MIAMI HEAT
Last season: 48 – 34
This season: 38 – 44
The Big Three is no more. Chris Bosh has been felled by chronic health problems, and Dwyane Wade, like LeBron James before him, wanted to return to his home city. The Miami Heat are a team in transition, and I may be generous in my 38-win prediction.
They still have Goran Dragic, though he shouldn’t be any team’s primary scoring option. Dragic’s numbers will fall off sharply unless resident genius Pat Riley gets him some backcourt help. Perhaps Justise Winslow or Josh Richardson can provide the scoring they will need. Dion Waiters isn’t to my taste, though he’s got a great opportunity if he can seize it.

Up front, rebounder extraordinaire Hassan Whiteside has signed on for the long term. That’s fine, but it looks like slim pickins after him. There’s a lot of filler on the roster. Josh McRoberts, Luke Babbit, James Johnson – all are rapidly becoming end of the benchers, not people you can build a future with.
Riley won’t hesitate to blow this bunch up if they have a dozen wins by mid-January.