The Miami Heat Open the season strong: Potential contenders in the East

The NBA Eastern Conference is perhaps the weakest it’s been in a long time. A testament to that notion is the fact that ESPN’s yearly player rankings has nine out of the 10 best players in the league coming from the West.

On paper, a healthy Miami Heat squad is arguably the second best team in the East (yes, possibly better than the Chicago Bulls). If there’s any year to seriously try to dethrone the Cleveland Cavaliers as Eastern conference champions, it’s this year for Miami.

Last night, the Heat took the first step to looking like a revitalized team, after defeating the Charlotte Hornets 104-94. The Heat didn’t win by double digits, they showed their team has quality players in their starting five, and bench.

Miami Heat head coach Eric Spoelstra shares his thoughts on last night’s win. 

The usual contributors for the Heat, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, poured in 20 points each. But, the most noteworthy moments came from players that have huge potential to make an impact throughout the NBA season.

New acquisition Gerald Green scored 19 points for the Heat. Both Justise Winslow, and Hassan Whiteside didn’t have incredible stats in the box score but had their moments during the game.

Winslow reportedly sent American Airlines Arena into a frenzy with his dunk.

Also, Whiteside is playing off last season’s success, and finished the night with two blocks.

It’s very early to determine if this Miami Heat team will have chemistry throughout the entire NBA season, and even make an impact later in the season. If the season opener is any indication, the Heat could seriously contend in the East.

About Richard Gomez

Check Also

Former Florida Basketball Player Canyon Barry Heading To Olympics

Former Gators men’s basketball guard Canyon Barry is heading to Paris to play in the Olympics. …