Miami Heat 1-on-1: Is the Eastern Conference really wide open?

And lastly, talk a little about how you think Miami will fair in the East, without LeBron James…

Mora: Like I previously mentioned, I think Miami can make a jump this year, but they aren’t there quite yet. Unfortunately, they have been plagued with injuries, especially losing Dion Waiters for basically two years and Whiteside then battling knee problems last season. They are considered a mediocre low seed team, maybe not even a playoff team at the moment, but they can prove themselves, especially with a healthy, young core. It also helps that they have solid veterans around them, including Goran Dragic, hopefully Udonis Haslem, and hopefully Dwyane Wade, alongside a hungry Waiters who is more than ready to prove himself after injury-prone seasons. They know how to play together and can surprise the East, but they have to put in the work and hopefully can emerge as a top contender. The good news is, with LeBron James off the map, the Heat no longer have to worry about the Cleveland Cavaliers, which is one less team to take care of in the playoff race.

Johnson: Las Vegas and ESPN foresee a similar team to last season: bottom of the Eastern Conference’s playoff race. But consider last season’s standings and apply them to this year. Without James, the Cavaliers are definitely not a playoff team. So, bump Miami up to fifth place and the Pacers up to fourth. In that series, Miami is much better equipped for an upset. The Pacers are less physical than the Sixers in the playoffs (19.3 free throws per game, compared to Philadelphia’s 28.3) and aren’t built to subdue the inside-out game of players like Kelly Olynyk or Dragic. James leaving the East only opened the floodgates for more teams to prosper. Subtracting a playoff team artificially boosts where each club falls in the standings, meaning the Heat may have access to more favorable matchups moving forward.

Let’s see how the East shakes out.