Erik Spoelstra is already in adjustment mode.

The Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers don't play Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals until Wednesday, but the Heat's coach is tweaking at least the narrative entering the best-of-seven series to advance to the NBA Finals.

At one point while facing a series of questions about the improvements the Pacers have made since they lost 4-2 to the Heat in last year's conference semifinals, the Miami coach countered with a progress report on his own team.

“If we're talking about people assuming they're improving from their experience, hopefully, we've improved as well,” Spoelstra said. “They're a very good basketball team. They've grown together. They've been together, their core, for several years. They've been through playoff experiences together. They've added some good pieces that fit their culture. They've developed a philosophy they believe in.”

If Spoelstra's analysis sounds familiar, well, it is.

“We believe we've done the same thing,” he continued, smoothly transitioning the focus to the Heat. “Hopefully, we're much better than the last time we played them. If we're the same team that we were last year, that won't be enough. Period. Fact. And that's why we've spent so much time this year trying to develop habits to improve. We don't feel we're the same team that played the Pacers last year.”

If the Pacers believe they've gained ground on Miami over the past year, the Heat don't feel they've exactly stood still.

For every declaration made about the rapid growth this season of Pacers players Paul George, Lance Stephenson and Roy Hibbert, the Heat respond with the productive additions of Ray Allen and Chris Andersen along with the development of second-year point guard Norris Cole.

And that doesn't even include the steady expansion of LeBron James' overall game this season or the availability of center Chris Bosh, who was injured in the first half of Game 1 last year against Indiana and missed the remainder of the series with a strained lower abdominal muscle.