2007-08 Miami Heat
Miami wants to come back strong after a disappointing ’06-’07 season, and are being proactive in moving forward. They lost their breakout shooter Jason Kapono to the Raptors, but got a much needed point guard in Smush Parker. They also added veteran Penny Hardaway, probably in an attempt to improve Shaq’s game, as it was definitely lacking in ’06 due to age and injuries. They have a presence on the front line with Udonis Haslem, who shot 50% in 06-07. Shaq, however, is another story. He only played 40 games last season, and his numbers continue to go down, making fans wonder if his playing justifies his salary. Star player Dwayne Wade is set for two surgeries in the off-season. At full strength, he is unstoppable – and if Shaq gets his act together, ticket buyers can definitely expect Magic on the court.
Previous Seasons
Shaquille O’Neal and Dwayne Wade, two of the NBA’s elite players, have joined forces to make Miami Heat tickets hot commodities throughout the league. Anytime O’Neal steps onto the court at the American Airlines Arena the Heat have the ability to beat anyone in the league, including Eastern Conference heavyweights like the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers. But the Heat haven’t always been hot. Like any expansion franchise, they experienced their fair share of ups and downs.
Miami, Florida entered the NBA via expansion in 1988. The team was named the Miami Heat following a contest that allowed fans to help choose the moniker. The Heat logo is a fiery basketball entering a hoop with the team name underneath.
The Miami Heat suffered through a terrible start in their first year by losing their first 17 games. It would be the middle of December before Heat fans could celebrate a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The expansion blues held the Heat to 15 wins in their inaugural season.
Having taken Ronnie Seikaly in the entry draft their first year, The Heat added to their roster with Michigan’s Glenn Rice, a 6’ 8” guard, and Sherman Douglas of Syracuse, a 6’ 1” guard. The team improved marginally, but only improved their win total to 18, although Seikaly was chosen most improved player. Seikaly led the team with a 16.6 points per game average while Rice put up 13.6. The steady improvement continued through Year 3 as the Miami Heat won 24 games.
