MIAMI HEAT
Recap Rewind: The entire Heat team seemed to capture and execute Shaq’s laissez-faire attitude when it comes to the regular season. In other words, let the regular season take care of itself and then turn it on for the playoffs. That lack of intensity, coupled with the separate extended absences of superstars Dwyane Wade and O’Neal, nearly had the Heat on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. Instead, the Wade-less team came together when it had to – not unlike a well-formed plan – with just eight losses in February and March combined, and captured the Southeast Division.
Notable News: In lieu of season-ending shoulder surgery, Wade chose to rehab the injured shoulder with hopes of returning in time for the playoffs. Goal accomplished. Back, but not at full force, Wade trudged through the final two weeks of the regular season and is set to go for the playoffs.
Fast Forward: The Heat will battle with the fifth-seeded Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs as they look to finish their quest to repeat as NBA champions. This time, however, the fourth-seeded Miami team will not enjoy home court advantage thanks to the new rule this year that places regular season record at a higher importance than winning the division. The Heat and Bulls have a recent history involving both a war of words – Hinrich and Wade have been exchanging verbal barbs that are less than complimentary of one another – and physicality on the hardwood. James Posey has been a flagrant foul machine in games against Chicago and you can expect the Bulls to be as physical as possible with Wade and his tender shoulder. If Shaq can overcome Big Ben and Wade returns to MVP form ASAP, their chance to repeat increases exponentially.