SDH's 2013/2014 NBA Worst to First Previews and Predictions: 2. Miami Heat

+Miami HEAT  Overall Win/Loss Record :  66-16,  first place Southeast Division	Last Season’s Rank  2	Projected 2013/2014 Finish  2
Last season’s Team Statistics and League Rank Points Scored: 102.9 (5th) Points Allowed: 95.0 (5th) Team FG%: .496 (1st) Opponent’s FG%: .440 (6th) Team FT%: .754 (16th) Team Three Point FG%: .396 (2nd) Rebounds per game: 38.6 (30th) Opponents rebounds per game: 40.1 (4th) Turnovers per game: 13.3 (6th) Opponents turnovers per game: 14.7 (6th)	Returning Individual Statistical Leaders Scoring (ppg): +LeBron James  (26.8) Rebounds per game:   Lebron James (8.0) Minutes per game:  Lebron James (37.9) Assists per game:   Lebron James (7.3) Field Goal Percentage:  Lebron James (.565) Free Throw Percentage: +Ray Allen  (.870)  Three Point FG Percentage: +Shane Battier  (.430) Steals per game: +Dwyane Wade  (1.9) Blocked Shots per game:  +Chris Bosh  (1.4)
Projected Starters Based on Talent, Tenure, and Potential Impact: C. Chris Bosh PF. +Udonis Haslem  SF. Lebron James SG. Dwyane Wade PG. +Mario Chalmers	Second Unit Roster Order Ranked on Talent, Tenure, and Potential Impact: G. Ray Allen F. Michael Beasley F. Shane Battier G. Norris Cole C. +Greg Oden
Analysis: Last season, the Miami Heat cruised through the regular season winning a league best 66 games earning them once again the first overall spot in the Eastern Conference Playoffs; however, as the post season arrived, Miami did not look as invincible as they did during the regular season.  After dominating the first two rounds of the playoffs losing just one game against both the +Milwaukee Bucks and +Chicago Bulls, the Heat found themselves struggling to surpass an +Indiana Pacers team who ranked near the bottom of the league in scoring, field goal percentage and turnovers per game.  During the Eastern Conference Finals, Indiana exposed Miami's greatest weakness of lack of a true big man and the Pacers took advantage of it by pounding the ball inside while meeting little or no resistance. +Roy Hibbert was not much of a factor on the offensive side of the court during the regular season as he averaged a little under twelve points per game while shooting a rather mediocre .440 from the field; however, that all changed in the playoffs as he suddenly transformed into a hall of fame superstar and was more than a match for the Heat.  Hibbert dominated the Heat averaging 22.1 points and 10.1 boards per game while shooting .557 from the field and helped stretch the series to a final seventh game until Miami managed to overtake the Pacers, but not without Hibbert clocking 18 and 8 on them. That Pacers series was just the start of Miami's unraveling as the Heat would face their greatest challenge facing a team that not only matched them in every way, but would also shock the team to its very core and almost took away Miami's chance for a second straight NBA title.  Unlike most of the teams in the NBA, the +San Antonio Spurs were not intimidated in any way by Miami's "Big Three" or Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, or as I have affectionately coined calling them, RUN DLC.  In fact, during that seven game battle of attrition, the Spurs exposed that the Heat's greatest weakness was indeed what many believed to be the team's greatest strength--that of their supreme super human star, Lebron James.  Despite having been deemed as the prime example of basketball perfection with the perfect blend of size, strength, skill, speed, and basketball acumen, the Spurs tore down that facade and exposed James to be nothing more than a sheep in wolves clothing.  Under that superhuman exterior resided a scared little boy who if allowed to have his way would easily dominate his opponents, but if given even slightest resistance, he would shrivel up and become a shadow of his former self. The Spurs figured out that the only way to defeat the Heat was to defeat Lebron James and to do that, all they had to do was get into his head because they knew as many others would soon find out that the only person that can beat Lebron was Lebron himself. Once the Spurs started applying pressure on James forcing him to turnover the ball a few times and fouling him hard when he attacked the paint, Lebron became more timid and started to play quite tentatively which ultimately stalled the Miami Heat's offensive execution.  The team could not count on their two other superstars as age and time had robbed Dwyane Wade of much of his trademark athleticism and explosiveness while Chris Bosh proved that he was not the dominant All star big man that many had perceived him to be.  During the Finals, Bosh was simply a non-factor throughout the series as he went from averaging 17 per game in the regular season to being held to 11.9 points per game when the season really mattered.  Seriously, if it were not for that miraculous game six where the Heat had to endure two overtime periods to get the win, we would have been celebrating the Spurs fifth NBA championship instead of the Heat's second straight championship trophy. The Heat did not beat the Spurs as much as they survived them for a better term and had they not pulled off the game six win, the everything around them probably would have come crashing down. +Erick Spoelstra would have probably been as good as gone as the team's head coach and the future of their Big Three would have probably be in jeopardy as they are all expected to forgo their player options at the end of the season to become unrestricted free agents.  Seeing that his team will soon no longer be a viable contender for the crown, Lebron may choose to bid farewell to Miami the same cruel way that he did in Cleveland and take his talent to possibly the +Los Angeles Lakers, who will boast the same amount of cap space as the Heat did three years ago.   As it stands now, the Heat are in a critical juncture as they teeter between keeping their veteran core that brought them to three NBA Finals and two championship trophies to falling back to mediocrity as they were before being graced by the Big Three. Along with D. Wade's advancing age and diminishing abilities, Chris Bosh's exposure of being just an above average player while being paid a superstar's salary, and Lebron's penchant for shriveling in games when it counts, many teams can see this as the perfect opportunity to unseat the mighty Heat from the throne thus shattering any notion that Miami can become one of the great championship dynasties in the NBA. With the start of the 2014 NBA Season already in full swing, it has become blatantly apparent that Miami's shelf life as a championship contender is all but over with two of its main stars falling under the shroud of Father Time while the third and most important piece of the Heat's future remains uncertain.  Wade will be soon turning 32 years old and unless he discovers the fabled Fountain of Youth which allegedly was though to be hidden in Florida, his abilities and production will continue to diminish as time passes by.  Bosh will be also hitting the big three-zero himself before season's end and has probably reached his athletic peak and will never give anything more than he has already been giving now. As for James, he is the lynch pin that keeps the entire team together and if he pulls another stunt like he did with that "Decision" he did three years ago, Miami's reign at the top of the mountain will end as soon as it started with it crashing down to the bottom the same way the +Cleveland Cavaliers did.  So by all accounts, this may just be the Heat's last stand and with their perceived invincibility all but shattered, it will not be long until they too will fall extinct as the great titans before them as there will be many other contenders looking to take their place.