The Miami Heat stay being a team with a very specific mentality year in and year out: not tanking.
Even last season, when it seemed that the team was trying to get a lottery pick at 11-30, they swung back around and missed the playoffs in a tiebreaker with the Chicago Bulls. This year has proven that the team of last year had potential, as most of that team returned.
“If you know anything about our organization we’re not going to play for any other purpose or motivation than to win,” said head coach Erik Spoelstra in January 2017.