A: Two thoughts on that: 1. I have been watching these playoffs tying to make that exact judgment, if only because to truly compete in the playoffs it generally means homecourt in the first round, as has been the case for every team that advanced in the East (and three of the four in the West). While it is not difficult to make a case for the Heat being able to bypass the Bulls, Hawks and Pacers, I'm not sure about the Bucks, considering their youth and the return of Jabari Parker to that mix. When it comes to the top four seeds that advanced in the East, it would appear little will change for Cleveland until the LeBron James era is over there. But considering the Heat were able to sweep the Wizards this past season there could be hope there. And there certainly have been competitive games with the Raptors and Celtics. 2. But does top four matter in the grand scheme? In other words, should the Heat target for ascension be the short term, when it still means, at best, second best to the Cavaliers? Or should more steady growth be planned for when the LeBron era is over, which might mean something less than a move in the top four next season, with more of a focus on development of the likes of Hassan Whiteside, Justise Winslow, Tyler Johnson, Josh Richardson and perhaps even Dion Waiters?