4. Will Heat Live Up to the Hype?
Many pundits and figures are expecting the Heat to possibly win the Eastern Conference this season. It’s not just James that expects the Heat to be contenders, but major media outlets such as ESPN have the same opinion.
Four out of five ESPN experts projected Miami to take the biggest leap of any team in the Eastern Conference for the 2015-16 season.
Ian Begley of ESPN.com detailed why the Heat should improve from last season’s abysmal record:
“Miami gets the nod over Toronto here. After a disappointing 2014-15 season, Pat Riley brought back Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade and convinced Gerald Green and Amar’e Stoudemire to sign deals that were considered below market value. Those transactions, in addition to adding a healthy Chris Bosh, should help Miami quickly rebound after a 37-win campaign in 2014-15. Here’s hoping we get a Heat-Cavaliers series in the playoffs.”
Many had projected the Heat to remain a top-five team in the East despite losing LeBron entering last season. As injuries mounted and mid-season trades changed the look of the rotation, Miami was never able to escape mediocrity throughout much of the 2014-15 season. After December 1st, 2014, the Heat were unable to climb over the .500 mark.
It’ll be of the utmost importance for the Heat to escape their run of bad luck by starting strong next season.
Next: Cavaliers-Heat Rivalry
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