In answer to a write-in question from a fan my main man for oh, about thirty years, Ira Winderman, answered this way:
When considering the 8-0 record this season in overtime, consider that a mere eight points the other way at the end of regulation of each of those games could have made it 0-8. And then instead of 31-13, you would be talking 23-21. That is, of course, taking it to extremes. But only as extreme as 8-0 in OT. The Heat arguably are not as good as their record.
I don't like that. A team is, this is just tautological, a team is what its record says it is. If it had lost those OT games then the team would be what its record says it is, 23-21. BUT IT DIDN'T AND IT ISN'T. It's 31-13 and how dare he say "The Heat arguably are not as good as their record." No. They are as good as their record When the Wobble in the Apple happened the "Heat" were as good as their cumulative record at that point said they were. What is the point of "what if" when you have "as is." It's the reverse of football cognoscenti saying "so-and-so is the best 0-4 team in the country." What does that even mean? It implies that "but for a few bad breaks," or "if we hadn't played four top-25 teams we wouldn't be 0-4." Why is the cash value of brain-dead hypotheticals like that? The claimants are just talking out their ass. They can't say if this, but for this we wouldn't be 0-4 because that happened and the other didn't and you're 0-4!
Ball don't lie.
When considering the 8-0 record this season in overtime, consider that a mere eight points the other way at the end of regulation of each of those games could have made it 0-8. And then instead of 31-13, you would be talking 23-21. That is, of course, taking it to extremes. But only as extreme as 8-0 in OT. The Heat arguably are not as good as their record.
I don't like that. A team is, this is just tautological, a team is what its record says it is. If it had lost those OT games then the team would be what its record says it is, 23-21. BUT IT DIDN'T AND IT ISN'T. It's 31-13 and how dare he say "The Heat arguably are not as good as their record." No. They are as good as their record When the Wobble in the Apple happened the "Heat" were as good as their cumulative record at that point said they were. What is the point of "what if" when you have "as is." It's the reverse of football cognoscenti saying "so-and-so is the best 0-4 team in the country." What does that even mean? It implies that "but for a few bad breaks," or "if we hadn't played four top-25 teams we wouldn't be 0-4." Why is the cash value of brain-dead hypotheticals like that? The claimants are just talking out their ass. They can't say if this, but for this we wouldn't be 0-4 because that happened and the other didn't and you're 0-4!
Ball don't lie.
