can miami heat team make another run for championship next 2014-2015 season?

[MISSERY]

I think they are still contenders, I mean in a weak weak weak Eastern conference with only the Pacers who can remotely challenge them. If Pacers are still immature like this year, I can see another cake walk for Miami to head to the finals

let see a nets team with a healthy lopez with there chemistry back and williams on a successful knee surgery
with our past big 3 allen pierce kg, defensive coach and defensive players tony allen rondo kg defense help us past through just like spurs defense

also the hot raptors and cleveland maybe?

[MISSERY]

Isn't next season 2014-2015?

If LeBron stays they'll still be title contenders. I wouldn't be surprised if they win it all next year, though I do think they'll need some fresh talent.

ray allen is one the reason they won at the start of the season, hitting some winning shot 3's
heat team are good in spreading the floor transitional offense then all heat players will switch and make some 3's, loosing mike miller a 3 point shooter, battier also, chalmers might leave a 3point shooter also, lewis is not that good, even if the big 3 take less money to get a descent players,
if i'm lebron and be forced to carry all the load from season to playoffs, then my team got a problem
this is what happen when you hear a former great player in his 20's then you will say heat team are deadly because they sign another star while he just sits on the bench, just to get a ring

[RyNye]

They will still be contenders. Lebron will still be Lebron. They will likely retool with a new crop of ring-chasing free agents and redesign their offensive system through the Lebron/Bosh/random 3-point shooter trio rather than the current Lebron/Wade/Allen system.

The East will still be weak. I see the Pacers taking a step back this season; I have never been high on that core, I think they have been overrated and overachieving as it is. I think Lance leaves and they don't find a suitable replacement. Paul George will be great, but the rest of the team will be mediocre; I predict them limping into a 3 or 4 seed and not making the ECF again.

Besides that, the only teams out there that can make any noise are Toronto and Brooklyn, but I don't see either as being a particularly ferocious post-season team. In fact, I think Brooklyn will be worse this season than they were last season. I just don't trust that core (and this as someone who loves Paul and Kevin with all my heart) to put it together on a consistent basis. Toronto is talented but young and uneven. Then there will probably be one more solid team out of the East, depending on what happens in the draft/free-agency; either Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, or a wild-card like Philly will make some big moves and have a good season.

I see the Heat at least in the ECF next season. I don't see them winning a ring (barring a real free-agency steal. Kevin Love for the vet's minimum?), or necessarily even advancing to the Finals, unless all the other East teams take a step back.

[Celtics4ever]

All kidding aside any team with LeBron is a contender.

[hpantazo]

I hate to say it, but if I'm Riley, I ditch Wade and go hard after Rondo this summer. He's the guy that would make the Heat 5-6 time champions.

As for the Nets making noise noise next season, that team is cooked. Pierce may leave , KG should retire, Derron looks done, and they are already talking about trading Lopez who can't seem to stay healthy and just had major foot reconstruction.

The Heat team as is are automaticity still the top team in the east, but does that make them contenders when there are 4-5 teams better than them out west?

[Eddie20]

The Heat has a lot of holes. Arison was particularly stingy this season, which is why they amnestied Miller, traded J. Anthony away, and didn't use their MLE. Battier officially retired, Allen might follow, and Andersen just opted out.

I wouldn't be surprised if James sees the writing on the wall and bolts for Houston. After all, James legacy will be judged by how many titles they win. Houston could trade away Lin and Asik, make a few other moves, and then have James join Howard and Harden.

[saltlover]

The Heat has a lot of holes. Arison was particularly stingy this season, which is why they amnestied Miller, traded J. Anthony away, and didn't use their MLE. Battier officially retired, Allen might follow, and Andersen just opted out.

I wouldn't be surprised if James sees the writing on the wall and bolts for Houston. After all, James legacy will be judged by how many titles they win. Houston could trade away Lin and Asik, make a few other moves, and then have James join Howard and Harden.

I agree Arison was stingy, and it cost them, particularly with Miller.  That said, Andersen was never going to exercise his option unless he was injured.  Miami now has his Early Bird rights.  He probably took a discount this season to stay, knowing that he had some financial security for next year if he got hurt, and knowing that Early Bird rights could get him more this offseason.  No reason to hang around for the minimum.  That offer will always be there.

