For the Miami Heat, the 2015-16 season is a big year. Coming off of a disastrous season that saw a proud franchise go 37-45 along with missing the playoffs, the Heat look to rebound next season in a big way. The team will return a starting core that matches up with the very best the NBA has to offer. All five starters were members of the Heat last season—they just never took the court together as one. Along with the starting lineup, Miami will have a deep bench comprising a mix of battle-tested veterans and young role players. The free agent additions of Amar'e Stoudemire and Gerald Green will improve two of the weakest areas of the team last season—bench scoring and three-point shooting. While it's known the Heat will likely improve drastically during the upcoming season, the question becomes, what will each player's role be for the 2015-16 season? Let's take a look at each of the 15 players currently on the roster. Chris Andersen "Birdman" hopes to take flight for a fourth season in Miami. However, Chris Andersen may be a trade piece before the season even begins. With a $5 million salary for the 2015-16 season, and the Heat being roughly $6 million over the luxury tax line, the franchise is still trying to shed costs. While the 37-year-old center still contributes energy and defense in short spurts, his salary figure and the fact that the Heat are loaded in terms of quality bench players may mean Andersen may have played his final season in Miami. However, if he does return, Andersen should still see minutes as a backup big who can play both center and power forward. With the addition of Stoudemire and Josh McRoberts coming off of the bench, he likely won't see the 18.9 minutes per game he averaged last season. He'll probably see more of the 14-to-15 minutes per game range that he encountered in his first season with the franchise. That may be a good thing as the tattooed veteran struggled through an assortment of injuries last season en route to only 62 appearances. Next: Chris Bosh [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] Chris Bosh The multiple-time All-Star had his season cut short due to a blood clots ailment in February. While Chris Bosh was named to his 10th consecutive All-Star game, it was a disappointing year for a player signed to a $118 million contract before the season started. Bosh failed to take on a leadership role after the departure of LeBron James, and remained the team's second-best player behind Dwyane Wade. Though he did average 21.1 points per game, he did little in terms of rebounding (just seven rebounds a game), and remained largely a threat outside of the paint. His rebounding rate was absolutely abysmal at 12 percent and despite the need for an offensive post threat, Bosh saw fit to continue to jack up long-range jump shots. Entering the 2015-16 campaign, Heat Nation will once again hope Bosh takes on a true leadership role on the court, but the bottom line, he is best suited as a secondary option. Next: Mario Chalmers [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] Mario Chalmers Yet another battle-tested veteran on the trade block, Mario Chalmers enters the upcoming season uncertain of which team he'll play for. There is little doubt the franchise is trying to unload Chalmers and his $4.3 million contract. However, while the team remains adamant about trading 'Rio, they could wait until the trade deadline next February to unload his contract. This is because the luxury-tax bill is not computed until the season's end. If the seven-year veteran does return to Miami, he will serve as a primary option off the bench at both of the guard positions. Chalmers proved to be a viable scorer off the bench as a two-guard last season, and has started at point guard for two championship-winning squads. He may be wildly inconsistent, but given he returns with the Heat, he'll be one of the team's top role players. Next: Luol Deng [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] Luol Deng Luol Deng returns for a second season with the Heat. Although he may not have been the big free agent signing Pat Riley raved about last summer, he was a consistent and stable presence for Miami as he saw action in 72 games with no serious injuries. The 30-year-old enters the season as the starter at small forward, but may not end the season in that spot because of No. 10 overall pick Justise Winslow waiting in the wings. Deng won't be depended upon to carry a large scoring load, which will work in his favor as he enters his 12th NBA season. Next: Goran Dragic [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] Goran Dragic After being signed to a five-year deal by the Heat this offseason, Goran Dragic enters the 2015-16 season as perhaps the franchise's second-most important player. It is no secret that Dragic helps the Heat play at a fast pace, and Erik Spoelstra will likely cater to such a style considering the weapon he has at point guard. In 26 games with Miami last season, the Slovenian point guard averaged 16.6 points and dished 5.3 assists per game while converting at a 50.2 percent clip of his shots attempted. It is not an understatement to say that the Heat's success will largely hinge on how well the veteran point guard performs next season. Next: James Ennis [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] James Ennis The second-year swingman entered the month of August uncertain whether he would even be a member of the Heat's roster. After trades that sent Zoran Dragic and Shabazz Napier packing, along with the release of Henry Walker, it would appear James Ennis is certain to make Miami's 15-man active roster come late October. Ennis caught the attention of Heat coaches with an impressive summer league showing in 2014. He was able to catapult that performance by clinching a roster spot with the team during the 2014-15 season. While he didn't have stunning numbers, he was a consistent member of the rotation in his rookie season, averaging five points in 17 minutes per game. With how stacked this roster currently is, Ennis might not even be a member of the rotation entering the season. Expect the 6'7" forward to crack the roster, but he'll have a hard time receiving minutes on a game-to-game basis. Next: Gerald Green [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] Gerald Green Green was brought in for one main reason—three-point shooting. While playing with Goran Dragic in Phoenix during the 2013-14 season, Green had a breakout season converting on 40 percent of his three-point shot attempts while ranking fourth in the league in three-point field goals made. The Heat were one of the worst three-point shooting squads in the NBA last season, ranking 24th in shooting percentage. They were just 21st in three-point field goals made. Very