Brooklyn Nets vs Miami Heat: Predictions, Odds and Roster Notes

What: Brooklyn Nets at Miami Heat

Where: American Airlines Arena in Miami, FL

When: Saturday, March 2nd at 7:30 PM EST

How (TV/Radio): Fox Sports Sun, YES | WFAN, 790 The Ticket / S: WAQI 710 AM

Brooklyn Nets (Away)

Head Coach: Kenny Atkinson {All-Time 80-147 | BKN}

The Brooklyn Nets have been slipping in the rankings since their hot start to 2019. They are now a single game over .500 and are a mere 1.5 games ahead of the Detroit Pistons who are seventh in the Eastern Conference.

While they finally have their three stars back in the lineup, the Brooklyn Nets have been a tale of two teams against elite sides. While they’ve put together impressive performances against the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs, they haven’t been able to compete with the Toronto Raptors, Portland Trail Blazers, or Milwaukee Bucks in recent games.

The Brooklyn Nets face off against a struggling Miami Heat team. They are not a team to take lightly though. While the Heat don’t have the offensive firepower needed to compete in today’s NBA, their defensive ability it certainly a cause for concern. A recent win over the Golden State Warriors shows that the Heat and Dwyane Wade certainly have plenty left in the tank.

Miami Heat (Home)

Head Coach: Erik Spoelstra {All-Time 511-353 | MIA}

It hasn’t been the most storybook ending to Dwyane Wade’s career with the Miami Heat, but Erik Spoelstra’s team is certainly not one to write off. They are currently tenth in the Eastern Conference standings but are a mere half game out of the eighth spot.

Their most recent games haven’t been pretty. The Heat have been on two separate losing streaks, all against tough teams in the NBA. While the results are assumed, the Heat surely wanted to show their quality in some of the matches.

Fortunately for the Heat, they squeezed out a win against the reigning champion Golden State Warriors. It was a tight contest, but a buzzer-beating three-point attempt by Dwyane Wade sealed the deal. Do the Heat want the same performance against the Nets? Probably not as close of a match, but the will to win and move back into the playoffs is a certainty.

What’s At Stake?

The Miami Heat have generally had the upper hand in this series against the Brooklyn Nets. In 121 games all-time, the Heat lead the Nets 71-50.

A win for the Heat would place them ninth in the Eastern Conference, a game out from their state rivals the Orlando Magic.

A win for the Brooklyn Nets would keep them sixth in the East, with no major ground being gained or lost.

Questions to answer

What can the Nets do with a full roster?

Can the Heat make a last minute push?

We are going to compare the Brooklyn Nets and the Miami Heat in an attempt to see who has the advantage in this matchup.

The Nets Are Finally Healthy

Not since the opening night of the season have the Brooklyn Nets been able to field a fully healthy roster in an NBA game this season. Now that the pieces are back together, the Brooklyn Nets have a youthful and formidable lineup that looks prepared to challenge some the more experienced teams in the East.

The Nets have some of the most exciting prospects coming out of the Eastern Conference. Spencer Dinwiddie and D’Angelo Russell are scoring machines at the point of attack. Joe Harris provides deadeye shooting and Caris Levert is a swiss army knife at the wing positions. In the frontcourt, Jarrett Allen and Ed Davis are tenacious big men on the glass with the tenacity to defend the paint and perimeter.

The pressure is on the Nets to bring it all together on the court in their last 18 games. Barring a major collapse, the Nets seem primed to make the playoffs in the sixth or seventh seed, giving them a tough matchup regardless of finish. The Nets have presented problems for every Eastern Conference team, these last games will give a better picture of their future.

The Heat Are 0.5 Games Out of the Playoffs

The Miami Heat are an interesting mix of veteran talent and youthful energy. The year was billed as Dwyane Wade’s retirement tour, but the team itself has been impressive enough to challenge for a position in the Eastern Conference.

Oddly enough, the Miami Heat have been less effective against the Eastern Conference than they have been against the Western Conference. Miami is 14-21 against the East, while they are 13-12 against the West.

The average team win-loss that they’ll be competing against for the remainder of the season is .523. They have the tenth most difficult schedule and two games against the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks suggest they will be in for a photo finish. With veterans like Wade and Olynyk and focused youth in Richardson and Winslow, don’t be surprised to see the Heat squeeze their way into the big dance.

Brooklyn Nets Roster Notes

The Brooklyn Nets have no roster changes of note.

Miami Heat Roster Notes

F James Johnson – 27 Feb 2019 – Day To Day (Left Shoulder) – Johnson did not play in Wednesday’s (Feb 27) game.

C Hassan Whiteside – 27 Feb 2019 – Day To Day (Hip) – Whiteside did not play in Wednesday’s (Feb 27) game against the Warriors.

Head-to-Head: Spencer Dinwiddie (BKN) vs Josh Richardson (MIA)

Spencer Dinwiddie

Point Guard | 6-6, 210lb (198cm, 95kg) | Colorado | Exp. 4 Years

17.2 PPG | 5.0 APG | 2.5 RPG | 0.6 SPG | 0.2 BPG | 2.3 TOV | .461 FG% | .366 3P%

Josh Richardson

Shooting Guard | 6-6, 200lb (198cm, 90kg) | Tennessee | Exp. 3 Years

17.4 PPG | 4.0 APG | 3.6 RPG | 1.0 SPG | 0.5 BPG | 1.8 TOV | .418 FG% | .375 3P%

Two dynamic wing scorers take each other on when the Nets meet the Heat. Spencer Dinwiddie is back from injury and is certain to put on a performance against the Miami Heat. He’ll have a difficult night though, as two-way player Josh Richardson will be there to challenge every step he takes.

Spencer Dinwiddie will be coming back from injury and is likely to take it slow for the opening portion of the match. Knowing Dinwiddie though, it won’t be long before he is back to his full-throttle ways. The Nets have missed his scoring punch off the bench and will certainly welcome it back considering their recent slide down the rankings.

Josh Richardson has been great for the Miami Heat this year. While his scoring efficiency is down, it isn’t so poor considering the uptick in shot attempts per game. He had a big game against the Golden State Warriors – 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists – and will look to carry that effort over against the Nets and into their playoff push.

Brooklyn Nets at Miami Heat Predictions and Odds

The odds makers have the Miami Heat favored over the Brooklyn Nets by 3, with an over/under of 110.