Udonis Haslem Makes Bold Miami Heat and Boston Celtics Claim

The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics find themselves in very different situations heading into the 2024-25 season. There is little positivity around the former after an uninspiring offseason while the latter will be looking to defend the NBA Championship.

But what if the Heat, a team struck by injuries in recent times, unexpectedly returned to full strength? Could they beat the Celtics again?

Most people, even Heat fans, are not convinced about the team right now. But Udonis Haslem certainly rates them highly.

In a recent episode of The OGs Show , Haslem made some early predictions for the upcoming NBA season. When asked about the East, the Heat legend said: "You gotta go with the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat, in my opinion. A healthy Miami Heat. Last four to six years it’s been a healthy Miami Heat and a healthy Boston Celtics team."

Then, Haslem further went on to add about his former team: "If we healthy, I like us against anybody in the East."

Of course, it is easy to feel that Haslem's opinion is biased. He spent two decades playing for the Heat and is now active in the team's front office. He was brought in last year as their vice president of basketball development.

Haslem highlighted the significance of having a healthy squad. Last season, key players such as Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro missed a significant number of games due to injury.

Butler and Terry Rozier did not even feature in the Heat's first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Celtics.

Miami and Boston have faced off several times in the playoffs in recent years, with the Heat winning two of their three meetings in the Eastern Conference finals during the Butler era.

The Heat might not have made any significant addition to their ranks over the summer but this is still a good team, with a lot of young players who have room for improvement.

So, it would be a mistake to completely write the Heat off ahead of the 24-25 season although, it does feel like teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic and a few others have passed them by.

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