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MIAMI HEAT: season predictions

Season Predictions

Regular Season: Perhaps the most unlucky team over the past year, the Heat have constantly had to make the best out of a bad situation. First it was superstar SF/PF LeBron James leaving in free agency, giving Miami no warning at all and taking a few key role players for the Heat with him back to Cleveland. Mastermind Pat Riley still somehow put together a competitive squad, featuring a couple of superstarsin SG Dwyane Wade and PF/C Chris Bosh, as well as nice new additions in SF Luol Deng and PF Josh McRoberts. To summarize the season: Wade has been injured very often this year, Deng has been okay but not great, and both McRoberts and Bosh are out for the year with respective injuries (prayers to Bosh for his blood clots on his lungs), leaving the Heat with a gigantic hole at power forward. This news about Bosh came hours after the Heat acquired star PG/SG Goran Dragic from Phoenix for next to nothing, so just as things were looking up again, news like this comes. The superstar-esque play of C Hassan Whiteside recently came out of nowhere, and he does a lot to help ease the pain of all these injuries and the lack of a certain four-time MVP (LeBron). Still, even though this Heat team is running on fumes, Dragic and Wade form a very intimidating backcourt and Deng and Whiteside are fantastic players, particularly on defense, as well. Playing in the East helps a lot, so the Heat shouldn’t have too many issues clinching a lower playoff spot, despite their sub-.500 record due to injuries.

Projected Record: 38-44

Playoffs Round One
Toronto Raptors (#2) vs. Miami Heat (#7)

This is sure to be a thrilling matchup. Miami’s star guard duo will go toe-to-toe with stars PG Kyle Lowry and SG/SF DeMar DeRozan in the backcourt, while Deng will deal with come combination of the sweet-shooting, crazy-dunking SG/SF Terrence Ross and a defensive ace almost of Deng’s caliber in SF/PF James Johnson. Whiteside and makeshift PF Udonis Haslem vs. productive C Jonas Valunciunas and PF Patrick Patterson is also a fairly even battle up front. Keep in mind that this is an even-ish matchup because: 1. Miami dealt with a ton of injuries and 2. Toronto was just a couple of games away from the #4 seed, which also explains their difference in seeding. However, Toronto does maintain an advantage in team chemistry, home-court as they are the higher seed, and in depth off the bench. They are absolutely capable of winning this matchup, and should be considered the favorites, as I would not be surprised if they avoid an upset. However, this all sounds eerily familiar to the sixth-seeded Brooklyn Nets last year, who took down the Raptors in an exciting seven-game series, despite Toronto holding the same edges that it does against Miami. Case in point.

Series Prediction: Miami wins 4-3

Playoffs Round Two
Cleveland Cavaliers (#3) vs. Miami Heat (#7)

Uh-oh. King James returns to South Beach!!! ... only for a couple of road games. The heat will be on (see what I did there), as Miami looks to show LeBron that he made the wrong choice. This is a tall order, however, as “The King” has an army. His generals are stars PG Kyrie Irving and PF/C Kevin Love, with plenty of soldiers that complement their abilities well, particularly on defense. Though Miami may hold an advantage in the backcourt and Luol Deng has proven from his days in Chicago that he is capable of containing, not shutting down but containing, LeBron. Whiteside should also provide a big lift, but the Cavaliers have the big bodies to counter him. The Heat come very close to actually drawing even with Cleveland as far as the starting lineup goes, but Miami will get killed in the second-unit as they simply lack bench production, while Cleveland does not. This will ultimately be their downfall in the series, as well as not having as much playoff experience as the Cavaliers, while not being able to really make that up by taking advantage of the Cavaliers’ poor team chemistry. After four very successful years in Miami and leaving Cleveland in the dust, this series almost serves as a passing of the torch of beasts in the East under King James (though Atlanta might have something to say about that).

Series Prediction: Cleveland wins 4-2
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