First off I want to say that this is not a ‘season preview' article...it's more just a little thinking out loud as training camp approaches.  There have been so many changes around the Eastern Conference this offseason that it's going to be amazingly difficult to predict where anyone outside of the top 3 will finish. 

As of now (September 8^th) the Heat haven't done a whole heck of a lot as far as adding depth or layers to their roster from last season.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as you have to consider the maturation of guys like Mario Chalmers, Daequan Cook and of course Michael Beasley into consideration.  All three should be much improved, which in itself is an upgrade to our roster. 

I strongly feel that despite not adding any major players, we will be a better team.  Mario Chalmers has been working especially hard all summer in an attempt to improve his all around game.  I expect him to show much better stamina which will keep him from hitting any late season walls, which was a problem last spring.  I'd like to see him moving his feet more on defense to go with his extremely active hands/arms, as it was a major problem for Chalmers getting beat off the dribble.  Granted, he is a much better defender then Chris Quinn, but as we all know that isn't saying much.

If you remember the first half of last season, one of the bright spots was the bench play of Daequan Cook.  He was the outside presence early on that the Heat lacked down the stretch and into the playoffs, and hopefully the experience of losing his touch in the 2^nd half will give him all the incentive to ensure that doesn't happen again this season.  His defense continued to improve, as did his shot selection...but the key will be playing a ‘full season' at a high level.  Many of our bench problems will be solved should Dae-Dae play 82 games at a high level.  I will get into this more as the season gets closer, but I see Cook as one of the big X-factors when considering how the Heat will finish in the Eastern Conference playoff race. 

Then, of course, there is Michael Beasley.  It's not secret the issues that he dealt with this summer, but some would say that they were blown a bit out of proportion.  I sincerely doubt that any of those ‘issues' will hinder him when training camp rolls around.  He is simply a young man who was likely overwhelmed with everything that comes with being a 19-year old that is suddenly an NBA star in the spotlight, with more money then you know what to do with. 

Beasley showed throughout the year the pure scoring ability that will likely make him an even bigger star as his career progresses, and despite his ‘issues' he has also been working very hard to improve his game this summer.  The main thing he needs to get better at is his post up game.  If he is going to be a successful power forward in this league he is going to need to play more with his back to the rim.  We already know how well he can shoot and drive the ball from the outside, which will make posting up easier when he can establish that part of his game. 

It will be interesting to see how these youngsters develop, but I reference Dwyane Wade when thinking about the timeline.  Wade ‘broke out' in his 3^rd year, but was still a force in his first two.  With Wade, he had to develop his outside shot, which has progressively gotten better with each passing year, and now he has gotten to the point where he is getting more confident shooting the 3-ball.

Its going to be the opposite with Beasley, who has shown he can drill jumpers with the best of them, but needs to be a bigger presence in the paint.  A main key will be in his rebounding.  His best games last year were usually attributed to great rebound efforts, which lead to 2^nd chance points and more offensive opportunities for Miami. 

Chalmers will need to improve his off the dribble defense and be able to play a full season at a high level.  The same can be said for Daequan.  If he can have a full season playing the way he did during the 1^st half of last year, we're already looking at a much-improved Heat squad without adding any new players.  I'm sure this is something that Pat Riley has thought about many times this offseason as he has done little to add depth to our roster. 

 I love the addition of Quentin Richardson, who should set a good defensive example and provide another scoring threat off the bench.  Combine that with a healthy James Jones and Jermaine O'Neal and we have a very formidable unit. 

Sure, it will be great to add a veteran guard to help mentor our young guys, and I'm sure Riley will make some kind of move before the season begins.  He seems to have a knack for making moves right before the season begins, and this year is shaping up to provide a similar roster move.  Still, we should be looking at a much-improved Heat team, and despite other teams swapping free agents, I wouldn't count the Heat out of the mix. 

Assuming that we don't get bit by the injury bug, and we get the kind of improvement out of our young guys that I am expecting, it is not crazy to think the Heat could win around 50 games this season.  For the handful of teams that look to be improved this year, there are still plenty of teams who have stayed the same or even taken a step back in the Eastern Conference.  Unfortunately, the way it works in the East is once we get into the Playoffs, making it out of the 2^nd round will be hard.  Considering what the Heat did with the roster they had last season, I firmly believe that we should have a better year then last.