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The Miami Heat are now looking like an Eastern Conference powerhouse. They made the 2020 NBA Finals as the fifth seed and troubled many teams, including the then-reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
However, after their disappointing exit in the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs, president Pat Riley and the front office made some excellent moves. They acquired Kyle Lowry, Markieff Morris and PJ Tucker while re-signing Jimmy Butler and Duncan Robinson to extensions. Not to mention, they retained Victor Oladipo, Tyler Herro, Max Strus and Gabe Vincent.
How will the starting lineup of the Miami Heat look like in NBA 2K22?
Bleacher Report gave the Miami Heat's offseason an A+ grade and reported;
"Miami's starters complement each other extremely well and should produce one of the best net ratings of any lineup this season."
They should have Kyle Lowry and PJ Tucker starting at the point guard and power forward position, respectively, with the rest of their three starters retaining their positions.
On that note, here's a look at the NBA 2K22 predictions of the Miami Heat's starting lineup.
Center: Bam Adebayo - 86
Bam Adebayo is one of the best young centers in the game today. He had one of his best seasons last year with the Miami Heat, posting career-highs in points, assists and steals while grabbing nine rebounds per game.
He averaged 18.7 points per game on 57% shooting and improved his free-throw shooting to 80%. Adebayo also won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 while representing USA in men's basketball.
Bam Adebayo started NBA 2K21 with an 86 rating, which went up to 89 at one point, but eventually ended at 87. 2K Sports has reduced the ratings of most of the players, including Adebayo's, in the 2021 NBA playoffs.
So we can expect his rating to dip by at least one point. Hence, we predict his rating to be 86 in NBA 2K22, which is likely to increase as the season progresses.
Power Forward: PJ Tucker - 74
![PJ Tucker with the Milwaukee Bucks [Source: USA Today]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/e65a0-16304161239225-800.jpg)
PJ Tucker is certainly not the most fun player to play with on NBA 2K, but he is one of the most crucial members on any team. He hustles, fights for boards, defends at a high level and knocks down his corner threes.
Tucker joined the Milwaukee Bucks mid-season and immediately made an impact. He usually guarded one of the best players on the opposition, taking turns defending Heat's Jimmy Butler, Nets' Kevin Durant and Suns' Devin Booker.
PJ Tucker's rating fell from 76 to 74 in NBA 2K21, but that dip was certainly unwarranted, as he was extremely valuable in the Bucks' playoff run. We predict his rating to be 74 to begin NBA 2K22.
Considering that he isn't a flashy player who drops a lot of buckets, grabs a lot of boards or dishes a lot of dimes, Tucker's rating isn't expected to go up even though he should remain valuable to the Miami Heat next season.
Small Forward: Jimmy Butler - 91
Just like PJ Tucker, Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler might not be the most fun player to play with on NBA 2K. But one cannot deny that he is the Heat's most important player.
He does everything for the team on the floor and has been labeled 'swiss army knife' due to his versatility. Other than rebounding and inside scoring, he is rated 80 or more in every other category.
Butler started NBA 2K21 with an 89 rating, which increased to 93 during the 2020 NBA Finals. However, he suffered a decline last season, and his NBA 2K22 rating will likely reflect that. Butler was underwhelming, to say the least, in the 2021 NBA playoffs, where he was outscored by the Bucks' Bryn Forbes.
Jimmy Butler scored just 14.5 points per game on 29% shooting from the field, including 26% from the three-point range, while making 72% of his free throws, all career-lows. We predict his rating to go down by at least one point in NBA 2K22, even as low as 90 too.
Shooting Guard: Duncan Robinson - 76
Duncan Robinson is a three-point specialist and one of the most important players in the Miami Heat starting lineup. His spacing and shooting gives the Heat's forwards room to operate and allows for the possibility of cuts and drives.
However, Robinson barely does anything else. and his attributes in most categories are quite low. He has a 90-rated three-point shot in NBA 2K22. and was revealed to be the fifth-best three-point shooter in the game.
We predict Duncan Robinson's rating in NBA 2K22 to be 76.
Point Guard: Kyle Lowry - 83
Arguably the greatest Raptor of all time, Kyle Lowry is heading to South Beach to play for the Miami Heat next season. He is 35 now, and his production has taken a slight dip in recent years. so a fall in his NBA 2K rating is understandable.
However, he is set to led the Miami Heat to a championship run, and might perform at a high level alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
Kyle Lowry is one of the best playmakers in the game, and should help Butler, Adebayo and the rest of the Miami Heat squad get better looks. He is also an excellent three-point shooter, who could complement Robinson well in the backcourt. We predict his NBA 2K22 rating to be 83 to begin the game.
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