Heat Season Preview – NBA Predictions
The Miami Heat are the odds on favourite to win the NBA Championship again this season. I like the moves they have made during the offseason making this year’s version maybe better than last year’s.
2013/14 Miami Heat
Eastern Conference
2012-2013 Record: 66-16
Odds to win 2014 Title: 2/1
Odds to win Conference: 1/1
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Miami Heat
Key Losses:
SF Mike Miller – A key outside shooter, when he was healthy. He will be hardly missed
Top Newcomers:
C Greg Oden – Looking to salvage his career, again. Perfect spot for whatever he has left to contribute, even if it is not much.
PF Michael Beasley – Talented problem child is another great risk for this team. If it works out he could be a starter and great addition offensively. Maybe he is willing to play a role on a team he knows he is not the star of.
Top Players:
SF Lebron James – The best player in the NBA, capable of beating you all by himself in every facet of the game. The key is keeping him motivated.
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SG Dwayne Wade – The heart of the team, he is still capable of dominating for stretches in those rare moments where James is acting human.
The Heat have superstars which is why they are able to win with a complimentary cast of characters comprised of players that other teams really don’t want. [ad-6571516]
The reinforcements this year are younger and have more potential that last year’s which makes them even scarier…if they stay motivated throughout the season.
Strengths:
James is the greatest one on one player in the league. When he has the ball he can basically get to the rack whenever he wants and he is pretty unselfish too, turning anyone else who is on the floor with him into an offensive weapon. Miami, who also has a fantastic secondary scorer in Wade, can be a lethal offensive club when their outside shooters are on.
When motivated they can be a good defensive team too, at least on the perimeter where they have pretty good speed and athleticism.
Weaknesses:
Unless Oden is ready to play a lot of productive minutes this team is kind of lean in the paint. They often play Chris Bosh in the middle where he just doesn’t have the bulk and has never been an eraser at the rim as a primary defender. Lebron James could be a great rebounder but he is so focused on offense he tends to leak out early.
Again because they are not all that big they can get bullied on the boards. They don’t have anyone with a reputation for cleaning the glass.
Situations to Look For:
Miami was fantastic last year in almost all situations. The number that really stands out is that they were 20-3 after a straight up loss(including playoffs), meaning only three times all season long did they lose back to back games. You rarely get good money backing Miami on the moneyline but they were also 16-7 ATS in those contests too.
This team thinks it should win every game (and they probably should). When they do get beat they are kind of mad about it and usually take it out on their next opponent.
