We’ve already mentioned a few times this summer about how bullish we are on Heat. It’s simply, really – Beasley (the best NBA-ready player in the draft), Matrix (contract aside, he’s a sick talent) and a healthy D-Wade, plus a decent compliment of role players (Blount, Magloire, Haslem, James Jones and Dorrell Wright) should be enough to get these guys to the postseason.

New coach? No Riley? Matters not. Matrix and Wade have been to the postseason, and the latter won a title. It certainly helps that the Heat play in a weak division – Charlotte’s bad, Atlanta lost 6th man Josh Childress, Washington won’t have Gilbert Arenas for a minute, and Orlando’s good, but by no means dominant.

They’re in Paris now, bonding and doing all that other fun stuff that teams with a bunch of new faces do. Assuming the big three can remain healthy, and Beasley can avoid the sticky-icky … we’re thinking 45 wins seems like a legit goal. We’re anticipating that Miami will reach the postseason – anywhere from the 6th to 8th seed – and if the defense is as quick as we think it’ll be, and the role players stick to what they need to do (shoot on occasion, rebound and defend all the time), a first-round playoff upset of a higher seed is entirely possible.