What We've Learned About 2014-15 Miami Heat so Far

The Miami Heat had a strong opening week of the 2014-15 NBA season. 

The Heat defeated the Washington Wizards 107-95 in their season opener and then toppled the Philadelphia 76ers 114-96 in their second and final game of Week 1.

Although they played in only two games, there was still much to be learned from Miami's undefeated week.

Let's take a look at the five biggest lessons from the Heat's first two games of the post-LeBron James era. 

Chris Bosh Is Going to Have a Monster Year

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Chris Bosh could not be having a better start to the season.

The 30-year-old has dominated in both of Miami's opening-week wins and appears completely comfortable in his new role as Miami's top option.

Bosh posted 26 points versus the Wizards and poured in 30 against the 76ers. 

Offensively, Bosh is doing it all: scoring from beyond the arc, mid-range and down low. He's played with great energy and aggressiveness, getting to the line 16 total times.

Bosh has also shown more of a commitment to the glass, and it's resulted in an impressive 23 rebounds through two games.

There's little to suggest Bosh won't keep this up. Bosh is a more versatile and efficient player than he was when he averaged 24.0 points and 10.8 rebounds per game with the Toronto Raptors during the 2009-10 NBA season. 

He wasn't able to approach those averages in the previous four seasons solely because Miami used him as its No. 3 offensive option behind James and Dwyane Wade.

Now back to being the go-to-guy, Bosh is going to remind everyone just how dominant of an offensive force he can be.  

Shabazz Napier Is a Legitimate Rotation Member

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Shabazz Napier's role was a big question mark entering the season, considering the Heat haven't shown a desire to rely on young players in recent years.

However, through two games, it's clear that Napier is member of Miami's rotation for now.

Napier played 15 minutes in Miami's season opener and 20 minutes in the team's second game. Also boding well for Napier's future, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra spoke highly of the point guard following Miami's win over the Wizards.

From Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun Sentinel:

"

"I thought Shabazz really settled into the game and got us organized in three or four critical possessions in the third quarter and did a nice job in the beginning of the fourth," Spoelstra said. "… It was good to see."

"

Napier hasn't played perfectly. He's posted just seven points with six assists and has made the occasional rookie mistake on both sides of the ball.

But he's shown the potential to run an offense, creating for himself and others. Spoelstra's making the right choice giving him legitimate playing time. 

Dwyane Wade Is Far from Done

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After a terrible performance in the 2014 NBA Finals, Dwyane Wade was written off by many.

But the 32-year-old still has plenty of game left, and he's shown it through two games of this season.

Wade scored 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting versus the Wizards and was especially great down the stretch, scoring 12 fourth-quarter points. 

Wade wasn't nearly as effective versus the 76ers, converting just 4-of-18 shots and committing six turnovers. However, there are still positives to take away from that game. He played the role of lead distributor, racking up 10 assists in the game.

Even on a night when his shot wasn't working, Wade found a way to impact the game and help Miami win. That's impressive.

As long as Wade remains healthy, the Heat should be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. 

Norris Cole Is Taking Advantage of His New Role

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Bosh was dominant and Wade was clutch versus the Wizards, but Norris Cole's play was the big story coming out of Miami's season opener.

The 23-year-old who won the Heat's starting point guard job in the preseason scored 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field and 3-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Cole's play, especially in the third quarter, helped push Miami over the top against the Wizards.

While Cole didn't replicate the incredible performance against the 76ers, he was still effective with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field and 2-of-4 shooting from three against Philadelphia.

There are reasons to be skeptical Cole can keep this up. He proved to be a fairly putrid offensive player throughout his first three seasons in the NBA, lacking distributing skills (career 2.4 APG), a three-point shot (career 33.5 3P%) and general offensive efficiency (career 41.2 FG%).

Also, for as well as he's played, it's worth noting that Cole has done nothing to erase the concerns about his passing, racking up just six assists in the two games. 

Still, with the way Cole's shooting the ball and converting at the rim, there's no doubt Spoelstra's decision to insert the Cleveland State product in the starting lineup has looked smart through two games.

Mario Chalmers Is Comfortable as Sixth Man

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As a result of the Heat's lack of shooting guard depth, Spoelstra has Chalmers working as a reserve 2.

This is, again, a move that looks wise through two games.

Chalmers posted eight points on 3-of-7 shooting with four rebounds and four assists in the opener.

He followed that with a stellar 20-point performance against the 76ers. Chalmers shot 6-of-9 from the field, 2-of-2 from three and 6-of-10 from the foul line while also posting four assists and four steals in the contest. 

Chalmers has looked comfortable in his new role, using his point guard instincts to find others for shots while also recognizing that he needs to be more of a scorer while at the 2. 

The fact that Chalmers is already having such strong success in this role early on is a great sign for Miami going forward.