The Heat had just completed their season with a 42-40 record, strikingly similar to this past season. And like this past season, the Heat featured a roster filled with exciting and up-and-coming players. Aside from rookie Dwayne Wade, the Heat featured 24-year-old Lamar Odom, an incredibly versatile forward playing his first season in Miami.
Also, Caron Butler was in just his second year in the league, having been the Heat’s first round selection in the 2002 draft. However, despite the team’s considerable upside in reaching the second round of the playoffs, team president Pat Riley was always thinking of the bigger picture.