Which playoff team is built best to beat the Miami Heat?
Lee Jenkins: Pacers. I’m going to be the last one off the Indiana bandwagon. Before the Pacers decomposed, they were the best and really the only candidate in the East to knock off Miami. They still are, provided the confidence they gain from a first-round victory over Atlanta starts to snowball. There are no guarantees the Pacers get past the Wizards (and Game 1 provided plenty of concerns), but if they do, they will rally for the Heat. Indiana has wanted Miami for the better part of two years. The Pacers finally have home-court advantage. And Roy Hibbert, who may have been a liability against the Hawks, presents a fundamental matchup problem at the rim for the Heat. Nothing seems to capture Indiana’s attention anymore — except Miami.
Chris Mannix: Spurs. Come on, really? Are we forgetting that the Spurs were one Ray Allen missed three-pointer from beating Miami in six games in the 2013 NBA Finals? San Antonio is every bit as strong as it was last year, perhaps stronger when you factor in the development of Kawhi Leonard. The Spurs are big, deep, have defensive stoppers at key positions and are extremely good on the road. Don’t let that seven-game series with Dallas skew your feelings for San Antonio. The Spurs are the best in the West until someone proves otherwise and are easily the biggest threat to beat the Heat.