Roster Additions
Josh McRoberts, Danny Granger, Luol Deng, Shannon Brown, Shawne Williams, Reggie Williams and Chris Johnson
Roster Losses
LeBron James, Shane Battier, Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, Michael Beasley, James Jones and Greg Oden
Key Issues for Success
The 2014 offseason was pretty chaotic for the Miami Heat, the entire fan base was on pins and needles, twitter rumors running rampant and actual percentages given on if LeBron James leaves the Heat. Well, James chose to opt out and sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers and that opened the flood gates for the entire NBA. Chris Bosh received a well-deserved max contract while riding camels in Africa. Heat lifers Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem received for two more years at discounts. Chris Andersen and Mario Chalmers chose to stay with the team as well.
Heading into the 2014-2015 season the Miami Heat will have a couple of new faces. Impactful role players such as Luol Deng will be the team’s starting small forward, Josh McRoberts will start at power forward. And the Heat brought in Danny Granger with no risk involved.
Throughout the preseason, Norris Cole has gotten the start at point guard, with Chalmers coming off the bench and Napier putting on shows and making big shots in crunch time of preseason basketball. Danny Granger as the second small forward while Shannon Brown is backing up Wade at the shooting guard spot.
The Heat will finally have an influx of youth but the question is whether Coach Erik Spoelstra, forward James Ennis who has been playing in Australia has finally arrived. He brings a much needed athleticism with some range behind three and already has the fanbase buzzing and have labeled him as the real King James of Miami. Newly drafted Shabazz Napier is already a fan favorite and some think he should be the starting point guard at the start of the season and Ennis should get immediate playing time off the bench.
Some questions heading into the season is will Dwyane Wade hold up and be healthy throughout the season. The significance of Wade staying healthy is crucial to the Heat. A healthy Dwyane Wade alongside Chris Bosh could make the Heat a top three seed in the East. While a Wade missing games could make the Heat a sixth seed or lower. If the mantra holds up, and the NBA being a star driven lead. A healthy Wade and Bosh and a third option in Luol Deng/ Josh McRoberts is all the Heat need to be a contender.
Fantasy Roster Impact
As for fantasy basketball purposes, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade are the two to have while Luol Deng would be nice coming off the bench. Expect Chris Bosh to put up top F/C numbers, a bump in rebounds and points per game. As for Dwyane Wade, the question with him is his health. When healthy he is a top ten player who contributes on both sides of the ball. These two will have a bump in numbers compared to the last four years. It would not shock me at all if Chris Bosh finishes as a top 5 power forward/center in fantasy basketball due to being the number one option.
2014 Season Prediction
The Miami Heat have done a great job staying relevant in the Eastern Confrence despite losing one the best players ever. The fanbase is excited and the team is motivated to prove the pundits wrong that they are a real contender and not just floating around at the fourth/fifth seed. The contracts are set up to free the team up for another spending spree in 2016. But this is 2014 and the Heat have a healthy Wade and another top player in Chris Bosh. The Heat are ready to make noise in the East.
Record: 44-38