National Basketball Association

Heat hoping push for playoffs can help young players grow

Published Apr. 8, 2015 6:07 p.m. ET

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MIAMI -- Amid endless debate in South Florida among fans, experts and critics concerning bouncing pingpong balls and draft positioning, the reality for the Miami Heat is that the possibility of reaching the playoffs remains as tangible a goal as ever.

Sitting half a game below the Boston Celtics for the eighth playoff spot, the Heat have a favorable schedule to finish the regular season and are as healthy as they have been this season. Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic appear to be back on track after a difficult 0-3 road trip last week, and Hassan Whiteside looks comfortable playing with his bandaged hand.

Though there are merits to the argument that the Heat would be well-positioned in a deep draft class if they were to miss the playoffs and head to the lottery, head coach Erik Spoelstra and his players remain focused to prolong the season and take their chances in the postseason.

Beyond what kind of damage the Heat could do against a tough first-round opponent such as the Atlanta Hawks or the Cleveland Cavaliers, the ancillary benefit for many of their younger players would be postseason experience.

"Just the experience and just feeling it," Wade said of playing in the postseason. "It's a different level, it's a different intensity, and it's a different focus that you have to have."

Youngsters James Ennis, Tyler Johnson, and Shabazz Napier have been inconsistent this season, as many rookies usually are, but they have shown the ability to make an impact. At times, they are almost too quick for their own good and rush themselves. Wade believes playing in — and dealing with — an intense playoff atmosphere would pay off in the long run.

"I remember my first year in the playoffs and then after that coming into the next year, I felt so much comfortable and the game slowed down a little bit for me in the regular season," he said. "A lot of things change, so if you can get those guys that experience moving forward, it'll only help us."

If the team can climb into the playoffs, Whiteside points out that everyone begins 0-0 in the postseason. He, like many of his teammates, will be playing with a chip on their shoulders to prove they belong among the NBA's best.

"I was at the YMCA seven months ago, and now we're talking about the playoffs," said Whiteside, who was a rookie in 2010 but has only appeared in 64 regular season games to date. "It means a lot, especially with what's on the line. It's a whole different level of play. There's not too many people that can say they played in the playoffs. Just getting that experience, it's a great part of your career just to say that you've been there and getting to compete at the highest level."

Johnson has gone from undrafted free agent to the NBA D-League to having an opportunity to reach the playoffs as a spark plug off the bench.

"It's great for guys like me, Shabazz, James and Zoran (Dragic); the rookies who have never been there," Johnson said. "We can take that with us into the summertime and see how hard that we had to work this year, we would (have to) work even harder the next year. It would be better to be in this year then trying to learn that whole situation over again next year."

Dragic, 28, made his NBA debut in 2008-09 and has made the playoffs just once, when he backed up Steve Nash during the Phoenix Suns' run to the 2009-10 Western Conference Finals. His most memorable playoff moment was scoring 23 points in the fourth quarter of a Game 3 win in the Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs.

"It would mean a lot," Dragic said of making the postseason. "Everybody wants to play in the playoffs. I was once in the playoffs, and I know what kind of feeling is that when the gym is full. It's a different basketball, and I want to get that feeling back. Hopefully, it's going to be this year. It was a great learning experience and now I would be in a different situation because back then I was a backup point guard."

Spoelstra prefers to keep the focus on reaching the playoffs to continue with the franchise's traditional winning ways. But the players are already benefiting from playing in playoff-atmosphere games during their fight for one of the top eight seeds, he argues.

"It is (a benefit) and any of these games are important for their experience, but the bigger picture is they understand how important it is for this organization," he said. "So they understand the urgency and the accountability to your minutes when you're playing for the playoffs. When you have an opportunity like we have right now to go for it, you've got to go for it."

You can follow Surya Fernandez on Twitter @SuryaHeatNBA or email him at SuryaFoxSports@gmail.com.