Coming from a knicks fan, no way the heat are better on paper even without irving, i'll go as far and say they not better even if love was out as well. This is the same team that went to the finals without love and irving and gave the warriors trouble.
The heat are the same team that didn't even make the playoffs in the weak conference, i know bosh didn't play like the last 15-20 games but they were still on the outside looking in when both wade and bosh were playing. In that weak conference where celtics got in, no excuse why wade and gorin couldnt carry them into the playoffs