[footey]

They will most likely be back in the Finals next year, mostly because there is nobody in the East that can beat them.  Chicago is the only team that could give them a serious challenge, if Rose is healthy and they add significant talent in free agency.

This assumes Lebron and Bosh stay. Otherwise, all bets are off.

I think Wade is the albatross here. If he is rational, he will not opt out/renegotiate his contract, and will become dead weight relative to his abilities.

[footey]

I hate to say it, but if I'm Riley, I ditch Wade and go hard after Rondo this summer. He's the guy that would make the Heat 5-6 time champions.

As for the Nets making noise noise next season, that team is cooked. Pierce may leave , KG should retire, Derron looks done, and they are already talking about trading Lopez who can't seem to stay healthy and just had major foot reconstruction.

The Heat team as is are automaticity still the top team in the east, but does that make them contenders when there are 4-5 teams better than them out west?

How do you "ditch" him? His contract is untradeable.

[Lucky17]

They will most likely be back in the Finals next year, mostly because there is nobody in the East that can beat them.  Chicago is the only team that could give them a serious challenge, if Rose is healthy and they add significant talent in free agency.

This assumes Lebron and Bosh stay. Otherwise, all bets are off.

I think Wade is the albatross here. If he is rational, he will not opt out/renegotiate his contract, and will become dead weight relative to his abilities.

His ETO for next year and his player option for 2015-16 combine for over $41 mil owed to him by the franchise.

Perhaps he opts out, and signs a new contract with Miami that spreads that $41 over four or five years. Not sure how much flexibility that might provide the Heat FO to restock the roster, but it could help.

They have Cole under contract. Not sure what Haslem has left, but he's got a player option for next year. Could bring back Andersen. They'll have Ennis coming over from the Aussie League, plus late 1st and 2nd rounders in this year's draft. Maybe they can land an upgrade at starting PG (Isaiah Thomas?) with cap room or the MLE. That's potentially a ten-man rotation right there.

[Fafnir]

They will most likely be back in the Finals next year, mostly because there is nobody in the East that can beat them.  Chicago is the only team that could give them a serious challenge, if Rose is healthy and they add significant talent in free agency.

This assumes Lebron and Bosh stay. Otherwise, all bets are off.

I think Wade is the albatross here. If he is rational, he will not opt out/renegotiate his contract, and will become dead weight relative to his abilities.

His ETO for next year and his player option for 2015-16 combine for over $41 mil owed to him by the franchise.

Perhaps he opts out, and signs a new contract with Miami that spreads that $41 over four or five years. Not sure how much flexibility that might provide the Heat FO to restock the roster, but it could help.

I think Wade is getting close to the over 35 year rule for contracts. I think that could limit their options depending on how that works. (I forgot, I remember it coming up for KG obviously)

[Lucky17]

Faf, what's that rule again? I have only the dimmest of recollections of what you're talking about.

[CFAN38]

I tentatively say yes,

I think the Heat are falling victim to a plan that has come back to hurt many team in the past including the 2010 celtics. Teams get tend to get to a championship level and they try to add past their prime players to supplement their cores. This can lead to an aged bench that lacks energy.

To return to the finals the heat first have to resign their big 3, then they need to get younger higher energy role players. Looking at their regular season rosters Miami had only 6 players who where drafted after 2007, Spurs 10, OKC 10, and Indy 8 this shows the age of the roster. I think they where trying to add some youth with Beasley and Oden but these are not high energy type players. If I where in Pat Rileys position I would to either buy an early 2nd round pick or trade down the #26 to phili for multiple seconds. This second round has a solid group of lower potential players who project as solid role players. Russ Smith and Patrick Young are the two who first come to mind.

[Fafnir]

Faf, what's that rule again? I have only the dimmest of recollections of what you're talking about.

http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q57

Basically means that salary after a player is 36 counts as deferred compensation so it must be charged to the year its "earned" cap. So you can't give long deals to older players likely to retire in order to mitigate the cap hit.

Its pretty complicated, not sure how it'd apply in this situation.

[Lucky17]

Faf, what's that rule again? I have only the dimmest of recollections of what you're talking about.

http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q57

Basically means that salary after a player is 36 counts as deferred compensation so it must be charged to the year its "earned" cap. So you can't give long deals to older players likely to retire in order to mitigate the cap hit.

Its pretty complicated, not sure how it'd apply in this situation.

That is pretty complicated. TP.