The 2023 Heat also bear little resemblance to their 2020 squad, though a few familiar faces remain alongside the stars: Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Gabe Vincent and of course, the eternal Udonis Haslem (who, like Jack Nicholson’s hotel caretaker in The Shining, has just always been there.) But Herro, a rookie in 2020 who blossomed into a star, is out for the 2023 playoffs, having broken his right hand in the first round. Vincent, an end-of-bench spectator in 2020, is now a starter. Robinson, a key starter then, is a diminished reserve now. (Haslem, now as then, is mostly here to play the Roy Kent role: teach, guide, occasionally growl.)
If there’s a true through line (and logical comparison) from 2020 to 2023, it’s the Celtics, who are still built around bubble vets Tatum, Brown, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams and Grant Williams. That said, the Williamses were much younger then (Grant, a rookie; Robert, a sophomore) and far less integral. Tatum and Brown are certified All-NBA now, and they’ve got a wealth of veteran support in Al Horford, Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon.
So no, this final four isn’t exactly the same four that dominated the bubble, and no, the reappearance of these four franchises doesn’t necessarily validate what they did three years ago. The 2020 playoffs, played in seclusion because of the Covid-19 pandemic, were unique and profoundly strange: No fans, no travel, no freedom to leave. It impacted every player and team differently.
What this postseason has proven, once again, is that “chemistry” and “continuity” aren’t just touchy-feely buzzwords. They matter. So does depth. Just ask the vacationing Phoenix Suns, who were practically crowned as championship favorites when they acquired Kevin Durant in February, only to be summarily dismissed by the Nuggets last week.
Stars matter. But so does everyone else.
It’s easy to be seduced by marquee talent in this league. The partnering of Durant with Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton was irresistible to pundits and oddsmakers alike. But they were never going to have more than 20 games to establish a rhythm before the playoffs. Then that 20 became eight, because of another Durant injury. The Suns also surrendered three talented wings in the trade that brought Durant from Brooklyn, leaving them a depleted rotation. Coach Monty Williams never could find a group he trusted outside of his starting five.
Howard Beck
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