ORLANDO (CBSMiami) – The Miami Heat have been ready to open the NBA season for weeks, even months.
The majority of the team that went a league-best 30-11 during the second half of last season has been in the gym all summer, working hard and preparing to continue that stretch in their new campaign.
Part of the chip on Miami’s collective shoulder is due to missing the playoffs on a tiebreaker.
Heat president Pat Riley decided to keep the band together, re-signing pending free agents Dion Waiters, James Johnson and Wayne Ellington to pricy contracts.
All three excelled during their year in Miami and had career seasons, with the key being that every player on the roster has embraced the franchise’s well-known work ethic.