The Miami Heat can be a dark horse contender based on this next month. But they must handle things the right way. Getting Chris Bosh back isn’t a guarantee because of his health issues in the past, but the Heat could still make it to the NBA Finals if events play out correctly.

Dwyane Wade is a force to be reckoned with, and Hassan Whiteside has been brilliant this season. The center might not be the most easy guy to deal with in the locker room; however, he is probably the best defensive player in the league.

His average of 3.9 blocks per game as of Monday afternoon is impressive, and it doesn’t even account for all of the shots that he alters. Wade is battling with a sore thigh at the moment, and it will be interesting to see if Miami plays it safe with him in the next month. This could be a blessing in disguise, though. Maybe this injury will insure that Wade is healthy for the most crucial part of the year.

The Heat have other things going for them too.

Joe Johnson and Luol Deng aren’t bad wings to have on the outside, and Johnson in particular was a steal for the Heat. It is unclear why Johnson was let go by the Brooklyn Nets considering that they won’t keep their first-rounder, but Johnson should be glad that it played out this way.

The Heat will need to make sure they incorporate their newest player into the offense. Maybe adding a couple plays into the rotation from his days with Brooklyn is in order. Johnson is the type of guy who can fit into any system, but if you get his confidence going, then the results can be spectacular. He was signed to a maximum contract in the past for a reason, and he is still capable of that kind of greatness. The Heat must try to get that out of him again by focusing on the shooting guard down the home stretch.