- Report: Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder are possible landing spots for Dewayne Dedmon
- Report: Heat, 76ers and Celtics among teams that have inquired about Nerlens Noel recently
- Kyle Lowry’s latest update on his knee raises concerns about how long he’ll be out
- Dwyane Wade unbelievably proud as his son Zaire turns 21 and signs deal with African basketball team
- Report: Nets would be interested in Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo or Tyler Herro in return for Kyrie Irving
- Jimmy Butler’s agent throws shade at Austin Rivers following veteran’s fight with Mo Bamba
- Report: Miami Heat trading Kyle Lowry for Kyrie Irving has been discussed in league circles since December
- Bill Simmons says Tyler Herro is the ‘best American White guy’ in basketball
- Report: Miami Heat have checked in on 3 of O.G. Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, John Collins and Jae Crowder
- Report: Miami Heat registering trade interest in Dorian Finney-Smith
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.
[xyz-ihs snippet=”in-article-fb”]
“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.
[xyz-ihs snippet=”Responsive-ImagenText”]
Related Posts
About Brad Sullivan
You must be logged in to post a comment Login