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Miami Heat
Overall: 53
Title track: 26
Ownership: 72
Coaching: 43
Players: 39
Fan relations: 34
Affordability: 60
Stadium experience: 43
Bang for the buck: 88
Change from last year: -32
This Heat season isn't just the official end of the short-lived, high-intensity Big Three era. It's a whole new world. Dwyane Wade, who immediately made Miami relevant again and won three titles in 13 years, is gone. He was Miami's Kobe Bryant (without the final "Kobe contract" that would've kept him in Miami). Now this team is in the dreaded "rebuilding mode," one of Riley's least favorite terms, but there's a lot of young potential on board.
What's good
Wade or no Wade, those three championship banners are forever, so it's no surprise that the Heat's best ranking comes in title track (No. 26), a result of that success. Another longer-term impact of the success of Wade and the Big Three era? The establishment of a true fan base (at 34th, fan relations also shows well for Miami). The relationship between the Heat and their fans used to be similar to that of any other (non-football) team: Call us when you're championship-level good. But the defensive stance that came with cheering for the Big Three while the rest of the league despised them created a unity among Heat fans. It also required Miami's fans to be more basketball-savvy. Combine that with the Heat's constant efforts to engage fans, in person and digitally, and Miami fans might be able to get through this rebuild relatively unscathed.
What's bad
This one hurts for Miami. Heat owner Micky Arison has long been lauded as one of the best owners in the sport, and alongside Riley, he was considered a great balance of player-friendly, financially responsible and strong desire to win. But what happens when the biggest force in your sport, LeBron James, leaves surprisingly, franchise fixture Wade leaves emotionally wounded and then fan favorite Chris Bosh's medical situation turns contentious? It suddenly appears Arison & Co. are the bad guys -- hence the 65-spot drop in ownership to 72nd overall, Miami's worst ownership ranking in 14 years of these standings. The Heat might need some phenomenal free-agency success next summer to get Arison's reputation back on track.
What's new
With Wade off to Chicago and Bosh battling a blood clotting condition that Pat Riley announced would end his Heat career, it's no surprise that the Heat's biggest drop this year came from their roster: down 20 spots in players to 39th (the team's lowest ranking since 2010, before the Big Three began). But as mentioned, there's hope on this roster: Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic have great chemistry, and Justise Winslow has the potential to be an All-Pro defender.
Next: New Orleans Pelicans | Full rankings