Miami Heat season preview five reasons to feel positive

3. Chris Bosh has fully embraced his move to center

Moving Bosh to center isn’t exactly a new idea. When the forward arrived from Toronto, he didn’t seem to be very convinced that that would be a wise option. However, after mixing and matching with traditional centers such as Erick Dampier and Zydrunas Iglauskas, the coaching staff made the right move at the right time last season and shifted over to the thinking of getting their top five players on the court for the majority of time.

That approach was never going to involve the underwhelming big man options the Heat had at their disposal. With a healthy Bosh returning from injury deep in the conference finals against Boston, the Heat were a completely different team from the one that struggled inside the paint against the Celtics and Indiana Pacers.

Is Bosh a monster in the paint? Obviously not. But he does have superb post moves around the basket and has increased his range so that he is deadly from all areas of the floor. That only helps to bring the opposing team’s center out and gives players like James and Wade more space to attack the basket. It also makes the Heat deadly in pick-and-roll situations.

4. An arsenal of shooters at their disposal

It’s no big secret that the Heat intend to punish opponents with their collection of long-range shooters. Fortifying the roster this offseason with newcomers Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis instead of big men only added to that fact.

Mix them in with proven specialists such as Shane Battier, Mike Miller and James Jones, and that’s a formidable collection of shooters that will make any defender stop and think twice as to whether they should protect the paint when James or Wade is attacking the basket.

Acquiring Allen in particular was yet another signing that many likely thought Riley couldn’t pull off. When will people learn to stop underestimating him?

5. Consistency on the roster, coaching staff and front office

Crucial to any team’s chances of repeating is maintaining some form of consistency from last season’s title team. The Heat did just that, bringing back their entire core and choosing not to utilize their one-time amnesty clause on a player such as Miller. (The salary cap relief would have been minimal this season anyway.)

The Heat weren’t content with just that, of course. They strengthened their bench with coveted free agent Allen, among others. Stability, cohesion and the experience gained from working together are evident in all facets of the team’s operations and will only help build more chemistry.

Indeed, the future looks great for the Heat. But the real work begins now, and the Heat will have pressure to perform at their best at every arena they visit. They have proven they can win it all once; now the stakes are even higher to build a dynasty. Can they actually do it? Go ahead and tell James it can’t be accomplished.