The Miami Heat enter their first-round matchup against the Charlotte Hornets with a clear-cut advantage in experience, having failed to qualify for the postseason just twice in the past 13 years.
While Charlotte may be viewed as the underdog on paper, Heat guard Dwyane Wade knows just how formidable the opposition is, giving the team all the credit in the world for how well they've performed entering this series.
"The second half of the season, they've been like Golden State of the East," Wade said Sunday. "We have our work cut out for us."
Related: To beat the other, Hornets and Heat must emulate each other
Comparing Steve Clifford's Hornets to the reigning NBA champions, who just broke the NBA single-season wins record with 73, is mighty praise coming from a 12-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer like Wade.
When analyzing both team's numbers since the All-Star break, Charlotte hasn't been that far off from the champs in terms of its production on both ends of the floor:
Warriors vs. Hornets (Numbers from Feb. 17 - April 15)
| Team | OffRtg/Rank | DefRtg/Rank | NetRtg | Record | 3P%/Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warriors | 111.4/1 | 103.9/10 | 7.5/2 | 25-5 | 40.3/1 |
| Hornets | 108.5/7 | 101.8/7 | 6.7/3 | 21-8 | 37.9/4 |
(courtesy: stats.NBA.com)
Game 1 of the Hornets-Heat series takes place Sunday at the AmericanAirlines Arena.
