Having seen the Heat win a championship once with this group, one cant dismiss the possibility of them doing it again. This is especially true in the East, where an easier playoff run to the Finals gives them a major leg up on the Dallass and San Antonios of the world.
Nonetheless, Miamis road to the title is going to be infinitely more difficult than it was a year ago.
The first enemy, obviously, is complacency, and it doesnt apply to just the players. Bringing bring back the same group rather than trying to improve the Heats weaknesses is a dangerous move by the front office -- even the best teams need some new blood, and it sure seems Miami could use another body in the backcourt.
Age is another major concern, as I mentioned above, as is the pounding that Wade takes on all his forays to the rim.
Miami still has as good a chance of winning the East as anyone, but theres a reason weve had five different champions the past five years. Unless a team is truly dominant, its awfully tough to navigate the 100-plus game grind and come out on top of the other 29 teams two years in a row. The Heat are good, obviously, but I dont think anyone would describe them as dominant. Thus, while theyll be in the race, Id look elsewhere when making my bets on a 2007 champion.
The Heats summer gave new meaning to the term "Standing pat." Riley saw little reason to mess with his championship nucleus, instead spending much of the summer on safari before deciding to return to coach one more year.
Off-Season Moves
- Re-signed Alonzo Mourning. Most figured Mourning would call it a career after winning the title that had eluded him for so long, but he surprisingly agreed to return. He helped Miami out by accepting another bargain deal (two years, $3.5 million), far below the going rate for a big man who is this productive. Mournings kidney trouble is obviously a concern and the Heat need to limit his minutes so he stays fresh for the playoffs, but hes far and away the best backup center in the league.
- Re-signed Gary Payton. This is a classic case of a player being viewed as "part of the solution" rather than "part of the problem" because a team won the championship. Payton hit a couple of big shots, but he was also brutal for much of the postseason and doesnt figure to get any better with another year of age on him. Look for Miami to give him a shot for half a season as the backup point guard and then try to work a trade if he cant handle the job.
- Waived Derek Anderson. Anderson wanted a chance to play and didnt think hed get it in Miami, so he made the Heat a deal they couldnt refuse -- by buying out the last year of his deal at a bargain rate, Miami shaved about $2 million off its salary bill. This might also open the door to some playing time for 2004 first-rounder Dorell Wright, who as a third-year vet cant go to the D-League anymore.
