It took less than a week in July for the Miami Heat to go from being a mediocre first-round playoff team to-potentially-one of the greatest teams of all time. With the highly publicized additions of LeBron James and Chris Bosh, along with the re-signing of franchise face Dwyane Wade, the Heat now have three of the league’s top-ten players in the prime of their careers. By virtue of the hype surrounding this offseason’s free agent class and the way in which one particular decision was handled, it’s understandable that the Heat will be the most widely discussed, dissected, and hated team in American professional sports for the foreseeable future. With that said, Miami is in a league of its own in terms of on-paper talent, and will be one of the most exciting teams to watch in recent memory.

Although critics have lambasted James for accepting a role in Miami as Wade’s sidekick, the Heat will go as James goes in 2010-11. While the term “best” is a dangerous one, there is little debate that LeBron is the most gifted player in the NBA. His energy will be at an all-time high this season as he attempts to prove his critics and doubters wrong, and he’ll be one hundred percent rested and healthy after a forgettable end to his time with Cleveland. LeBron may not be looking to average a triple-double for a season, but a 24-9-9 line seems entirely probable as a result of the style and personnel he’ll be playing with.

Bosh’s arrival has been somewhat overshadowed by James’, but the former Raptor is just as essential a piece for the success of the Heat. Bosh will have far fewer isolation plays drawn up for him by Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, but he’ll also benefit from all the attention his star-studded teammates will demand from opponents’ defences.

Wade will do much of his work off the ball this year, with James taking over point duties frequently. It is easy to envision Wade leading the team in scoring on a regular basis, as he’ll get plenty of catch-and-shoot opportunities as well as clear driving lanes.

Defensively, Miami will be a matchup nightmare for every team, including the Lakers. Expect Wade and James to rack up the steals thanks to their speed, length, and athleticism on the perimeter. One of the areas the Heat will need to address is the centre position, but a combination of Joel Anthony, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Jamaal Magloire should be enough to provide an adequate defensive presence-this team does not need to worry about putting up
points.

Pat Riley did an admirable job filling up the Heat bench with shooters, hustle-players, and passers. Miami’s bench is much stronger than many are giving it credit for, and should be good enough to help the team get to the Finals.

The only things standing in the way of Miami and an NBA championship are injuries, chemistry issues, and divine intervention. If all three can be avoided, the road to Banner Number 2 is more or less obstacle-free. The Lakers will challenge, but they don’t have the firepower to match up with the Heat for seven games. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2011 NBA champions, the Miami Heat.