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J. Pat Carter/Associated Press
He's back! Miami Heat fans had to be thrilled when a newly healthy, explosive Dwyane Wade played a lead role as Team USA reigned over Spain and all other challengers at the Beijing Olympics.
| ANALYST | PREDICTION |
 J.A.Adande ESPN.com |
SOUTHEAST: 2 | EAST: 8 After Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion and Udonis Haslem, there isn't much history of success on this roster. That goes for new coach Erik Spoelstra, too. Who will defend the lane, and who will relieve Wade of the offensive burden? |
 JonBarry ESPN.com |
SOUTHEAST: 4 | EAST: 12 No denying how great D-Wade looked for Team USA this summer. Big question: Can Beasley stay off South Beach? If Livingston can come back healthy, they could make a surprise run and get in the playoffs. |
 ChrisBroussard ESPN Mag |
SOUTHEAST: 3 | EAST: 8 With all due respect to Haslem, this is a three-man squad. D-Wade is back in the same breath as LeBron and Kobe, and Beasley is a straight-up scoring machine. Marion's going to be OK. But they're monumentally weak at point guard and center. |
 RicBucher ESPN Mag |
SOUTHEAST: 4 | EAST: 11 Erik Spoelstra is saying all the right things about Michael Beasley's commitment and work ethic and coachability, but I'll believe it when I hear Pat Riley, who had his doubts, endorse him. Fact is, he's a wild card of the first order. |
 ChadFord ESPN.com |
SOUTHEAST: 3 | EAST: 10 I have no idea where to place the Heat. Dwyane Wade looks healthy, and Michael Beasley looks like the real deal. But how well does Shawn Marion fit? And who's playing point guard or center? |
 JemeleHill ESPN.com |
SOUTHEAST: 2 | EAST: 6 I put a lot of stock into D-Wade's Olympic performance. Beasley will be outstanding, and if Shawn Marion stuffs the box scores like normal, the Heat could see a turnaround akin to Boston's last year. |
 JohnHollinger ESPN.com |
SOUTHEAST: 3 | EAST: 9 Impossible team to predict given all the questions: Will the Wade from the Olympics make a run at MVP? Will he play more than 50 games? How will Beasley perform? Will they trade Marion? Should they carry a three-man roster and cut everyone else? |
 JalenRose ESPN.com |
SOUTHEAST: 4 | EAST: 11 Wade will be dominant. Beasley will contend for Rookie of the Year. Shawn Marion, if not re-signed, will put another team over the top after a trade. |
 ChrisSheridan ESPN.com |
SOUTHEAST: 5 | EAST: 12 The D-Wade I saw in Beijing was every bit as good as the D-Wade from 2005-06, but this is a team in a major transition year with serious gaps at small forward and point guard. Forty wins would be a major accomplishment. |
 MarcStein ESPN.com |
SOUTHEAST: 3 | EAST: 10 D-Wade was undeniably superb in Beijing, but there's only so much he can do on a team with unknowns at point guard and center ... as well as a first-year coach and a rookie power forward. |
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TOTAL SOUTHEAST: 3.3 | Standings EAST: 9.7 | Standings |
Team Strength: Speed
The Heat may have the fastest perimeter trio I've ever seen. Marcus Banks may not be anybody's idea of a true point guard, but he is one of the speediest players in basketball and can push it upcourt with anyone. (He'll follow that burst with a horrible decision, but we're setting that aside for now.) Dwyane Wade, of course, is a blur at both ends when he's healthy, constantly creating breakouts with his running ability and penchant for steals. And then there's Shawn Marion, one of the best transition finishers of his generation and an especially speedy threat when he slides up to power forward and consistently beats his man down the floor.It gets interesting in that Miami's other players don't seem to have the jets to keep up. With the exception of Dorell Wright and Michael Beasley, pretty much everyone else on Miami's roster is a pure half-court player who doesn't seek out transition opportunities. So when Wade and Marion break out, players like Chris Quinn, James Jones, Udonis Haslem and Mark Blount will have to keep up or risk being left behind.
| STARTERS | RESERVES |
 Marcus Banks | Point Guard 6-2 | 212 | Age: 26 Hollinger profile |
 Mario Chalmers | Guard 6-1 | 190 | Age: 22 Hollinger profile |
 Dwyane Wade | Shooting Guard6-4 | 212 | Age: 26 Hollinger profile |
 Chris Quinn | Guard 6-2 | 185 | Age: 25 Hollinger profile |
 Shawn Marion | Small Forward 6-7 | 230 | Age: 30 Hollinger profile |
 Yakhouba Diawara | Forward6-7 | 225 | Age: 26 Hollinger profile |
 Udonis Haslem | Power Forward 6-8 | 235 | Age: 28 Hollinger profile |
 Michael Beasley | Forward6-10 | 235 | Age: 19 Hollinger profile |
 Mark Blount | Center 7-0 | 250 | Age: 32 Hollinger profile |
 Jamaal Magloire | Center6-11 | 265 | Age: 30 Hollinger profile |
Bust: Chris Quinn
Quinn had a few big games down the stretch, but he should essentially be a placeholder for Chalmers.
... a team with no point guard or center can compete?
ESPN The Magazine's NBA Preview hits stands October 22. For more, go to espnthemag.com.
With 9.2 seconds on the clock in a game for all the marbles, I see Magloire in the paint, Wade at the point, Beasley and Marion flanked wide on the wings, and 3-point threat J. Jones roaming. As it unfolds, Wade -- with ball in hand -- encounters a double-team, tosses it out to Beasley who pump-fakes a shot, allowing Wade to escape his coverage, where Beasley hits him with a no-look pass.
Wade then bolts into the paint, goes airborne, where he gets fouled, earning two shots, hitting both.
Lights out, end of script, game over!
Tom Hevezi/Associated Press
No one doubts the talent of Heat rookie Michael Beasley. And so far no one is quite sure what's happening with his noggin.
Erik Spoelstra
Experience: 1st year Record: 0-0
Playoffs: 0-0
NBA titles: 0
Coach's profile
Oftentimes, the biggest challenge facing an NBA coach is whether or not he can grab the reins of the team. Erik Spoelstra has an even tougher task than that -- gaining control of a team that features players who remember him as a lower-level assistant.
He is well-liked, to be sure, and has impressed his team with his intricate knowledge of the game. With one current superstar and one future one, the Heat can begin their ascent back into the playoff picture if their new coach can get them to follow his lead.
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