Jimmy Butler.

Pat Riley on Jimmy Butler, “Jimmy’s leadership, tenacity, professionalism, defensive disposition and his ability to create his own shot will improve our roster immediately. Any time you can add a four-time All-Star to your roster, you make that move.”

— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) July 6, 2019

Butler is the Real Deal

Butler is an All-Star, a premier two-way player and an all-NBA talent. His ability to take over a game offensively is an element the Heat have been missing for quite some time, and his defensive tenacity will fit in perfectly with Miami’s defense-first mentality.

Jimmy Butler huge block and save with game on the line holy hell pic.twitter.com/pvGUA14bPv

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) November 18, 2018

He’s a proven winner, leading his team to the playoffs in five of the last six seasons, and is a near-lock to give you 20+ points and four-plus assists a night at one end, and two steals and a block at the other. His addition alone would be enough to take Miami to the next level, but they’ve also done a great job in the draft, which is about to pay off in a big way.

A Solid Supporting Cast

Miami got a steal with the 13th pick last month, and the reviews are glowing for Tyler Herro’s prospects at the next level.

Tyler Herro is too smooth ?

Rook dropped 25 PTS | 7 REB | 5 AST in Vegas pic.twitter.com/gqanC84JSH

— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) July 9, 2019

The rookie is expected to be the outside shooter the Heat have been searching for, and should fit in nicely with their other young talent. Bam Adebayo, a first round pick in 2017, is about to see a major uptick in minutes now that Hassan Whiteside is gone, and Justise Winslow, a first round pick in 2015, looks like the point guard of the future.

Justise Winslow with the elevation ⬆️ pic.twitter.com/cb6Fxu4Lkd

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 16, 2019

Combine that with a solid bench that features the ultimate heat check guy in Dion Waiters among others, and one of the best coaches in the league and this Miami team looks poised to make big things happen.

The Heat are Playoff Bound

The back half of the East is extremely weak, and even if you’re not a Miami truther, it’s hard to differentiate between their potential and that of teams like the Celtics, Pacers, Raptors and Nets. At the very least, the Heat’s odds to make the playoffs should be in line with those four teams, and much shorter than the Magic or Pistons.

Eric Spoelstra has coached his team to the playoffs in eight of the last 11 seasons, and this will be one of his best rosters since LeBron left. Miami’s price is too good to pass up, and it won’t be long before their odds are even shorter.