much like the role Ray Allen occupied a couple of years ago, Green will be a shot specialist and also be depended upon to be the primary backup at shooting guard behind Wade. Next: Udonis Haslem [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] Udonis Haslem The veteran power forward will return for a 13th season in Miami. At this point of his career, the 35-year-old will be counted on for mostly leadership purposes. He'll play minutes when needed as he did this past season. For the most part, Udonis Haslem will only see minutes whether due to injury or foul trouble by the players ahead of him on the depth chart. Next: Tyler Johnson [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] Tyler Johnson Tyler Johnson enters his second season with the Heat and will receive every opportunity to be the primary backup at point guard behind Dragic. While Johnson played mostly shooting guard during his rookie season, the position is stacked with Wade, Green and Josh Richardson. Johnson will shift to point guard and if he proves to be more than adept at the transition, the Heat will likely feel more at ease in trading away Chalmers. At just 23 years of age, the undrafted free agent has a lot of room to grow as the organization looks to further develop him. Next: Josh McRoberts [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] Josh McRoberts The 28-year-old veteran power forward is looking to make up for a lost season in which he appeared in only 17 games. McRoberts' season was cut short due to a torn meniscus suffered in December of last year. Though he was expected to be a starter entering the 2014-15 season, that will not be the case entering this season—if anything, McRoberts will be counted upon to be the team's sixth man. Although he has never been a sixth man before in his NBA career, the 6'10" forward possesses all of the traits necessary to be one. He's more than capable of converting on three-point shots, can hold his own in the paint, has excellent passing skills and can guard and play up to three different positions. Expect Heat fans to truly take notice of McRoberts' versatility this upcoming season. Next: Josh Richardson [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] Josh Richardson Richardson was the biggest surprise of the summer, as he was signed to a three-year deal after being selected with the 40th overall pick. The second-round draft pick is an intriguing prospect because he played small forward, shooting guard and point guard at the University of Tennessee. His strong suit is his ability to defend, and considering the Heat don't have any true lockdown defenders, Richardson could find his niche as a defensive specialist playing 15 minutes per game. Entering the season, he'll likely be on the inactive list, but watch out for the former Volunteer as the season progresses. Next: Amar'e Stoudemire [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] Amar'e Stoudemire At this point of his career, Stoudemire can only give you about 20-to-23 minutes per game. But there is no doubt that those 20-to-23 minutes of action is effective basketball by the 6'10" big man. The former six-time All-Star has found a niche as a valuable offensive contributor off of the bench. He has played this role over the past two seasons with the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks. In 23 games with the Mavericks last season, Stoudemire averaged 10.8 points in just 16.5 minutes per game. He did this while converting on 58.1 percent of his shots. While the knee injuries and various ailments have robbed the 32-year-old of much of his explosive ability, he remains one of the best offensive big men coming off the bench. The Heat had very little offensive production from their non-starters last season, and Stoudemire is expected to be the main guy to change that. Next: Dwyane Wade [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] Dwyane Wade Wade enters his 13th season in Miami after signing a one-year deal worth $20 million. While it's not the long-term contract he coveted, the former Finals MVP received the pay raise he desired after opting out of his contract before the start of free agency. Fans saw Wade enter the 2014-15 season with the expectation that he would be on the decline, when in reality, he played the best basketball he had in years. The departure of LeBron James seemed to give "Flash" some added motivation as he led the team with 21.5 points and ranked third in the Eastern Conference in points per game. Though he will turn 34 years old in January, Wade is still considered the franchise player of this team. Next: Hassan Whiteside [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] Hassan Whiteside Instead of Heat Nation enjoying the continued emergence of Hassan Whiteside for the upcoming season, many fans will focus on the impending free agency of the 26-year-old center. Whiteside finished fourth in Most Improved Player of the Year voting last season despite appearing in just 48 games with 32 starts. The young center shattered franchise records for rebounds in single games and even finished in the top six in terms of player efficiency rating for the 2014-15 season. There is no doubting Whiteside's presence as a defensive stopper and he'll definitely command a lot of money when he hits the market as a free agent during the 2016 offseason. However, what people should focus on is his impact for the Heat during the upcoming season. Barring some sort of injury or unforeseen decline, Whiteside will be in the running for Defensive Player of the Year, and his continued development will be instrumental if Miami is to truly contend with the best the Eastern Conference has to offer. Next: Justise Winslow [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Image-Only"] Justise Winslow Amidst all of the hoopla surrounding the Heat during the offseason, the biggest story may have been the selection of Winslow with the No. 10 overall pick. The 19-year-old was expected to be drafted between the fourth and seventh picks of the 2015 NBA Draft, but unexpectedly dropped to No. 10 for Miami. The Heat did not even work Winslow out during pre-draft workouts because they never dreamed that he would drop down to that slot. After winning a National Championship during his freshman season at the University of Duke, Winslow will enter his rookie season as a key backup off the bench. Winslow is a star in the making and might just take over the starting small forward spot in no time. He's not an explosive scorer, but he's an excellent defender, excels on the fastbreak and can carve out a role as a catch-and-shoot three-point specialist. It's only a matter of time before this No. 10 overall pick cracks the Heat's starting lineup. [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"]
