Can the Miami Heat build on last year’s success?

During the 2007-2008 NBA basketball season, the Miami Heat were among the worst in the league. Delete that: I went back and checked the standings for that season, and they were the worst team in the league.

Having finished that season with a 15-67 win-loss record, the Miami Heat were the joke of the NBA, and things really couldn’t have gotten much worse in Miami. Much of the reason for the team’s woes had to do with an injury to Dwyane Wade, who missed 31 games that season. Even when Wade played, he was struggling with injuries and not his usual self.

With some renovations the following season and a healthy Wade by their side, the Miami Heat once again rebounded and played some respectable basketball during the 2008-2009 NBA season. Having finished with a 43-49 regular season record, the Heat clinched the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference and nearly made the playoffs.

Much of the team’s success can be attributed to the resurgence of Dwyane Wade last season. Wade led the NBA in points per game (30.2) and shot nearly 50% from the field (49.1). He led the team in assists with 7.5 per game, and an impressive total of 2.2 steals per game showed that he could get things done on both ends of the floor.

Looking ahead to next year, can the Heat repeat last year’s success? Wade appears to be healthy, and with the same supporting cast in tow, there’s no reason they couldn’t do it.