How good can Miami be next season with Bosh back in the mix?
It was a welcome sight to see Chris Bosh back and a sigh of relief to hear if that all goes well, he will be back in September to resume basketball activities. It's been speculated that one reason that it was publicly announced that Bosh would be back was not for reassurance for Miami Heat fans, but also for Goran Dragic. While it certainly doesn't pressure Dragic even more to have a longer stay in Miami, it certainly shows him that this a good team on the verge of being great and as well as a team that is going through one bizarre season of unpredictability.
In all honesty, if the Heat DON'T get into the playoffs, I would be okay with it. I predicted in the beginning of the season that this team would be a #4 seed, but after watching this roller coaster, I fear someone like Dwyane Wade or Hassan Whiteside will get seriously injured in the first round and this misfortune will carry into the 2015-2016 Season.
So now that we can look forward to Bosh being back, let's see what the projected roster may look like when healthy next season.
| C | Hassan Whiteside |
| PF | Chris Bosh |
| SF | Luol Deng |
| SG | Dwyane Wade |
| PG | Goran Dragic |
| C | Chris Andersen |
| F | Josh McRoberts |
| F | Michael Beasley |
| F | Udonis Haslem |
| F | Henry Walker |
| F | James Ennis |
| G | Tyler Johnson |
| G | Mario Chalmers |
| G | Shabazz Napier |
| G | Zoran Dragic |
One benefit of having the young players play heavy minutes of every game is that it not only gives them an opportunity to thrive within a system, but it gives them the experience to fail or succeed in crucial moments. Like Beasley against the Wizards, Walker against the Magic, and Johnson against the Kings. The same players who are leaned on heavily this year can be part of a reliable, deep bench next year. These players are the silver lining of this depressing cloud known as the Heat season.
At their healthiest level and when playing with cohesiveness, this team can very well be fighting for one of the top 3 seeds of the East and Atlanta for the division lead. At the same time, Pat Riley wants to make the big move that takes this team to the promise land. Would Riley trade someone like Deng and young talent like Napier, Ennis or Johnson for a big free agent similar to the way Miami landed Shaquille O'Neal? Or keep this whole roster and see where it goes?
The potential for this team next year is unbelievable. Dragic playing a pick and roll game with Bosh? Whiteside anchoring a line of defense? Wade and Deng being effective on trigger plays? An entire second unit that is comprised of the vision of McRoberts along with the energy of the Heat's guards and forwards? You get the picture.
Every game without Bosh makes you appreciate the game he brought. Seeing Bosh again last night made me look forward to the games we will have....soon.