The 2016-17 season will begin on Wednesday for the Miami Heat and with it comes a new chapter in franchise history.
Miami is begining a regular season for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign without Dwyane Wade. The guard bolted town for Chicago and is now a member of the rival Bulls after a memorable 13-year run in Miami. Wade was part of all three of Miami's championship teams and was an irreplaceable leader.
Besides Wade, Miami will also be without the services of Chris Bosh. The forward is not expected to play again and seems ticketed for a waiving by Miami in February. The Heat know they gain nothing by looking back however and will now try to turn the page with some promising young talent.
Justise Winslow is stepping into Miami's daily starting lineup and brings with him a lot of talent and energy. In his rookie season, Winslow averaged 6.4 points and 5.2 rebounds in 28.6 minutes per game. The second-year player should see increases in all those numbers this year with increased playing time and a bigger role overall.
Replacing Bosh's production is difficult, but Miami has had to play with the veteran for large portions of the last two seasons. The Heat were cautiously optimistic about Bosh's potential contributions in 2016-17 and had a backup plan in place with Winslow. At only 20, Winslow could be one of the big pieces of the team for many years to come.
At the other forward spot, Miami looks like it will go with Derrick Williams who had a solid preseason. Williams is a well-traveled 25 year old and gives Miami some experience. After spending last season with the lowly New York Knicks, Williams is looking for a chance to compete for a playoff spot in Miami. In 2015-16, Williams averaged 9.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game.
The guard spots will be intriguing for Miami and possibly the team's biggest asset. The Heat are stacked with talent when it comes to guards and are rich with depth. Josh Richardson will miss the beginning of the season, but is not expected to be out too long. Richardson is entering his second season in the NBA and opened a lot of eyes with his play in 2015-16. Once healthy, Richardson is a potential everyday starter.
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With Richardson down on Opening Night, the Heat will give a starting assignment to Dion Waiters. The veteran had a good preseason and gives Miami some much-needed experience at shooting guard. Waiters had more success earlier in his career, but is still only 24 and could be a big producer for the Heat. It is possible that Waiters remains the starter even after Richardson is healthy. Both men should see ample minutes in Miami's rotation.
Goran Dragic is returning as Miami's point guard in 2016-17 and should see a bump in his responsibilities. Without Wade around, it may be Dragic who is looked to for the big shot at the end of games. Dragic will run the offense and offers the Heat a reliable shot-maker as well. There were some rumblings in the off-season about a potential Dragic trade, but nothing ever came to fruition. Without Bosh and Wade, the importance of a player like Dragic becomes even more evident.
At center is incumbent Hassan Whiteside. The big man signed a long-term deal with Miami this off-season after talking with other teams. Retaining Whiteside was a priority for the Heat as he has transformed games both offensively and defensibely in his brief career. Whiteside had some discipline issues early on, but he made some adjustments after talking with veterans such as Wade.
Without Bosh on the court, Whiteside's size will matter even more. Winslow, Williams and the bench will help, but it will be up to Whiteside to hold down the fort against the game's best big men. Whiteside has improved his free throw percentage which could be key if he is given the ball in the final seconds of games. The center has also worked on his passing ability in an effort to spread the ball around better.
On the bench, Miami has depth with players such as Luke Babbitt, Tyler Johnson, Wayne Ellington, Willie Reed and Udonis Haslem. With Wade gone, Haslem has become the longest tenured Heat player in franchise history. The local product is entering his 14th season with Miami and figures to play a similar role as he did in recent seasons.
Johnson almost departed Miami during the off-season when he agreed to a big offer sheet with the Brooklyn Nets. The Heat however elected to match that offer and retain Johnson's services. The guard will likely start the season as a reserve, but could see a fair share of minutes after a solid 2015-16 season.
A likely date circled on the calendar for Miami is November 10th when Wade visits Miami for the first time in a visiting uniform. The Bulls will also host the Heat on December 10th and January 27th as the two teams are scheduled to play one another three times this year.
Miami will visit old friend LeBron James and the NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers on December 9th. The Heat will also play a home-and-home against the Cavaliers on March 4th and 6th. In what could be an important game for both teams, Miami will also host Cleveland in its penultimate game of the season on April 10th.
Miami will face the Orlando Magic to begin the season.
