Miami's Formula of Hard-Fought Success

The Miami Heat have been at the top of the Eastern Conference standings pretty much all season, and do so by wearing down opponents.

Miami is the East's top team for a multitude of reasons, from the addition of Kyle Lowry to the well-documented "Heat Culture" that instills a deep commitment to hard-work. Advanced stats can also partly answer the question of what Miami's winning formula includes.

Their defense is tremendous, ranking 4th in the NBA in opponent points allowed per game (104.6). The Heat allow the fewest opponent field goals made per game at 37.2. Additionally, they box out more successfully than any other squad as they hold opponents to 41.6 rebounds per game. Miami is 4th in the NBA in opponent assists, only allowing 23.1 per game, and they force the 3rd most turnovers in the NBA at 15.3 per game.

Those are a lot of numbers, but all of them are integral to Miami's success because they truly make life hell for the opposition.

Their defense isn't their only efficient characteristic, however. Miami is an effective offensive machine, with a top 5 TS% and AST% in the league, meaning they generate offense for each other and are well-versed in FG, 3P, and FT percentage.

At the individual level, Jimmy Butler shoulders most of the offensive load with 21.4 points per game, but is trailed closely by Tyler Herro who pours in 20.8 points of his own off the bench. He's currently -2000 on Vegas Insider's odds for 6MOTY, and it really isn't close.

The offense is bolstered by floor general Kyle Lowry who has made impressive strides in is first year in South Beach. The 35-year-old point guard is averaging 13.3 points and 7.8 assists per game, with the latter leading the team.

Bam Adebayo is scoring a solid 18.8 points per game to go along with a team-leading 10.3 rebounds per game.

Miami's top five players according to PER (Player Efficiency Rating) with a minimum of 20 minutes played per game are the previously mentioned guys and Caleb Martin, who has been an incredible pickup for this squad.

Martin has a higher PER than Lowry (16.0>14.5) and joins Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, and Duncan Robinson as additional scoring threats with major playing time on the roster.

Erik Spoelstra rotates guys in and out more than most coaches, and the collective effort of each player on both ends of the floor exemplifies Heat Culture, resulting in their 44-22 record.

Miami has a massive test unfolding at the time of this publication as the two #1 seeds in the NBA face off. The Heat are hosting the Phoenix Suns in what is a 2-point game at halftime.