The Heat made a series of moves this offseason that will make their title defense more of a palatable endeavor when the 2012/13 season begins this fall. While the Heat should have minimal trouble returning to the NBA Finals, barring injury, the true test will be the presumed showdown with the Lakers in June, who appear to be favorites in the West thanks to their acquisition of Dwight Howard. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel examines a potential Finals matchup between Los Angeles and Miami…
- Winderman says the Heat wouldn't have pursued a big like Marcus Camby even if the trade for Howard took place earlier in the summer. The difference between Andrew Bynum and Howard on the offensive end of things isn't as much as people give Superman credit for as he heads West. The biggest issue in a Finals matchup would be the Lakers' ability to stop LeBron James.
- The notion that the Lakers have more size than the Heat and therefore will win the battle of the boards doesn't ring true for Winderman. He says the Heat have the ability to put a big lineup on the court with Chris Bosh playing center and James at power forward. The issue for the Heat, however, may be their lack of brawn as compared to the Lakers.
- Look for Mavs owner Mark Cuban to make some sort of public comment about the rich getting richer with regard to the Lakers acquiring Howard, says Winderman.