LeBron James will not be in the Miami Heat roster next season, but most analysts are still convinced that the team will be one of the contenders in the Eastern Conference next season.
The Heat, who won the Eastern Conference title in the past four seasons, will lean heavily on their new big three - Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng - along with new role players like Josh McRoberts and Danny Granger.
According to a Miami Heat roster preview from Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, Bosh, who signed a new five-year deal worth $118 million this summer, will be the main man on offense.
Bosh is considered as one of the best-scoring power forwards in the league, but the 30-year-old has been a third option over the past four seasons behind James and Wade. Things are expected to change in the 2014-15 NBA season for Bosh, who averaged 16.2 points and 6.6 rebounds last season.
"Expect to see much more of Bosh on the offensive end this year," Kennedy wrote in the Miami Heat roster preview. "With James no longer around to lead the team in scoring and attempts, Miami will need Bosh to step up and remind everyone that he averaged 22.3 points or better in his last five seasons with the Toronto Raptors."
Kennedy also believes that McRoberts, who signed a four-year deal worth $23 million in July, could also be a major factor for the Heat next season, especially if he can play like the way he did over the past two seasons.
McRoberts, the 37th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, had an impressive all-around contribution for the Charlotte Hornets over the past two years, especially last season where he averaged 8.5 points to go along with 4.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 78 games.
The 27-year-old forward could have bigger responsibility next season especially if Wade and Deng struggle to remain healthy next season, Kennedy wrote in the Miami Heat roster update.
Wade was used sparingly last season to take care of his ailing knee, playing in just 54 regular-season games where he averaged 19.0 points and 4.5 rebounds, while Deng only played in 63 games with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers.
