Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Heat made quick work of the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, sweeping Milwaukee in four games. Now with even more rest and slated to face the winner of the Chicago Bulls-Brooklyn Nets series, Miami looks like a virtual lock to defend their three-time eastern conference crown.
Four-time NBA MVP LeBron James was of course the catalyst for the Heat in the first round, averaging a team-leading 24.5 points and 6.8 assists. Miami didn’t need to rely too much on their other stars, as they utilized a balanced attack to put away Milwaukee. Contributions from a nine-man rotation was enough for Miami to coast to four easy wins.
Miami last played on April 28th and will have over a week off before facing their next opponent. Head coach Eric Spoelstra had already rested his starters over the final two weeks on the regular season and it paid off in their rout of the Bucks, so more rest before the second round should yield the same result.
On paper, neither the Bulls or Nets appear to offer much resistance to the Heat on their run to the finals. Miami running the table in the series is a strong possibility, especially if Spoelstra elects to play his normal rotation and get Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh more involved in preparation for the finals.
A rested Miami Heat roster spells trouble for the rest of the Eastern Conference. Every other team in the east will have less rest than the Heat, giving Miami an advantage in not only talent but also in conditioning. The Heat were already the best team in the league, and more time in between series will make them that much more unbeatable.
