11. Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a team that I expect to take a bit of a step back in the Eastern Conference. Based on this initial ranking, I think it’s fair to say that the Heat will be entering the season as the fourth or fifth-best team in the conference. After finishing with the top seed last year, I think that would quantify as taking a step back.
And it’s not just about the loss of PJ Tucker. Sure, losing Tucker (especially to the Sixers) will hurt the Heat. In fact, when it all went down it was pretty surprising. But it goes well beyond that for the Heat.
It’s also that they didn’t make any upgrades this offseason after it was clear they were a piece away from being true championship contenders. Couple that with a handful of other contenders in the East improving their roster and it’s easy to see where Miami failed this summer.