The Miami Heat are due to begin training camp in less than two weeks.
Following a disastrous 37-45 season that saw the Heat miss the postseason just a year after advancing to the NBA Finals, the organization looks to begin anew with a mixture of familiar veterans and new faces.
Fixtures of Miami’s four-year run in the NBA Finals are still around. Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Chris Andersen, Mario Chalmers and Udonis Haslem are all on the roster entering the 2015-16 season, while new faces such as Justise Winslow, Amar’e Stoudemire and Gerald Green hope to lift the Heat back into contender status.
This is a big year for the Heat as the fan base is used to the team being a contender. The roster has all of the pieces needed to potentially return to the NBA Finals for a fifth time in the past six seasons.
As we inch closer toward the season, here are the top five things to watch entering Heat training camp:
5. Who Will Be the 15th Man?
The Heat currently have 13 fully guaranteed contracts, with Tyler Johnson holding a partially guaranteed contract. Needless to say, Johnson is essentially guaranteed a roster spot heading into the 2015-16 season.
That leaves one open spot for the regular season roster.
If it wasn’t for a dreadful summer league showing, James Ennis would be the favorite to win the spot in training camp. However, the second-year player struggled drastically with his jump shot, making him a question mark to earn a roster spot for the upcoming season.
Presently speaking, unknowns such as Keith Benson, Corey Hawkins and Greg Whittington will have every opportunity to win the 15th and final spot. Miami currently has 18 players under contract for training camp, and will likely add two more bodies to compete with Ennis for the last position on the roster.
Next: Who Will Be Backup Point Guard?
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4. Who Will Be Backup Point Guard?
One of the more pressing issues the team faces is the uncertainty regarding the depth at the point guard position.
Goran Dragic is entrenched as the team’s starter at point, so that’s not an issue. The issue is, who will be the primary backup to Dragic?
The Heat currently have three options for the backup point guard role. That would be none other than veteran Mario Chalmers and young players Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson.
Chalmers is entering his eighth season with the franchise and played a key role for the team when they advanced to four straight NBA Finals from 2010 until 2014. In fact, he was the unquestioned starter at point guard for three of those seasons.
Johnson enters his second season in the NBA, but he primarily played at shooting guard during his rookie campaign. He is expected to make the transition to point guard, after playing the position during summer league.
Richardson is a huge wild card because he’s a rookie after having been selected in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft. Richardson was given a vote of confidence by the organization after the Heat signed the University of Tennessee product to a three-year, $2.5 million deal. Despite being listed at 6’6,” he is fully capable of playing point, along with off-guard and small forward.
Miami is eager to part ways with Chalmers due to his $4.3 million salary and impending luxury tax penalties, but they have yet to find any takers on the market.
All three players will likely be on the opening night roster when the team begins regular season play at the end of October. However, training camp will determine who wins the backup point guard job behind Dragic.
Next: How Does Chris Andersen Figure Into the Heat’s Rotation?
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3. How Does Chris Andersen Figure Into the Heat’s Rotation?
Similar to his veteran teammate Chalmers, Chris Andersen finds himself currently on the trade block.
The issue is, the Heat have yet to find a team interested in Andersen’s services. The veteran center is 37 years old and is due to earn $5 million for the 2015-16 season.
While the Heat want to trade Andersen to minimize pending luxury tax penalties at the end of the 2015-16 season, the team may ironically need his services throughout the season.
Hassan Whiteside and Bosh are entrenched as the starters along the front line, but there is a whole lot of uncertainty when it pertains to the big men off the bench. Josh McRoberts returns after missing almost the entire 2014-15 season due to a torn meniscus injury. Stoudemire enters his first season with the franchise, but his minutes will likely be limited at this stage of his career, while Haslem offers very little outside of toughness and experience at the age of 35.
Despite being 37 years old, Andersen remains a high-energy presence capable of changing the momentum of a game with his defense and hustle.
His minutes throughout the preseason will likely signal how he figures into the Heat’s rotation for the upcoming season.
Next: Will Justise Winslow Play His Way Into the Rotation?
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2. Will Justise Winslow Play His Way Into the Rotation?
One of the key thoughts on Heat’s Nation’s mind is whether or not Winslow will be a key member of the rotation.
The Heat have McRoberts, Stoudemire and Green as top backups off the bench. McRoberts and Green are more than capable of playing the three position.
It’s uncertain whether Erik Spoelstra will go with a typical eight-man rotation or an unconventional rotation that features more players.
Winslow is a versatile player, who specializes in many areas. He can spot up, shoot the three, excel on the fast break and play excellent defense on guards and smaller forwards.
Ideally speaking, Winslow should be the primary backup behind Luol Deng, but it will largely depend on how other backup swingmen perform in training camp and preseason.
Next: How Will the Starting Lineup Mesh?
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1. How Will the Starting Lineup Mesh?
The most pressing question for the Heat is how will the starting five mesh?
When Pat Riley acquired Dragic via trade at the trade deadline last February, it was with the idea of Dragic, Wade, Deng, Bosh and Whiteside being the starting five.
Due to Bosh’s season-ending blood clots ailment, that idea never came to fruition—the aforementioned lineup did not take the court for a single minute last season.
Enter the 2015-16 season, and all five members look to be primed and healthy for an excellent season. Wade and Bosh are annual All-Stars and former NBA champions, while Deng is a former two-time All-Star himself. Dragic was named to the All-NBA Third Team following the conclusion of the 2013-14 season, while Whiteside is one of the top two-way players in the game.
It is not an overreaction to say that this starting five is one of the very best in the league on paper.
Training camp will be the very first time all five men take the court together as teammates and will provide Heat Nation with their first glimpse as to the potential this group has as a starting lineup.
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