- Jimmy Butler doubles down on mocking Markieff Morris
- Bam Adebayo wins Defensive Player of the Year in NBA 2K’s simulation of 2021-22 season
- Jimmy Butler’s amusing response to his agent trying to tell him how NBA rule changes will affect him
- Gabrielle Union directs shot at Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett for not admitting they started superteam era
- Anonymous scout isn’t a fan of the Miami Heat signing Kyle Lowry: ‘Is he that big of an upgrade over Goran Dragic?’
- Dwyane Wade hilariously roasts Shaquille O’Neal after seeing throwback photo of him attempting 3-pointer
- Report: Dwyane Wade joins Apple CEO to help LGBTQ group build homes
- Erik Spoelstra confused by people’s obsession with Bam Adebayo adding a 3-point shot
- Report: Miami Heat list whopping 11 players out for Thursday’s game vs. Atlanta Hawks
- Duncan Robinson discloses details of conversation with Ray Allen after he visits Miami Heat practice
ESPN Projects How Many Wins Miami Heat Will Have Next Season
- Updated: August 26, 2016
In a tumultuous offseason that saw Dwyane Wade abruptly leave the Miami Heat and other key personnel either head elsewhere or find themselves in limbo, the projections for the 2016-17 season are likely to be a source of interest for Heat fans.
One of the first to take a stab at offering his opinion on the matter is ESPN’s Kevin Pelton. He isn’t terribly upbeat about Miami’s chances with one month left before training camp opens, noting the departures of Wade, Luol Deng and Joe Johnson from the 2015-16 roster and the uncertain future of veteran forward Chris Bosh.
Pelton has projected the Heat to win 38.3 games, a victory total that would keep them out of the postseason. He predicts that they will finish in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, just below another playoff team from last year, the Atlanta Hawks. Even more ominously, an adjusted projection would drop them down two spots without Bosh in the lineup.
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“Even with Chris Bosh in the lineup, the Heat may have a tough time making the playoffs after losing Luol Deng, Joe Johnson and Dwyane Wade. Without Bosh, Miami’s projection drops to 35.2 wins and 12th in the East,” Pelton wrote.
If Pelton’s numbers hold true to form, the NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors would have the most wins in their respective conferences. The Cavaliers are projected to have 52.1 wins, while the Warriors (who added Kevin Durant in the offseason) would end the upcoming campaign with 66.8 victories. The San Antonio Spurs would actually finish with the second-most wins, behind the Warriors with 54.5.
Miami gets their season underway on the road with an in-state trip to Orlando to face the Magic on October 26. Two nights later, they begin the home portion of their season with a matchup against a playoff rival from last year, the Charlotte Hornets.
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