Washington Wizards vs Miami Heat Prediction: Combined starting 5 featuring Bradley Beal and Jimmy Butler

The Washington Wizards will visit the Miami Heat on February 5th, in a matchup between two struggling teams from the NBA's Eastern Conference. These teams have played twice before in the 2020-21 NBA season, with the Miami Heat winning on January 9th and Washington returning the favor in the first match of their current two-game series.

The Miami Heat has been battered with injuries as per the NBA's health and safety protocol in the 2020-21 season. Their 7-14 record is shocking for a team that is the reigning Eastern Conference champion. On the other hand, though Bradley Beal is leading the NBA in scoring, the Washington Wizards are 28th in Defensive Rating and have the second-worst record in the East.

Both teams have struggled with Covid-19 in the current campaign, and availability from their main pieces has been a concern. For the upcoming game, they are expected to have some of their best players. On that note, we will create a combined starting lineup with players of the Washington Wizards and Miami Heat.

Washington Wizards vs Miami Heat Prediction: Combined starting 5

On February 3rd, these teams met at Miami Heat's AmericanAirlines Arena.

Without Russell Westbrook and against a Miami Heat that was seemingly at full strength, the Wizards pulled off a 103-100 win behind Beal's 32 points.

Washington also took an impressive win against the Brooklyn Nets on January 31st, but that one and their win over Miami are the sole victories in their last seven games. On the Miami Heat side, Erik Spoelstra's team is 1-7 in their last eight outings.

Without further ado, let us start.

Point Guard - Russell Westbrook (Washington Wizards)

Russell Westbrook #4 of the Washington Wizards.

Russell Westbrook's 2020-21 NBA season with the Washington Wizards has been far from great, even though his numbers are quite good. The Wizards have two wins and 10 losses in Westbrook's 12 games, but he has had nine Double-Doubles and five Triple-Doubles in the season.

The main issue with the Wizards' season is their defense. They have the third-worst defense in the entire NBA (116.5 points allowed per 100 possessions). Washington allows the highest field-goal percentage to their opponents in the NBA, with 49%.

Even though Westbrook's had issues on defense, he has the best Defensive Rating among Washington's starters. On the other hand, his offensive numbers have been good. He is averaging 20 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists per game. His weakness on offense has been his low percentage from the field (41%).

Despite his struggles from the field, Westbrook is having his best year from the three-point line (he's made 36% of his three-pointers so far).

Westbrook missed the previous game against the Miami Heat due to rest.

Shooting Guard - Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards)

Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards.

Bradley Beal's scoring has been incredible in the 2020-21 NBA season. The Washington Wizards' guard is leading the NBA with an average of 34.8 points per game.

Just last year, Beal had his first season with an average of at least 30 points per night (30.5), but he has taken his offensive game to a higher level in the 2020-21 NBA season.

Only four players in NBA history have opened a season with 17 consecutive 25+ point games:◾️ Rick Barry (1966-67)◾️ Elgin Baylor (1961-62)◾️ Wilt Chamberlain (1961-62, 1962-63)◾️ And now, Bradley Bealpic.twitter.com/lAK7gPoyDN
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) February 4, 2021

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He hasn't scored under 26 points in the 17 games he's played this season and even had a 60-point performance against the Philadelphia 76ers on January 6th.

Still, Beal's offensive prowess has not produced many victories for the Wizards, and the defensive end is the key. Though he's been nuclear on the attack, Beal has the second-worst Defensive Rating among the Washington Wizards' starting lineup.

Forward - Duncan Robinson (Miami Heat)

Duncan Robinson is one of the best shooters in today's NBA and he is performing at a high level again for the Miami Heat. The sniper established a new franchise record for the Heat with 270 three-pointers made last season and has made 72 in the current campaign.

Robinson is averaging over 13 points per game right now and he's been available for each of the Miami Heat's 21 games so far. His shooting splits for the season are 44/41/86.

Last season, Robinson averaged 3.7 threes per game to establish the franchise record for most three-pointers. Right now, he is averaging 3.4 threes made per game on the same number of attempts per night.

Forward - Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat)

Jimmy Butler is the Miami Heat's best player and arguably the leader of the team. After his brilliant run in the 2020 NBA Playoffs, Butler has not been able to help Miami in the 2020-21 NBA season, as he's played in only nine games so far.

Though his season has been a struggle, Butler is still averaging 19 points, six rebounds, and six assists per game so far.

He's also made 46% of his field goals (though he has missed his 13 attempts from the 3P line so far).

In their last game against the Washington Wizards, Butler put up 19 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. Still, it was not enough for the Miami Heat to win the game.

Center - Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat)

Bam Adebayo is the "heart and soul" of the Miami Heat to some analysts and he's certainly been the team's best player so far. Adebayo has missed only a couple of games for Miami until now, and his numbers have been great.

The one-time All-Star is performing at the highest level of his career and he continues to evolve. Adebayo is versatile as a defender and is also an efficient player on offense.

He is averaging 20 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in 19 appearances so far. Moreover, Adebayo has made 58% of his field goals and 85% of his free throws in the 2020-21 NBA season. He's even made two of his five attempts from the three-point line.

On the defensive end, Adebayo leads the Miami Heat in Defensive Rating.