Heat 2016-17 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions
Next season is going to feature some memorable debuts from Kevin Durant making his first appearance with the loaded Golden State Warriors to Derrick Rose arriving to the Big Apple. No feeling will likely be more surreal than seeing the Miami Heat without Dwyane Wade, though.
The 34-year-old veteran spent 13 years with the Heat and seemed on track to become the next Kobe Bryant or Tim Duncan, spending his entire career with one franchise. Instead, he's off to the Chicago Bulls and Miami must move on to a new era of basketball in South Beach.
So let's check out all of the important information following the league's schedule release as the Heat look to weather the offseason storm and remain in playoff contention. That's followed by a prediction for how the regular season will play out for Miami.
2016-17 Details
Season Opener: Oct. 26 vs. Orlando Magic
Championship Odds: 66-1 (via Odds Shark)
Full Schedule: NBA.com
Top Matchups
Chicago Bulls- Nov. 10, Dec. 10, Jan. 27
In most cases, superstar players returning to a former home after taking the free-agent train to a new city receive a rude welcome. That shouldn't be the case for Wade, who poured his heart and soul out for the Heat and was nevertheless treated as an afterthought this summer.
Fox Sports passed along comments from team president Pat Riley, who expressed regret about the way the process played out. He admitted there should have been a much greater sense of urgency on his part to make sure Wade felt wanted during free agency:
Meanwhile, the longtime Heat shooting guard stated the uncertainty in Miami gave him the opportunity to explore other options. Returning to his native Chicago is something he always thought about and now it's become reality, as he explained to Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated.
"As someone who understands the business, and have wants and needs, I felt this was the best decision for myself at this time," Wade said. "I'm also a guy who has a dream as well. And one of my dreams is always to play for my hometown team. And the time right now just came where it was perfect for me to do that."
While a select portion of the fanbase may still hold Wade accountable for leaving, his first trip back to Miami should result in an overwhelming warm welcome. He sacrificed a lot over the years to help bring three championships to the city.
In the bigger picture, the Heat and Bulls might end up battling for position in the muddled middle of the Eastern Conference. That could add even more intrigue to this season's head-to-head meetings.
New York Knicks- Dec. 6, March 29, March 31
This rivalry has laid mostly dormant since its peak in the late 1990s with the Knicks struggling to build a consistent contender. That may finally be changing after a series of promising offseason moves by New York, which could lead to crucial battles between the sides once again.
The Knicks added Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah to a foundation already featuring Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis. While the team's potential depends heavily on Rose staying healthy and returning to form, at least there's reason for optimism.
MSG Networks explored that improved outlook, at least on paper:
Even though the rivalry isn't likely to get back where it was in the 90s, when the teams faced off four straight times in the postseason, it's good for the NBA when both teams are competitive. A playoff meeting isn't out of the realm of possibility, either.
Ultimately, each team has question marks. The Heat have to replace Wade's on-court production and off-court presence and the Knicks have to make all the pieces fit together. But truly meaningful games between the squads should be on the horizon.
Record Prediction
The Heat won 48 games last season. There are two vital questions in determining how close they can get to that number during the 2016-17 campaign.
As mentioned, replacing Wade is one of them. A lot of that will be focused on the continued development of second-year guard Josh Richardson. The Tennessee product averaged just 6.6 points as a rookie, but did shoot 46 percent from three-point range and should step into a bigger role. Justise Winslow will be asked to carry a larger offensive burden, too.
Chris Bosh's health status is the other pressing issue. He's missed large portions of the past two seasons due to blood-clotting issues and there's still no definitive timetable for a return to action, which leaves the Heat in a difficult spot.
The silver lining for Miami is that it was able to retain Hassan Whiteside. He's not the versatile offensive threat Bosh is when at his best, but it should give the team at least some stability on the interior.
Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel noted Riley understands the entire situation represents a challenge for Erik Spoelstra, but he thinks the head coach is up to the task thanks to prior experiences:
"Erik has been through this before, because his first two years after I retired he had contending teams, competitive teams, playoff teams. Obviously, they weren't championship teams. I thought he did a hell of a job at that time in starting his coaching career with teams that were competitive and also playoff teams.
Then he had the four years where I think he really earned his stripes as a head coach with four [NBA] Finals finishes and two world championships.
"
All told, the Heat probably feature one of the biggest potential ranges for their record. If everything falls into place, they could push toward 50 victories. If Bosh remains out, Richardson struggles and it becomes a constant grind, they could end up in the 30s.
A safe guess places them somewhere slightly above .500, which should be enough to keep them in the playoff race into the final weeks.
Prediction: 42-40
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