Five Things To Watch: Miami Heat As the back-to-back defending NBA champions, one could say that the Miami Heat stand in the best position of any team in the league. That’s probably true, but the 2013-14 campaign also stands as one of the most pivotal seasons in team history. Why? After this season, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will all have the option to test the free agent waters. Although Wade said he wants to stay in Miami, perhaps a disappointing season with an aging core could give James pause about re-upping with the Heat. Already a champion as a supporting player, Bosh may want the spotlight. Regardless of whether the Heat three-peat, it is entirely plausible that key role players such as Ray Allen and Shane Battier will retire after this season. And even if James re-signs, Heat president Pat Riley may have to build up another championship-caliber supporting cast without many salary cap exceptions at his disposal. That all leaves the spotlight squarely on Miami yet again. The Heat come into this season with much of the same roster that won the title in June. But the punitive luxury tax penalties led them to amnesty Mike Miller, who was overpaid and injured but nevertheless managed to contribute during playoff runs. Miami also added former top overall pick Greg Oden, who hasn’t played in an NBA game since 2009. Will he mitigate the impact Indiana’s Roy Hibbert and other imposing bigs could have against the Heat? We’ll see. Let’s take a closer look at five things to watch this upcoming season. 1. Dwyane Wade’s health. After suffering from knee issues for the second consecutive postseason, Wade enlisted the help of renowned trainer Tim Grover this summer. Wade worked with Grover during the summer of 2008, after the 2006 NBA Finals MVP was coming off two injury-plagued seasons before dominating in the Beijing Olympics and subsequently winning the scoring title. Wade’s injury prevented Miami from reaching the level of play it reached during the first half of the Heat’s27-game winning streak. He had reinvented himself to play with James, becoming someone who learned to play off the ball with sharp cuts to the basket. Miami also may not have had to endure consecutive seven-game series if Wade had been healthy. Miami’s hopes for a three-peat rest largely on Wade’s shoulders – and knees. 2. The development of Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole. As mentioned above, a handful of supporting role players could retire after this season. Allen and Battier – two huge contributors – could walk away, and Udonis Haslem will only continue to regress as a player. It will therefore be pivotal for both Chalmers and Cole to continue to develop as quality role players. Cole showed some promise with his 3-point shooting in Miami’s second-round matchup with Chicago, and his dogged defense and shooting will keep him on the floor. Chalmers has played well in big moments but needs to become consistent if he plans on becoming a fourth option – which he may have to take on in the 2014-15 season. 3. The player who will replace Mike Miller. Miller played just 59 games last season and averaged 3.4 points in the 2013 playoffs. But he did allow Wade to ease into his normal minutes load coming off injuries during the regular season. Battier’s struggles in the conference finals led Erik Spoelstra to insert Miller into the rotation. The former Florida Gator made three 3s in Game 2 and Game 6 of the NBA Finals, and we all know what he did to close out the Oklahoma City Thunder the previous year. Who will become that player this season – the person who, though not in the main rotation, will seamlessly fit in when needed because of his shooting ability? James Jones filled that role admirably during Miller’s injury-riddled 2010-11 season and is a great shooter in his own right. What about Rashard Lewis, who stood ahead of Miller on the depth chart at the start of last season? Miami may need someone outside its top eight guys to contribute at timely moments this season. 4. Greg Oden. If Oden never plays another game in the NBA, no one would react with surprise. But Riley has taken chances on cheap centers because of his limited options, from the duds (Eddy Curry) to the pleasant surprises (Chris Andersen). Oden will have no pressure or expectations, thanks to the fact that Chris Bosh and Andersen will start out manning the five-spot. But in a best-case scenario, Oden would buttress Miami’s interior defense and rebounding while becoming a post presence on offense. As soon as Oden heads to the scorer’s table to check in, Spoelstra and the coaching staff will watch to see if he can emerge as a serviceable player. 5. The improvements in LeBron James’ game. James has undoubtedly become a more complete player inhis three seasons with the Heat. Tactics in his post-game arsenal have become part of his go-to moves, and he has also worked on his balance to become a better 3-point shooter – something that came in awfully handy during Game 7 of the Finals. But James still has room for improvement. He could increase his free-throw shooting, gamble fewer times in the passing lanes, etc. James shot an amazing 56.5 percent from the field last season and may go on another ridiculous shooting streak for a stretch of games as he did at the start of the Heat’s historic winning streak. Who knows which parts of his game will improve or whether he will win another MVP (or his first Defensive Player of the Year award)? But it will be very interesting to watch it all happen. -Chalmers
Posted on: Sun, 08 Sep 2013 19:51:13 +0000
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