2008 Outlook

The Miami Heat season has been a huge disappointment just two years after winning the NBA Championship in the 2005-2006 season. The Heat went from first to worst, finishing at the bottom of the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference. The team has plenty to look forward to next season though. A healthy Dwayne Wade will take the same court as versatile small forward Shawn Marion and the possible first draft pick in the 2008 draft. The team also features a veteran Jason Williams who remains one of the leagues most entertaining passers.

Team History

The Miami Heat are one of four franchises added in the 80s and the first NBA to be located in Florida. The new team built a club around center Ron Seikaly, small forward Glen Rice, and point guard Sherman Douglas. The Heat, although filled with young talent, struggled to produce a winning season and consistently drafted in the lottery.

A coaching change and the drafting of Steve Smith pulled the Heat from the bottom of the league into the playoffs for the fist time in the 1991-92 season. The team continued to make roster moves that never paid off and continued to struggle. The struggle and an ownership change brought in Pat Riley as the Heat’s president and head coach. Riley immediately made trades for center Alonzo Mourning, point guard Tim Hardaway, and guard Walt Williams. The team would go on to make a playoff appearance.

Riley continued his overhaul of the Heat with the additions of guard Dan Majerle, power forward P.J. Brown, small forward Jamal Mashburn, and shooting guard Voshon Lenard. The much-improved Heat would make the conference finals in the 1997-98 season. Another retooling of the team kept Riley as team president but added Stan Van Gundy as head coach. His teams included the powerful combination of Dwayne Wade, Shaquille O’Neal, point guard Jason Williams, and forwards Antoine Walker and James Posey.

On December 12, 2005, Patrick Riley took over the coaching duties again and the Heat went on to comeback from a 0-2 deficit to defeat the Dallas Mavericks for the 2006 NBA Championship. The team has since overhauled its aging roster and looks more athletic. The team is expected to grow as Dwayne Wade continues to develop his superstar game. For the best tickets to watch Wade, Marion and the Miami Heat visit TheSeats.com.