“We all anointed Boston really quickly, and they barely got by” - NBA executive believes the Miami Heat will win the Eastern Conference next season

Last season, the Miami Heat came dangerously close to getting back to the NBA Finals after their impressive run in the bubble. After finishing the regular season at the top of the Eastern Conference, they came one win away from reaching the finals.

Unfortuntaley for Miami, things did not play out how it may have hoped. In the end, the Heat dropped Game 7 of the conference finals.

In the offseason, the Heat retained most of their core players. The only player they failed to retain was veteran forward P.J. Tucker, who signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency. With the majority of their roster returning, one executive thinks they could once again be a threat in the Eastern Conference.

Ahead of the 2023 season, ESPN's Tim Bontemps surveyed executives across the league on various topics. Among the questions was which teams will represent each conference in the finals. While the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics got most of the votes, the Heat still managed to walk away with one nomination.

"I think experience matters, and they were close last year," an East executive said.

"We all anointed Boston really quickly, and they barely got by [Miami]."

The Miami Heat will have their work cut out in 2023

Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat, Game 7.

With Jimmy Butler still playing at a high level, the Miami Heat deserve to be in the conversation of contenders in the East. That being said, their work will be cut out as they attempt to fulfill their championship aspirations.

For starters, multiple teams around them got better in the offseason. The Boston Celtics managed to make upgrades following their finals run, and the Philadelphia 76ers added multiple depth pieces. On top of that, the Milwaukee Bucks will be fully healthy again after Khris Middleton was absent in last year's playoffs.

Another team Miami will have to watch out for is the Brooklyn Nets. With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving staying put, and Ben Simmons being healthy, they are legit title contenders.

Miami has the pieces to put together a deep postseason run, but health remains a big question. Jimmy Butler will be 33 years old by the time the season stars, and Kyle Lowry is 36. Experience is on the Heat's side, and if their top players are healthy when the lights get bright, age won't matter much.

A lot of things will have to fall their way, but the Heat should feel good about themselves heading into the 2022-23 season.