When LeBron James announced he was returning to Cleveland, the Heat didn’t have much time to sulk. They had to get to work right away, as another one of their superstars, Chris Bosh, was highly sought-after on the open market. On the same day LeBron left, the Heat re-signed Bosh to a five-year deal. From there, they made other moves to remain a contender in the East, including bringing in Luol Deng as LeBron’s replacement. Yesterday, Miami owner Micky Arison published a letter addressing expectations for next season.
The lead photo of the letter — which you can read in full here — shows Arison standing with the three Larry O’Brien trophies the Heat have won during his tenure as owner.
Arison begins by addressing what he calls the bigger picture, and reminds the fanbase that since Pat Riley took over running basketball operations in 1995, the Heat have missed the playoffs just three times.
The tone of the letter is defiant, and Arison explains why the Heat should not be written off next season:
I’m here to tell you something else: we are not done; not even close.
Pat Riley is fond of saying that the only thing you can count on in life is change and those that embrace change are best prepared to emerge successfully. So while the names on the back of the jersey may change from time to time, the constant presence of the name “Miami” or “HEAT” on the front guarantees that our goal remains the same: to put a competitive team on the floor capable of competing for the ultimate prize. As a Miami HEAT fan, this is what you have come to expect from us. We are laser-focused on the present and the task at hand of defending our Eastern Conference championship with the East being described as “wide open,” while also positioning ourselves for maximum flexibility and maneuverability in the future.
Since LeBron’s departure, the Heat have publicly rallied behind the franchise’s history of success. Dwyane Wade and Bosh have referred to themselves as a #HeatLifer on various social media platforms, and it’s the same hashtag Arison closes the letter with.
Setting all the off-season moves aside, the Heat will return as the four-time defending Eastern Conference champions. The task of making a fifth straight NBA Finals appearance is much tougher without LeBron, but Arison is not wrong in his assessment that the East is wide open this season.
The Cavaliers have the best player in the world, but also a very young core with many question marks. The Bulls appear to have the best team on paper in the East, but Derrick Rose‘s health concerns loom. The Pacers lost Lance Stephenson and were terrible in the second half last season. The Wizards and Raptors are intriguing, but they can be beat.
So, with Bosh as the centerpiece, and Wade and Deng as his running mates, the Heat could very well still be a top four seed in the East. Aside from Bosh’s five-year deal and a four-year contract to Josh McRoberts, their cap sheet will be relatively clean in the summer of 2016, when a free agent class led by Kevin Durant will hit the market.
The Heat might have lost LeBron, but as Arison’s letter points out, they’ll be competitive this season, and are positioned well for the future.
What do you think?
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