The Miami Heat will begin the 2015-16 season on Wednesday as they look to return to the postseason after a losing campaign.
After an improbable run of four straight NBA Finals appearances, Miami sat out the entire playoffs last year. A big reason for this was the loss of Chris Bosh at the All-Star break. Miami was in contention until the final days of the season, and Bosh's presence likely would have made the difference.
This year, the Heat have made some adjustments to the roster to improve the depth on the team. Among the moves was the addition of Amar'e Stoudemire to a one-year contract. Stoudemire will come off the bench for Miami and could be a source of additional veteran leadership.
After some down seasons in New York with the Knicks, Stoudemire performed well with the Dallas Mavericks in the latter half of last season. The big man showed glimpses of his former All-Star self in 23 games. Stoudemire is no longer looked at as a main option, but he can be better than many other alternatives in the league today at times.
As has been the case for over a decade, Dwyane Wade's production will be crucial to Miami's success. Wade is entering his 13th year in a Heat uniform and will be the undisputed leader of the team once again. The All-Star had a solid year in 2014-15 but was let down by a lack of support. Wade had moments of greatness and took over games at times, but too much weight fell on his shoulders.
The 33-year old had some difficulty with scoring in the preseason, but this is not considered much of a concern. Wade only made 35% of his shots from the field in five exhibition games. The best effort of the preseason for Wade actually came in the first game where he had 16 points on 6 of 12 shooting.
Bosh looked like his old self during the preseason and showed no signs of the issue that ended his 2014-15 season abruptly. When blood clots were discovered in Bosh's lungs, the veteran was shut down last year. After months of recovery, Bosh made his triumphant return to the court on October 12th.
Local
In five preseason games, Bosh averaged 13 points and five rebounds a game in 27 minutes. Bosh went up and down the court with plenty of energy, and played in excess of 30 minutes in the last two games. Bosh is fully expected to begin the year with zero restrictions, and should see a heavy workload on a daily basis.
Miami will round out its starting five with the returning Goran Dragic, Hassan Whiteide and Luol Deng. Along with Wade and Bosh, this starting core could be one of the most productive in the league.
Dragic showed a terrific ability to run the show in Miami after coming over in a trade. Having Bosh on the court with him should open up new plays for the guard. In the first year of a new multi-year deal, Dragic is going to be perhaps the most important player on a daily basis for Miami.
Whiteside had a big year with Miami last season and improved as the year went on. The big man put up numbers that resembled those found in video games on some nights. Whiteside did have one negative and that was his ability to keep his composure. Opposing teams will likely try to get under Whiteside's skin again this year, and the center will need to do his best to avoid any suspension worthy situations.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra could be entering a pivotal year. Despite four straight Eastern Conference titles and two NBA titles, Spoelstra's job is far from secure. The Heat were a disappointment last year and if they were to miss the playoffs once again, there's no telling what may happen. The 44-year old has been Miami's head coach since 2008 and has been with the team since 1997.
Miami will face old friend LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers three times this year with the first meeting coming on Friday. Cleveland is once again considered a title contender and Friday's game will be the only one in Ohio this year. The Cavs will visit Miami twice during the season.
The Heat will tip the season off against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m.
