The NBA wants Charlotte to beat the Heat. Today, the CBS Sports website posted the NBA playoff bracket. The bracket had the Charlotte Hornets advancing from the play-in game of the Heat. The bracket picture has since been corrected.
Heat are like Michael Corleone and Scarface (Tony Montana)
The famous line in the 1990 movie, “Godfather III,” where Michael Corleone is in his kitchen, talking with his sister Connie (played by Talia Shire) and his nephew (played by Andy Garcia.) He knows that he has to make an order to defend his family against a faction trying to defeat him. He wants to retire but knows he must make the order. He says, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.”
I mention in my “Run It Back” episode yesterday that the Miami Heat have “fought the good fight (in competing during the NBA season.)” The team clearly is at an “inflexion point” in their history where a definite direction needs to be selected. The fourth year in the play-in tournament means that the current iteration and direction of the franchise has stalled. Either play younger players against the Hornets or compete hard and lose.
But, to look at the NBA playoff bracket misprint today, every Heat fan should feel as Michael Corleone felt. That for tomorrow night’s game, the Heat should maximize all of their team’s strengths and find a way to beat the Charlotte Hornets.
2023 Eastern Conference Trophy presentation
The NBA has never had a “bad guy” similar to the Miami Heat franchise. Look at the 2023 Eastern Conference trophy presentation video below. TNT’s Ernie Johnson, Jr. introduces the Heat with a muted delivery. He spends the first minute of the trophy presentation placating the Boston fans and franchise. The NBA and TNT desperately wanted the Celtics to win the Eastern Conference title.
As another Al Pacino character, “Tony Montana,” said at the end of the 1983 movie, “Scarface:”
“Say Good night to the BAD GUY! Cause it’s the last time you’ll ever see a bad guy like this, lemme tell you.”
The Heat and Pat Riley have always played the bad guy in the NBA and whenever the Heat aren’t contending for the Eastern Conference, the NBA viewership drops. Miami fans are revered and scolded for arriving late to home games, but they are fervent fans that embrace every player that wins for them (Dwayne Wade, Lebron James, Jimmy Butler, Chris Bosh.)
The Heat need to find a different path in their franchise development, but the bracket misprint gives a small window for the players to be motivated. Here are five things that need to happen:
- 5. Nikola Jovic and Kel’el Ware need to both have 10+ rebounds
- 4. Bam Adebayo gets a triple-double
- 3. Jaime Jaquez Jr. scores 20+ points
- 2. Heat hold Charlotte most-efficient lineup under average
- 1. Norman Powell and Tyler Herro have 30 point nights
In short, all the things that bothered the Heat all season are turned 180 degrees. Norman Powell says that he feels great going into the play-in game as per the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. For one night, the Heat mantra of “staying competitive” through the season works out. They take the Hornets which have played exceptional basketball since January and send them home for the season.
