NBA

NBA Watchability Rankings: No. 1 Miami Heat

Adi Joseph

USA TODAY Sports

USA TODAY Sports' Adi Joseph and Sean Highkin have spent the past 30 days leading into the start of the preseason Saturday counting down 2013-14 NBA teams based on how watchable they are for this season. The full rankings are all available below as we arrive at the final team on the list, the No. 1 Miami Heat:

2012-13 record: 66-16, won NBA Finals.

Adi Joseph's 2013-14 record projection: 61-21, second in Eastern Conference, win NBA Finals.

Two best players: SF LeBron James (26.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists a game, 56.5% shooting), SG Dwyane Wade (21.2 points, 5.1 assists, 5.0 rebounds a game, 52.1% shooting).

Overview: When Heat President Pat Riley brought James and Chris Bosh in to join Dwyane Wade in 2010, this is what he envisioned. The Heat have won consecutive championships (after losing in the 2011 Finals) and clearly cemented themselves as the team to beat entering this season. They won 27 games in a row at one point last year, but they spent this offseason continuing to build their roster. Coach Erik Spoelstra has taught this team to play together, while James has earned his third and fourth MVP awards on both ends of the court and is the favorite for another this year. When the Heat are playing well, when wings Ray Allen and Shane Battier are shooting well and big men Udonis Haslem and Chris Andersen are rebounding and point guards Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole aren't making mistakes, no one can beat them.

WHY YOU CAN'T MISS THEM

'Bron legacy: James is the best player in the NBA and has been for five years. There's no good way to refute that, and it's more obvious now than ever. But he said at Heat media day that he wants to be the best ever. And the crazy part is, he could go down as just that. He'll need a few more MVPs (his four put him behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Bill Russell) and championships (two isn't cutting it for that title). But James boasts the most impressive array of skills of any player in NBA history, and now the 28-year-old has a chance to impose his will. He knows it and even is willing to joke about where he'll stand.

Two hot to handle: Wade is one of eight active players with an NBA Finals MVP Award to his name. His aggressive style makes him one of the most dangerous scorers in the league, though it also is to blame for his persistent knee issues. Bosh is the overlooked member of the trio, but while he has sacrificed his statistics to help the team, he remains the most skilled big man in the NBA. These guys are easy to devalue in James' shadow. Don't.

Riley the Redeemer: Andersen, more commonly known as "Birdman," came to the Heat during the middle of last season with a deep closet of skeletons including an elaborate and weird Internet hoax. He proceeded to become an integral part of the championship run, shooting 80.7% (not a typo) in the playoffs. This year, Reilly has brought in his own former No. 2 overall draft pick, Michael Beasley, who has had off-court issues with drugs and a domestic violence charge but still has tremendous untapped potential, and Greg Oden, the constantly injured former No. 1 draft pick who has played 82 games in six years.

JUST TRY TO IGNORE ...

Deja vu: James, Wade and Bosh all hit free agency this offseason. Sound familiar? There's no doubt this offseason will loom large over the season's proceedings, but there's also no doubt speculating fans (particularly from the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers) will get overly excited about every single rumor and every frustrated glance or opaque quote James offers this year. We don't know what he'll do, and he smartly isn't discussing it. So let's try to enjoy the season first.

FOLLOW THE TWEETS

@MoneyMase: New Heat guard Roger Mason Jr. is author of perhaps the most controversial tweet in NBA history: The National Basketball Players Association vice president tweeted "Looking like a season. How u" during the heat of the 2011 NBA lockout, setting off a Twitter meme and optimism for fans. But even beyond that overall he's fantastic on Twitter, a great source of information from a smart and popular veteran.

@IraHeatBeat: Ira Winderman of the South Florida SunSentinel has covered the Heat since their 1988 inception. It suffices to say he's the senior member of a ridiculously deep beat group with plenty of great people to follow.

Nationally televised games (times p.m. Eastern):

Tuesday, Oct. 29 vs. Chicago Bulls, 8, TNT
Friday, Nov. 1 at Brooklyn Nets, 8, ESPN
Thursday, Nov. 7 vs. Los Angeles Clippers, 7, TNT
Wednesday, Nov. 27 at Cleveland Cavaliers, 7:30, ESPN
Thursday, Dec. 5 at Chicago Bulls, 9:30, TNT
Wednesday, Dec. 18 vs. Indiana Pacers, 7, ESPN
Wednesday, Dec. 25 at Los Angeles Lakers, 5, ABC
Thursday, Jan. 9 at New York Knicks, 8, TNT
Friday, Jan. 10 at Brooklyn Nets, 8, ESPN
Thursday, Jan. 23 vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 8, TNT
Sunday, Jan. 26 vs. San Antonio Spurs, 1, ABC
Wednesday, Jan. 29 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 7, ESPN
Saturday, Feb. 1 at New York Knicks, 8:30, ESPN
Wednesday, Feb. 5 at Los Angeles Clippers, 10:30, ESPN
Wednesday, Feb. 12 at Golden State Warriors, 10:30, NBATV
Thursday, Feb. 20 at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8, TNT
Sunday, Feb. 23 vs. Chicago Bulls, 3:30, ABC
Thursday, Feb. 27 vs. New York Knicks, 8, TNT
Thursday, March 6 at San Antonio Spurs, 8, TNT
Sunday, March 9 at Chicago Bulls, 1, ABC
Wednesday, March 12 vs. Brooklyn Nets, 7, ESPN
Sunday, March 16 vs. Houston Rockets, 3:30, ABC
Wednesday, March 26 at Indiana Pacers, 8, ESPN
Sunday, April 6 vs. New York Knicks, 1, ABC
Tuesday, April 8 vs. Brooklyn Nets, 8, TNT
Wednesday, April 9 at Memphis Grizzlies, 8, ESPN
Friday, April 11 vs. Indiana Pacers, 7:30, NBATV

NBA watchability rankings:

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