Miami Heat know they can compete without LeBron James

Viewed through a narrow lens, a roster with Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Luol Deng, Josh McRoberts, Mario Chalmers, Udonis Haslem, Norris Cole, Chris Andersen, Danny Granger and Shannon Brown looks like a pretty good team.

But in the big picture, it's difficult to look at the 2014-15 Miami Heat and not notice that LeBron James — the All-Star who helped get them to four consecutive NBA Finals and win two championships — is no longer with the team after four intense, scrutinized and rewarding seasons.

As much as the Heat try to distance themselves from that special time, it will be difficult to avoid the James story line this season. The Heat wanted James to return and thought he might.

But that's not the entire story. Miami is a different team.

It's easy to notice the Heat appear more relaxed in training camp without the weight of James and championship expectations anchored to the team.

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Even Heat President Pat Riley has been spotted wearing jeans — not his usual pleated trousers and tasseled loafers.

But before James decided to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Heat were making changes, reaching deals with forwards McRoberts and Granger. When James' departure became official, the Heat went after and signed Deng.

They weren't interested in a long rebuilding process; re-signing Wade and Bosh was evidence of that, too.

Wade, Bosh and Deng — that's still pretty good. If things go the Heat's way, they might have a better, deeper bench.

"I don't think we're as talented as years past, and we're going to have to make up for it in toughness," Bosh says.

But there is always the core tenets.

"The Heat culture, the Heat code, that will remain the same," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra says. "Our standard and our expectations of what our organization is all about, that remains the same. That's one thing you can count on in a league where there's constant change."

LOOKING AT 'BLANK CANVAS'

Spoelstra said Miami's coaching staff and front office spent less than 10 minutes mulling the loss of James, then went to work on the new roster. He said they weren't deflated but invigorated by the challenge.

"You have to be able to coach different teams, different challenges," Spoelstra says, "and we're looking forward to this challenge."

Before James, the Heat won a title and established a culture and continuity. His arrival didn't make the franchise — it did give it two titles, no denying that — but his departure won't break it, either.

A commitment to defense is a given, and a renewed effort on defensive rebounding and sharing the ball are expected to be key components again. But Spoelstra won't pigeonhole Miami's style.

"I think it's a dangerous thing to try and plug in and attempt to fill in spots that are not there this year and try to make it the same team as last year. ... It's a new team," Spoestra says. "You have to be open to where this team can go and the direction and the roles.

"I'm looking at this as a blank canvas."

WHAT CAN WADE PROVIDE?

Miami is a high-quality basketball team that has the potential to get home-court advantage for at least the first round of the playoffs and maybe even the second round.

And let's get this out there right now: Who wouldn't want to see the Heat and the Cavs play in the Eastern Conference playoffs, perhaps in the conference semifinals or — even more appetizing — in the conference finals?

Before that happens, the Heat have questions to answer, starting with the status of Wade, who has been slowed and sidelined because of injuries the last few seasons.

Last season, Wade played in 54 games, missing several as part of a maintenance plan to decrease wear and tear on his knees. That might not be possible this season, and Wade understands that. Miami will rely heavily on him.

That means playing more games.

"My goal is to be available every day for my teammates and see what that equals out to," says Wade, who turns 33 in January. "Hopefully it equals out to success for myself, individually, but (also) for our team."

At one point during the James era, Wade said the Heat were his friend's team. But that was temporary. It's Wade's team again.

"It's a challenge once you get into a comfort zone and then say, 'You've got to switch,'" Wade says. "But that's just being the ultimate teammate and doing whatever you can to help your team win."

DEEP BENCH WILL HELP

Not that Spoelstra allows players to settle into comfort zones and remain there. He pushed James, Wade and Bosh to explore different parts of their games, and he is doing so again with Wade and Bosh this season.

After developing an outside game with the Heat, Bosh will try to be more versatile this season, playing inside and outside — shooting three-pointers, posting up, driving to the basket while facilitating as he often does.

His statistical averages dropped when Bosh, 30, came to the Heat from the Toronto Raptors — an average of 20.2 points in seven seasons with the Raptors to 17.3 in four seasons with Miami. But Spoelstra isn't looking for that Raptors' Bosh. He wants to see the "quintessential Chris Bosh."

"I can't wait to see CB grow into a new role," Spoelstra says. "Where he can really impact this team is starting, No. 1, with his leadership."

Mix in Deng's ability to play offense and defense.

"The qualities that he embodies are very similar to the Heat code and type of player we want here," Spoelstra says.

McRoberts, who can stretch the floor with his three-point shots, had a strong, much-appreciated year with the then-Charlotte Bobcats last season. But Spoelstra told him there is room to grow. Haslem and Andersen are tough. There is depth at point guard with Chalmers, Cole and rookie Shabazz Napier. Brown, at shooting guard, and Justin Hamilton, at center, add depth. If injury-plagued Granger provides anything of substance, it'll be a bonus.

And of course, there is Spoelstra, who probably didn't receive enough credit the last four seasons. But he can coach, and coaches and players around the league know that. In his first season as head coach, in 2008-09, he guided a team that won 15 games the season before under Riley to 43 wins and then 47 in 2009-10. He is on the cutting edge of offensive and defensive philosophies.

While it's known he challenges players, he also challenges himself. Spoelstra was a great coach in the making before James arrived, turned into a great one with James and should be expected to continue to be great in the post-James era.

The Heat aren't prohibitive favorites anymore. But to dismiss them from the conversation is a mistake.