Why Is Everyone UNDERRATING Giannis & the Miami Heat? & Spo's Preaseason Plan

Are the Miami Heat being seriously UNDERRATED heading into the NBA season? Despite adding Giannis Antetokounmpo alongside Bam Adebayo, some national analysts are projecting Miami to finish as low as sixth to ninth in the Eastern Conference. Are they overlooking a legitimate contender?

Wes Goldberg and David Ramil open the Locked On Heat mailbag to debate whether the Heat deserve to be considered a top-three team in the East — and why national expectations remain surprisingly low.

But first, Miami has several injury and illness updates ahead of Thursday’s preseason matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans. Andrew Wiggins and Pelle Larsson have been dealing with illnesses, Keshad Johnson is working back from a hamstring strain and Dru Smith remains sidelined with a calf injury. Plus, Erik Spoelstra reveals his plan for the rest of the preseason, including how much Giannis and the regular rotation will play before opening night.

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