Report cards are out, and the summer sun shines bright, but the astringent sting of the Miami Heat’s 2017-18 season lingers.
Though the Heat lapped the Washington Wizards and Milwaukee Bucks for sixth in the Eastern Conference, they met their demise faster than any team in the East. Miami matched up poorly against the Philadelphia 76ers, and fell short at the free throw line, taking what could have been (should have been) a close series, and drowning it in the Biscayne Bay.
In the series’ five games, head coach Erik Spoelstra saw 10 Heat players play over 70 minutes a piece – a fittingly deep rotation for a team that cited its regular season depth ad nauseam.