After going 5-1 in their preseason using those warmup games to really prepare for the regular season, the Miami Heat not only jumped out of the gate with one of the best records in the NBA, but they’ve also been defeating teams by double digits.

In fact, in the Heat’s first seven games, they’ve jumped out to a 6-1 record with wins over title contenders Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets.

They slaughtered the Bucks by 42 points and convincingly defeated the Nets by 13 points. And that thirteen-point spread win over Brooklyn, that’s been their closest win and their only loss came against Indiana in overtime. This great start begs the question, how serious should be taking the Miami Heat as a NBA championship contender? If you look at any of the best sports betting apps, the Miami Heat are improving their odds with each game. As the team that looks most fully-formed, their chances are looking really good in their championship prospects for several reasons. Yet they’re being overlooked; here’s why:

They added more toughness

The Heat had somewhat of a down year after advancing to the NBA Finals two seasons ago. Since then, they’ve lost Goran Dragic and Jae Crowder from that 2020 core. Still the Heat have components from that playoff run led by Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro. With Duncan Robinson providing support from distance, Miami added Kyle Lowry and PJ Tucker; two players that certainly fit right into the grit and grind of the “Miami Heat culture.”

No superstars

The Heat might not have big name players like Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Steph Curry on their roster — having those names on a winning team automatically places a team higher up on the contenders list. And Durant, James, Giannis, and Curry are four of the top five players according to ESPN’s annual #NBARank rankings.

Those players represent the other four contenders for the 2021-22 NBA championship.  It’s the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Golden State Warriors that most talking heads and basketball analysts are shortlisting as the teams with the best odds at bringing home the title. Well, those four and the Miami Heat.

Heat in numbers

It’s somewhat fitting that the Miami Heat are succeeding without the big, marketable names. Yes, Butler, Adebayo and Lowry were NBA All-Stars. Herro has been making history as the league’s most-potent sixth man, scoring 157 points as a reserve in seven games. According to the AP, that’s the most bench points in seven games in 45 years.

All that said, it’s not any one individual for Miami. It’s the culmination of all of their talents and efforts that makes matching up with the Heat in the post season a scary proposition. After the Heat got their sixth win of the season against the Mavs, their Head Coach Jason Kidd summed up why Miami should be taken seriously: