The Miami Heat have long been title contenders, and that should be no different in 2023-24.
Led by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, the Heat finished eighth in the Eastern Conference last season with a 44-38 record and were considered major underdogs in a playoff race highlighted by the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics.
However, the underdogs turned out to be the top dogs as they exceeded any and all expectations.
After securing a playoff spot through the play-in tournament, the Heat defeated the Bucks in the first round, the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals and the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals en route to securing their first NBA Finals berth since the 2019-20 season.