Age, health biggest obstacles to Heat's potential success in 2015-16
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After finishing 37-45 in 2014-15, the Miami Heat failed reach a .500 record - not to mention the playoffs - for the first time in seven years.
But the team's failures last year weren't the result of a lack of effort - the team, while well-coached and disciplined - couldn't stave off injuries to key players.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra's units weren't able to punch a postseason ticket in an inferior Eastern Conference, so team president Pat Riley rolled up his proverbial sleeves in the offseason in hopes of bolstering his flawed roster.
The outcome: an improved slate of players and renewed hope for the upcoming season.
Related: 2015-16 NBA Season Preview: Miami Heat
While some pundits are tabbing the Heat as the biggest threat to last year's Finals runner-up, the Cleveland Cavaliers, two giant hurdles stand in the way of the Florida-based ball club: age and health.
Father Time is Undefeated
With the 2015-16 regular season just days away, the Heat have the NBA's oldest roster with an average age of 30.3, joining the San Antonio Spurs (30.1) as the only teams with an average over 30.
Entering his 13th pro season, Dwyane Wade has played 28,302 minutes, which excludes the 11-time All-Star's time with the U.S. Olympic team.
The mileage on the 33-year-old's body is considerable and shouldn't be overlooked by Spoelstra as he maps out his star player's workload.
With Wade and 31-year-old Chris Bosh being the highest-profile of Miami's elder statesmen, less decorated - yet still integral - pieces for which the clock is ticking include: Luol Deng (30), Amar'e Stoudemire (32), Udonis Haslem (35), and Chris Andersen (37).
Thus, the Heat's window of opportunity may not be open for much longer - though Riley's potential lottery steal, Justise Winslow, brightens the franchise's outlook some. Regardless, urgency should be item No. 1 on Spoelstra's 2015-16 agenda.
Fighting the Inevitable Injury Bug
Likely compounded by the taxing effects of playing so much for so long, Wade's health - or lack thereof - has become a challenge in recent years.
Wade has never played a full season's worth of games, with his career-low - 51 games - occurring twice during his mid-20s.
A look at Wade's history reveals a litany of ailments, forcing him to miss significant periods: same-day surgeries for shoulder and knee injuries in 2007, a strained calf and bruised foot in 2011, another knee surgery in 2012, back spasms and leg pain in 2013-14, and a hamstring issues last season.
Bosh's own health scare - blood clots - sidelined the two-time champ for the latter half of 2014-15, making his solid season stats (21.1 points on 37.5 3-point percentage, seven rebounds, and 19.8 PER) in the first year of the post-LeBron James era all but moot.
Bosh received treatment for the blood clots and has since been cleared to return to action, performing well through five preseason games.
Reserves Stoudemire and Josh McRoberts have had their share of bumps and bruises as well - McRoberts tore his meniscus in December and missed the majority of the season, while "STAT" has likely missed more games due to injury over the course of his career than his teammates combined.
Heating Up?
With the leadership of Goran Dragic, emergence of Hassan Whiteside, and addition of Stoudemire, Winslow, and Gerald Green, Miami is a legitimate top-tier squad.
While neither Riley nor Spoelstra can control time and, consequently, the advanced age of their players, the long-term health of each on-court contributor is paramount to the franchise's success.
How these two undeniable factors play out - and how the team navigates them - will determine the Heat's ability to re-establish its postseason presence and league-wide respectability.