The Miami Heat owned the Eastern Conference during the Big 3 era, winning it all four years they were together. Now, with LeBron James leaving for Cleveland, many assume that the Heat will fall back, finishing in the middle of the East.
Such thinking would sell this team short. Miami will certainly be worse after losing their best player, but it's not like they're going to fall totally off the map.
Dwyane Wade is still one of the better guards in the league when he's healthy and motivated - and we know he's motivated, saying he "didn't have fun" last year. Chris Bosh changed his game to play alongside LeBron, but is still in his prime and now has an opportunity to get back to being the dominant player he was in Toronto.
The supporting cast will have to step up, particularly the play of Mario Chalmers, but the additions of Luol Deng and Danny Granger gives them a fringe All-Star and a good sixth man.
Here's Miami's rotation:
Starters
PG Mario Chalmers
SG Dwyane Wade
SF Luol Deng
PF Josh McRoberts
C Chris Bosh
Bench
Norris Cole
Shabazz Napier
Danny Granger
Udonis Haslem
Chris Andersen
If you looked at that roster without the knowledge that they just lost LeBron, the perception of this team would be better than it is. They're not on Cleveland or Chicago's level on paper, but they still look like the third or fourth best team in the East and have the potential to beat both of those squads.
Miami's success this year will lie on the shoulders of Bosh and head coach Erik Spoelstra. Bosh's ability to become a dominant player will give the Heat a type of weapon most other franchises can't match. It's Spoelstra's job to get to most out of this team, and if he does, they might be a surprise Eastern Conference finalist.
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