Q: How big are these games against Toronto? – Ed.
A: Big enough that they could have a huge impact on postseason tiebreakers. The Heat cannot win a head-to-head tiebreaker against the Raptors (due to the secondary tiebreaker of conference record) even if they win these two games in Toronto to finish 2-2 in the season series. But by winning both in Toronto, it would position the Heat very strongly in multiple-team tiebreakers involving the Raptors, 76ers and Hornets. That’s because the Heat closed 2-1 against the 76ers and 3-1 against the Hornets. So, yes, something to play for at Scotiabank Arena. (That said, at 0-5 against Orlando, any multiple-team tiebreaker involving the Magic would mean the Heat would come up short.)
Q: Ira, you keep posting about seeding and play-in as if it means something. In the old days, if you were not at least No. 8, you went home. – Mike.
A: The job here is to report on the possibilities based on the rules at play. Should a No. 9 or No. 10 team make the playoffs when there are only 15 teams in each conference? Yes, it is a bit absurd. But so is having teams below .500 in the postseason, which happened rather frequently when there were only eight playoff teams in each conference. No, this has not been a good Heat season, of which I would think few if any would disagree. But as long as there is something to play for, you play for it. And therefore, you have to maintain track of what matters.
Q: When is the last time the Heat and Panthers did not make the playoffs in the same year? And now what do I do? – Lance.
A: That would have been in 2019, which also is the last time the Heat were out of the playoffs (the year they landed Tyler Herro in the lottery). Technically, the Panthers, until this season’s elimination, had made the postseason every year since 2019, as well, but that is including the expanded qualifying round during the 2020 pandemic end to that season. As far as what to do if there are no Heat playoffs? Time to start scouting for the lottery.