Miami Heat: Are the NBA Finals Within Reach This Coming Season?

Last season, the Miami Heat received a blessing as they signed superstar Lebron James and powerhouse Chris Bosh. The start to their season was sub par as their record was 9-8 at one point.

I'm sure this occurred because they hadn't found an effective playing style yet; this didn't turn out to be a huge deal as they eventually had their big three—James, Bosh, Dwayne Wade—performing like the kings of basketball. They put on consistent performances in most of their games; they ended up as the second seed in the playoffs. They had stellar performances en route to defeating the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls.

However, their huge run collapsed as they suffered a disappointing loss in the NBA Finals to their familiar adversary, the Dallas Mavericks. It wasn't how they expected to finish the season.

After their loss, I'm sure that the team has been plotting a championship-winning game plan. There are various areas that could be improved for the Heat.

First off, when I think of Miami Heat, I only think of three players; usually an NBA team consists of five starting players. Clearly, there needs to be more teamwork from all five players instead of just three. They should include their point guards—Mike Bibby and Mario Chalmers—in their attacking and defensive plots. Their center position is probably the weakest at the moment, with the likes of Joel Anthony, Erik Dampier and Juwan Howard. Joel Anthony is the best center on the Heat, as he is a defensive monster. If the Heat utilize him as much as possible, the team could really benefit. And with youngster Mario Chalmers, a lot of potential is present. Once he gets a bit more experienced, his shooting, passing, dribbling and defense will pose a threat to other teams.

The big three have caused mayhem all over the league, but it is mainly James and Wade that are causing the trouble. Chris Bosh is one of the good power forwards in the league. He is a good shooter, like his hero Kevin Garnett, and he has great post-up abilities like Tim Duncan. I don't think he is utilized as much as he deserves to be. The shooting guard and small forward positions are important for outside shooting and penetration, but the power forward position is just as important because there has to be someone who can post up, kick out and shoot. Chris Bosh is a great example of the power forward position.

The Heat have a great starting lineup, but they also have some decent bench players. They have Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem, to name a few. If the team are in need of quick, productive scoring, these are the guys to look to.

If the Heat can add all these improvements to their current style, they will definitely pose a threat to all NBA teams, whether it's the Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers; they might even be able to conquer the Dallas Mavericks in future encounters.