Let's kick things off with a cliffhanger from last season.

Zack, will the heat be as successful outside of the bubble as they were inside of the bubble?

Well, they make the finals.

Yeah, I don't know, but I think they will be, just as I think they will be.

Justus.

Good of a team.

I believe in the heat.

The bubble was not a fluke.

Look is gonna drag.

It's gonna play out of his mind all season.

I don't know, they might Miss Jae Crowder, but Mo Harkless will help.

Avery Bradley is gonna be a little sneaky, important piece for their team.

Tyler hero will get better.

Bam will get better.

I believe in the heat.

I think the heat are gonna be right back in the mix to win the East.

I don't think they're just sort of a run of the mill 45 16.

I think they're really, really good, and they're gonna be right back.

And if they fear nobody?

Well, Rachel, you know how I feel about them going from Day County.

And I was rocking with them last season.

But the fact that the matter is is that the east have gotten better with Katie and Kyrie coming back with Milwaukee and Drew holiday.

And then you add, you throw in the Wizards, okay?

Do not sleep on the Washington Wizards, please.

I like the make up of of their ball club, and you look at Philly is gonna be hard for Miami to get back to the follows, But I do see them going to the second round perk the people of my native D C area.

Thank you.

Because do not sleep on the Washington Wizards is just not a sentence we hear very often ever in the n b a.

The plot twist for the heat.

Let's get to that Signing bam to an extension worth at least 163 million dollars they had the option of trying to kick the can down the road for a year would have left him a little bit more flexibility next offseason.

But instead they showed bam how important to him how important to them he is.

But does the deal put added pressure on Bam Kendrick?

No, not at all.

Bam is a god that you can't teach what he already has.

He has a unique skill set on the offensive end.

He's everything that you want in a big man.

In today's game.

He's alive 30 of the rim.

He's a hell of a passer.

He's able to set great screens.

He also has a nice 15 ft jump shot around the mid range and on the defense event.

Family is a guy that could possibly be in the defensive player to your conversation the way that he's able to switch one through five, pick and rolls protect the basket.

So with Bam, he doesn't have to do anything more that he's been doing.

Perk nail that.

Bam didn't get this contract by chasing points.

He didn't get it by chasing numbers.

He didn't get it by caring about his stats.

Are all the things we think about when we wonder, is a guy gonna be worried about living up to his contract?

Bam got this contract by playing to win period by trying to help his team win all the Esther New his play the exact same way he's always played, and I agree with Perk.

I think we're gonna see more of his Jumper because I think that's common.

I think it's gonna be a good weapon for them late in possessions.

But bam, He's the last guy you're gonna have to worry about playing up to the contract, caring about his numbers.

He just wants Thio.

Zach Logue.

Is he shooting a jumper like you be doing in l.

A fitness?

He'll be just fine.

E o.

This is the last segment.

He's gotta move.

So I'm just I'm just waiting, waiting to see it on camera.

Um, here are the games that Heat fans will need to binge watch this season.

In the first half, we're all pumped for their Christmas Day showdown, the Zion and the Pelicans.

Then they start their Eastern Conference Gotland with the Bucks, Celtics and Nets all within a 30 day span.

So, Zack, which East team do you think post the toughest matchup for the Heat?

I think Boston got a little bit worse.

With Hayward leaving and Kemba injured, Toronto got a little bit worse.

So to the first point, I think Milwaukee.

Yeah, they flamed out in the playoffs last year and they lost in the conference finals year before I got closer to winning.

That series of people remember, but withdrew holiday.

I still think you got to give the bucks some benefit of the doubt.

And if Katie is ready and Kyra is ready, I think the Nets have a chance to be really, really good and be in this conversation to win the East, too.

So those would be my two teams that if I'm Miami, I'm zeroing in on everybody.

Philly is gonna be good.

Indiana is nothing to sleep on.

I might take a nap on the Wizards.

I don't know if the Wizards belong in this conversation, but I'm looking at the Bucks in the Nets.

I'm right there, which is that look, You could talk about the books and the Nets and rightfully so.

Like I said, Don't leave out the Wizards.

Don't leave out the Celtics.

Don't leave out the Raptors.

But here's the thing with the Miami Heat Last year they were hunting.

This year they're gonna be the hunted teams were going to come in, and when it's time to play them, they're gonna be getting that night of sleep because they know that they have a tough, a tough task.

So every game for the heat is gonna be battle tested they're gonna have to strap their boots up because teams are gonna be coming for them, especially the Milwaukee books, because they want their revenge perk.

I used to live in South Florida.

I don't know what the current day to day restriction levels are on, where Florida is in terms of letting people into bars and clubs.

I'm telling you now, though, that Miami is Miami, and when those restrictions were lifted, nobody's getting their eight hours of rest before they play the heat.

I get what you're saying, but I just I've seen it for too long.

Finally, it's spoiler alert time.

Caesar's William Hill gives Miami the fourth best odds of winning.

So perk.

What is your prediction for the Heat this season?

Where are you were talking about the East of General?

That's what these odds are.

But in general, where is your prediction for the heat are gonna end up?

Oh, it's hard to say because I got so much love for the goons, but I don't think I don't see the Miami Heat getting past the second round.

Rachel, I'm sorry.

And by the way, that he could be just a good a team as they were last year and not get past the second round.

The playoffs are hard.

Their injuries.

The East is really good.

I would put the heat above Boston on that odds list.

I think those odds are short changing the heat a little bit, given Kimball Walker's injury concerns.

But next bucks heat.

I think they're right in the mix would not surprise me if they were in the finals again.

I don't think I'll pick him, but it wouldn't surprise me.

And this is why I'm so excited.

The MBA is starting back up again next week.

We get to see it all play out.

Thanks for watching ESPN on YouTube for live streaming sports and premium content subscribed to ESPN plus.