Matchup with Sixers looks favorable for Heat

TORONTO - Forget the 97-79 win against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.

With LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Mike Miller not playing, that game had as much excitement as watching The Decision for the 100th time on Youtube.

Yes, the Heat won. No, it didn't matter one iota past the fact they will have home-court advantage in the NBA Finals if they happen to face the Dallas Mavericks.

For the Heat, it's all about the Philadelphia 76ers and a first-round playoff series that kicks off Saturday.

The road to either renewed ridicule or real redemption starts with a team that is both Miami's polar opposite and probably its easiest possible draw.

"They're tough," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Wednesday. "They pose a lot of different challenges. Their primary challenge is their speed and athleticism. We don't see that type of quickness every night."

Here's what the Heat also won't see come the seven-game series against the East's No. 7 seed: A premier point guard or any kind of effective center, the two weapons that give Miami trouble.

Philadelphia is a remarkable case study in how a head coach, and his system, can work if a team buys in. It's just not a team that matches up well with the Heat.

Last year's Sixers team won 27 games. This year's won 41 because the team bought into Doug Collins' no-stars, nine-man-deep philosophy in which everyone plays with high energy, takes an even number of shots, gets it going defensively and actually puts the team ahead of the individual.

"They know their game now," Wade said Wednesday. "Early on, they were trying to figure it out, figure it out with their new coach. After the game (March 25 in Miami), I saw all their players shot between 12 and 14 shots. That was amazing to me. There were eight or nine who did that. This is a very deep team."

This is, needless to say, the exact opposite of the Heat's Big Three-led squad, in which it is the stars and their personal performances that dictate whether Miami rises or falls.

It's a commendable approach Philadelphia has implemented. It's worked. But there is almost no chance the Sixers can beat the Heat in a seven-game series.

They don't do anything better than Miami. They don't defend better. They don't shoot better. They're not bigger. They're not faster. They have no stars who can match LeBron, Wade or even Bosh for big moments or dynamic, game-changing plays.

"Really tough group of guys," Wade said. "Really athletic team. It's a really good defensive team. Every game is going to come down to the fourth quarter."

That's probably true. Philly kept itself in each game it played, and lost, against Miami this year. That's largely due to the bench, the one place the Sixers trump the Heat. They grind, they fight, but that won't be enough.

In three games against Philadelphia this year, Wade scored 92 points, LeBron had 68 and Bosh 53. The Sixers didn't breach the 100-point barrier one time.

Spencer Hawes will make Miami's frontcourt look like a force rather than a liability. Andre Iguodala can play some defense, to be sure, but he can't guard LeBron and Wade at the same time.

Speaking to the challenges the Sixers present, Spoelstra said, "They do play small, a lot of it's unconventional, so we really have to prepare for that type of speed."

The Sixers are to be celebrated for their commitment to the team ethos. They're to be respected for how hard they play and how many people they can throw at you. But they're not to be feared. Not by the Heat.

Miami should get this series done in five games, if not a clean sweep.

Then comes the showdown in which fear, among many emotions, could rule the day.

But before Boston, Philly.

The Redemption Tour starts now.

You can follow Bill Reiter on Twitter.