While the NFL has done its best to invade Christmas Day, it will always belong to the NBA. The league’s annual five-game slate is usually packed with the best and most intriguing matchups.
In the midst of a dreadful nine-game stretch, the Miami Heat do not play on Christmas Day this year. But let’s not forget that they are the best Christmas Day squad of all time.
Don’t believe me? Let’s examine a few numbers.
Depending on which side of the coin you’re on, the Heat are either ol’ Saint Nick because of the joy he provides on Christmas, or the Grinch that stole your Christmas Day spirit. The Heat is an NBA-best 12-2 on Christmas Day, including a nine-game streak that dates back to the 2008-09 season.
The Heat also owns the NBA’s second-best Christmas Day NET Rating, outscoring opponents by six points per 100 possessions. The Philadelphia 76ers (13-9) are the only team that’s better with a plus-6.2 NET. Miami also possesses the seventh-best true-shooting percentage, second-lowest effective field goal percentage allowed and fifth-best differential in rebound rate, among others.
I know, say what you want about me cherry-picking stats, but the numbers never lie, even in a small sample of an isolated day on the calendar! Sue me!
What must Heat do to get back on Christmas Day?
Of the 10 Christmas Day teams, only two — the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs — did not make the postseason last year. Though those two teams have two of the NBA’s best young stars in Victor Wembanyama and Cooper Flagg.
Of those other eight, only two of them (Rockets, Lakers) didn’t win a single postseason series. The Lakers have Luka Doncic and LeBron James; the Rockets are one of the West’s top teams (despite a recent slide) with Kevin Durant. The final six are the Thunder, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Knicks, Cavaliers and Warriors.
You want to know what they have?! Star power and/or, for the most part, are genuinely good teams!
Regardless of a recent slide from Bam Adebayo, he’s a star, but he’s not a star. Plus, while the Heat have shown flashes of good, particularly to start the season, they have been a play-in team each of the last three seasons. And they are on track for making that for a fourth-straight year, too.
They are no longer as relevant as they were.
Do you know how you change those fortunes?! Find a way to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo.
That will be easier said than done, however.
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That was then and this is now.
Good, honest article about the Heat’s fall from Christmas Day relevancy. If things keep going in the direction of the first thirty games, this will be the year the rest of the fans, the ones who haven’t already gotten sick of mediocrity, finally stop living on past accomplishments and start to demand better results. Four years should be long enough for even the most diehard.
have u studied the dolphins last 50 years