Miami Heat off to 8-1 start
The Heat (8-1) holds the best record in the NBA and leads the league in scoring and field-goal percentage. It seems the juggernaut that everyone envisioned when Pat Riley combined the talents of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade finally is taking shape.
Even with Wade missing significant time with a foot injury, the Heat has maintained a level of excellence that seemed unlikely for any team considering the shortened training camp and grueling demands of a truncated, 66-game schedule. Familiarity among teammates, points in the paint and the transition game have all been contributing factors to the Heat’s dominance to begin the season. Oh, and one other thing: James has been playing like he invented the game.
But whereas it’s easy to point to the Heat’s offensive superlatives for its early success, the team’s company line remains unsurprisingly consistent. Its ethos is defense, and, given a rare practice day amid this hellish schedule, you had better believe that’s where Spoelstra will focus his energy.
-- Miami Herald
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