What will the revamped Heat offense look like?
With LeBron James' talents are no longer in South Beach, the Miami Heat find themselves in offensive limbo.
No longer having the best player in the world changes things drastically for Miami. During his four seasons as a member of the Heat, James and fellow superstars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh reached the Finals four times while winning a pair of championships.
James opted to return to his home state of Ohio this season - and in doing so, he took the Heat's championships aspirations with him. But instead of embarking on a top-down rebuild, Heat president Pat Riley instead decided to retool, locking up Bosh and Wade while adding proven veterans in Josh McRoberts and Luol Deng.
It was a smart move by Riley, who still has a core capable of breezing to a top-four finish in a weakened Eastern Conference. But what will their offense look like without LeBron?
The Heat boast four above-average starters in Deng, McRoberts, Bosh and Wade. They also have depth at point guard with Shabazz Napier, Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers. Coupled with a championship-caliber coach in Erik Spoelstra, the ingredients of a smart two-way team are there.
James led the Heat in frontcourt touches per game last season (per SportVU) with 62.7; Wade (48) and Bosh (31.2) were well back. Deng will likely take up most of the spent touches, as he averaged 42.3 per game between time in Chicago and Cleveland. The rest will likely be distributed between Wade and Bosh.
Yet, no one on the Heat roster will attract the volume of attention as James did, and he was unquestionably their best passer and playmaker.
The number of spot-up plays for Bosh, of which he averaged 5.6 per game last season, will most likely come down. So, too, will the quality of his looks without James drawing the attention of the defense. Consequently, Bosh should see an uptick in close touches (within 12 feet of the basket), as he only averaged 3.2 last season.
Bosh has migrated from the basket during his time as in Miami, but that trend should reverse itself. The last time Bosh attempted more than half his shots within 10 feet of the basket was 2009-10, his last season in Toronto. Expect Bosh to reclaim his throne at the mid-post.
Wade will most likely take over as the primary ball-handler. Wade dominated the ball in Miami prior to LeBron's arrival, twice posting assist percentages above 40 - a mark that would have ranked him above Stephen Curry and Ricky Rubio last season. Wade's athleticism has slipped tremendously since 2010, but he still has the court vision and ball-handling ability necessary to make the offense run.
Deng and McRoberts should also help in that regard, as both are excellent facilitators for their positions. Deng can do a bit of everything - running the pick-and-roll, spotting up, attacking off screens and in transition - while McRoberts is a crafty facilitator from the elbow.
Most importantly, both players can effectively spot-up, with Deng hitting from the wing and McRoberts launching from the top of the key. Along with Bosh and Chalmers, the Heat should have plenty of floor-spacers to open the paint for either Bosh or Wade to post up.
The Heat will probably remain a slow, half-court team - especially given their aging roster. This, however, plays into their hands as Spoelstra is a good playcaller.
The Heat's offense is in line for a major makeover with LeBron gone. But with Wade handling the ball, Bosh in the post and McRoberts and Deng spotting up and cutting, the makings of a successful offense is there. It won't be championship-quality as it once was, but it's not exactly on par with the post-LeBron Cavaliers, either.