LeBron James and Dwyane Wade Injuries Could Haunt Miami Heat's Dream NBA Season

The way the Miami Heat have started the 2011-12 season, it looks at times that nothing can stop them from achieving their ultimate goal of winning the NBA championship.

The Heat are off to a 6-1 start to the season and are scoring the ball at a 108.3 points-per-game clip that leads the NBA.

This team has the capabilities of winning 60 (of 66) regular season games and then has the chance to do what it couldn't accomplish a season ago.

Nothing should be able to slow this team down.

Except injuries. Bad health is really the only thing that could derail Miami's title aspirations.

Miami could be without star LeBron James tonight against the Atlanta Hawks after spraining his ankle in a fantastic performance Wednesday night against the Indiana Pacers in which he was just two rebounds short of a triple-double.

The Heat were already without guard Dwyane Wade, who missed the Indiana game with a sore left foot.

The current NBA shortened schedule doesn't favor teams that are trying to get healthy and while neither injury is anything serious, the Heat are one serious injury to one of their stars away from seeing their dream season become a nightmare.

The sprained ankle of James will heel and Miami could be fine without him for a game or two, but Wade may be more of a concern.

Wade has had a history of his body betraying him.

He's missed time the past few years due to everything from foot to shoulder problems and some hamstring issues in between.

While his current foot issue may turn out to be nothing serious, it's something worth being concerned about.

No team in the NBA can afford to see their superstars in street clothes, but especially this Heat team. They simply don't have the depth to sustain things without James, Wade or both for an extended period of time.

So while the current minor injuries to the two Miami superstars shouldn't have an impact on what could turn out to be a dream season, it should serve as a reminder of how bad things could get without them.