NBA JAM: MIAMI HEAT

In our continuing rundown on the NBA season, Neate looks at the reigning champion Miami Heat.

Last season: 52-30, 2nd in Eastern Conference, beat Dallas in six games to win the NBA championship
Coach: Pat Riley
New face: None worth noting
Funny-looking white guy: Michael Doleac
Blogs: Crazy From The Heat

Perish the thought of the Dwyane Wade-led Heat repeating as champs, although they should win a third straight Southeast Division title.

The '05-06 Heat peaked at the right time, probably had a bit of luck in that the Pistons were too dinged up to put forth their best effort in the Eastern final and also in drawing fellow NBA Finals newbies, the Mavs, in the championship series.

It beggars language to try and convey just how vital D-Wade is to the Heat; 82games.com crunched the numbers and figures that last year, a "fair salary" for him would have been -- wait for it -- $35.06 million. (For point of comparison, Steve Nash, the NBA MVP, merited a "fair salary" of $21.01 million.)

Miami will need D-Wade to be worth every penny, particularly early on as point guard Jason Williams works his way back into the lineup after having knee surgery.

However, the Heat have an older roster that just went through the two-month grind of a playoff run in the much more physical Eastern Conference. Alonzo Mourning re-signed, meaning he can spell off a declining Shaquille O'Neal, who is slowing down and probably can't be counted on to play more than 30 minutes per night.

Ultimately, the Heat have Wade, and they have Riley to drill the value of good defence into each player. That will work in the regular season, but not in the playoffs, where everyone buys into playing tough defence. Riley gambled and won last season when he brought in Williams, Gary Payton and Antoine Walker and got them to, for the most part at least, check their egos and take a lesser role to help the Heat win the championship.

The gut feeling is that it can't happen again, and Wade and the Heat will run out of gas in the second or third round of the playoffs.

Also in Southeast Division: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards