10 Bold Predictions For 2014-15 Miami Heat Season

An injury to Josh McRoberts will keep Haslem involved in the rotation early, but Udonis has very little left physically. He competes every night and will be a leader from the bench as well as veteran presence off the court, but Haslem cannot play big minutes in the NBA anymore. He will likely play out his contract through 2016 and then the Miami lifer will take on a position with the Heat.

Miami fans were regularly derided during the LeBron era, but most of the country doesn’t realize the tradition and passion of the core fan base. The 2014-15 season will bring more of the diehards and fewer of the casual fans to American Airlines Arena on a nightly basis. The Miami crowd will help propel the Heat to a strong home record with plenty of support for loyal returners and newcomers alike.

Erik Spoelstra has started Norris Cole at point guard all preseason, preferring to bring Chalmers off the bench. This role should end up suiting Rio well as he’ll play a combo guard role as the featured playmaker when Dwyane Wade is on the bench. Chalmers will have the opportunity to attack and shoot more than in years past and could regain his old swagger with a strong start.

Miami finished last season 11th in defensive efficiency. LeBron’s defense took a well-chronicled step back last season, and he will be replaced by Luol Deng and Danny Granger, both of which were in front of James in Defensive Real Plus-Minus. Shabazz Napier has a reputation as a strong defender, Chris Anderson was another DRPM star and Dwyane Wade is still a plus defender when engaged and healthy.

Shabazz was obviously the star of the NCAA Tournament, leading UConn to a national championship, but his pro prospects were mediocre enough to drop him until late in the first round. Napier struggled in Summer League but showed growth and competed hard in the preseason. The depth chart does him few favors with Cole and Chalmers entrenched in Miami, but Napier will show flashes of a future starter.

Wade, Bosh, and fellow holdovers in Haslem, Anderson, Chalmers, and Cole will play freer without the media circus of previous seasons. LeBron’s Cavs will win more games than Miami, but the Heat will thrive in their own right. While most preseason over-under lines place Miami around 44 wins this season, the Heat will top that mark and have fun again, something that was lost in 2013-14.

The 2013 2nd round draft pick played last season in Australia, leading his club to a championship and finishing 3rd in MVP voting after averaging 21.2 points per game. Although the level of competition will be a massive step up, Ennis should be a solid “3-and-D” wing sooner than later. The Heat already have Luol Deng and Danny Granger at small forward, but Ennis will prove too good to not play by midseason.

Chris Bosh may not contribute the sheer production of Al Jefferson or the defensive dominance of Joakim Noah, but Bosh will have the most overall impact on games of any power forward or center in the East. Kevin Love will be efficient, but his usage will be limited in Cleveland. Bosh’s post and mid-range game should be strong enough to anchor the Heat offense, while his versatility and excellence in pick-and-roll coverage will lead the defense.

The Heat should finish somewhere between third and sixth in the East, avoiding Chicago and Cleveland in the first round of the playoffs. The Heat’s playoff experience should give them a huge advantage against their possible opponents like Charlotte, Washington, or Atlanta. Miami will also have a decided coaching advantage in most matchups as Erik Spoelstra may be the East’s best coach.

Although it was much less publicized than LeBron, Dwyane Wade also shed some weight this summer. Wade appears as healthy as he’s been in a while heading into opening night, and Erik Spoelstra will probably manage his minutes to keep him fresh as the season wears on. He can afford a minor injury and a few nights off to manage his body and still appear in around 70 games this season.