"Don't kid yourself, Belichick and Popovich are cautionary tales of brilliance and culture... They are Warriors without talent" - Colin Cowherd highlights major issues with Miami Heat ahead of ECF Game 5
When it comes to culture in the NBA, the Miami Heat sit in a tier of their own. "Heat culture" is a term thrown around constantly – and is arguably a major catalyst in them being two wins away from the NBA Finals.
After an extremely lackluster shooting night from Miami, the Boston Celtics won Game 4 in commanding fashion – 102-82 on Monday night – to even the series. Both teams will now head to Miami once again for a pivotal Game 5 on Wednesday.
Seeing how the first four games of the Eastern Conference finals unfolded, it's fair to say that either team can still pull away and win. Both have been on the giving and receiving end of blowouts due to cold shooting nights. That being the case, FS1's Colin Cowherd recently gave his thoughts on why the Miami Heat might have a slight edge in this series.
While admitting the Boston Celtics are the more talented team, Cowherd feels the Heat's culture can propel them to the finals. Even with being the more tight-knit group, an intangible factor like culture can only get a team so far, and we might be witnessing it firsthand with the Heat.
"They may win this series ... But don't kid yourself. (New England Patriots coach Bill) Belichick and (San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg) Popovich are cautionary tales of how much brilliant, culture, there's a ceiling to it. And I just think Miami's ceiling, we saw it. ... They are like the Warriors without the talent."
"Don't kid yourself — Belichick and Popovich are cautionary tales of brilliance and culture. There's a ceiling to it. I just think Miami's ceiling, we saw it."
— @ColinCowherd https://t.co/LE9yRMV7Dp
Can the Miami Heat overcome the Celtics to reach the NBA Finals?
Cowherd made a very interesting point that hasn't been talked about much. While the Heat are a very good team, have we already witnessed their ceiling? An argument can be made for either side, but based on the age of some of their top players, the answer might be yes.
Looking at Game 4, Miami's starters combined scored a total of 18 points. Max Strus and P.J. Tucker both went scoreless and shot a combined 0-for-11. The Heat have the depth to overcome rough shooting nights from their starters, but they cannot expect to win in the playoffs with production like this.
- Miami Heat starters combined: 18 Points
- Victor Oladipo off the bench: 23 Points https://t.co/sivDYN2FVQ
It's evident Boston is the better team on paper, but it could very well be the Heat who advance to the finals. Not only do they have home-court advantage, but Boston is dealing with injuries to multiple key players. Based on what we've seen thus far, there is no telling how the final two or three games will unfold.