Miami Heat: 10 Reasons They're Guaranteed an NBA Championship

At 18-6, the Miami Heat lead the Southeast Division and appear ready to make another trip to the NBA Finals.

Miami continued to steamroll opponents after a Dwayne Wade injury thanks in large part to LeBron James and Chris Bosh, who are shooting a combined 53 percent from the floor.

The Heat have an improved squad from last season and it's paying dividends thus far this season.

Miami appears to be poised to return to the NBA Finals.

Don't believe me?

Here's 10 reasons to buy into the Heat:

LeBron James Is Having an MVP-Type Season

LeBron James has been the best player in the NBA so far this season.

He's second in scoring to only Kobe Bryant and is shooting a career-high .552 percent from the field.

James' 29.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 6.8 APG lead all SFs, propelling James towards another MVP award if he continues this caliber of play.

Chris Bosh Is Playing Well

Chris Bosh has improved his play from last season, averaging more points and assists, and boasting a .508 FG percentage, as opposed to .496 last season.

Bosh also stepped up immensely in the absence of Dwayne Wade, becoming the second option to James, and helping the Heat win without No. 3 in the lineup.

A consistent Bosh will be one of the main keys to a Miami Heat championship run in 2012. 

Point Guard Play Has Improved from Last Season

Aside from the center position, the PG position has been the most questionable for the Miami Heat.

When the combination of Mike Bibby and Mario Chalmers couldn't get it done in 2010-2011, the Heat parted ways with Bibby and drafted Norris Cole from Cleveland State.

So far, the two PGs have combined for 19.7 PPG, 6.4 APG and a TO ratio of 1.5, which is an upgrade from last season.

The Heat Are Shooting Well from the Floor

The Miami Heat lead the league in FG percentage, with an impressive .487 mark.

That's largely due to the performance of James, Bosh and Chalmers, who are all shooting better than .500 from the floor.

Last year's champion Mavericks shot .475 percent from the floor during the regular season, proving that a high FG percentage is an important aspect of a championship caliber squad.

They've Improved from 3-Point Territory

Their .395 percent from three-point territory is third-best in the league, only behind Atlanta (.399) and Boston (.427).

That's also an area of improvement for Miami, as they shot two and a half percentage points worse from down town last season.

James Jones (.429), Chalmers (.459) and James (.425) are a large part of Miami's success from beyond the arc.  

Erik Spoelstra Isn't Feeling the Pressure

Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra was consistently feeling the heat last season when his team failed to live up to the expectations of the media, and the expectations that the team placed upon itself.

Heat owner Pat Riley relieved the pressure when he inked Spoelstra to a two-year extension worth $6 million.

That makes Spoelstra the man in charge through the 2013-2014 season, which also happens to be the same time that the big three can opt out of their contracts.

A coincidence?

I think not. But for now, Spoelstra is happy to be heading the Heat and they're winning for him.

They're Averaging More PPG Than Last Season

103.5 PPG is what Miami has done this season, as opposed to 102.1 last season.

While PPG isn't the most important statistic—as Dallas averaged an 11th-best 100.2 PPG last season and won a title—Miami sports a plus 7.7 PPG differential, which ranks No. 3 in the league.

If Miami continues to put up 100 points night in and night out opponents will have a tough time matching up.

James and Wade Have Improved Chemistry

The 2010-2011 season was a learning experience for the Miami Heat, and according to both James and Wade, the chemistry this season couldn't be better.

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, James had this to say about his chemistry with Wade:

"

It is at an all-time high right now, honestly. It is just a chemistry that we have.  Last year was a blueprint for us.  It is not like we look for each other more than others, it kind of just happens.

"

Although Wade has missed 10 games this season, he agrees with James' claim that the chemistry is good, saying,

"

I kind of have a feel for when he's coming. I hear him trucking out of the corner of my ear. I see him and he's the kind of guy that you can just throw it up and he'll get it.

"

If James and Wade's chemistry rubs off on the rest of the Heat, they'll be hanging a banner in Miami this year.

They're Beating Contenders

The Heat currently sit atop the Southeast Division at 18-6 and have already proven they can beat top-caliber teams.

Miami opened up their season on Christmas day with an 11-point win over the defending champion Dallas Mavericks (14-11).

An OT win at Atlanta (16-8) came on Jan. 5, and they followed that victory up with back-to-back wins against the Spurs (16-9) and Lakers (14-10).

Miami's biggest challenge came on Jan. 29 when the Heat edged the Chicago Bulls (20-6) by four, proving that they are a top team in the East. 

LeBron No Longer Sees Himself as the Villain

After playing the 2010-2011 season with a fire of hatred burning within, LeBron James is back to being himself.

James sat down with ESPN reporter Rachel Nichols in the offseason to discuss his villain-like role last season, saying 

"

I play the game fun, joyful, and I let my game do all of the talking and I got away from that. That's what I lost last year. Going through my first seven years in the NBA I was always the "liked one" and to be on the other side—they call it the dark side or the villain or whatever they call it—it was definitely challenging for myself. It was a situation I had never been in before, and it took awhile ... it took a long time to adjust to it.

"

Now that James is back to himself, he's returned to an MVP-like status and has the Heat in prime position to make a title run.