Miami Heat: 5 reasons they will make the playoffs in 2017-18

Buoyed by their strong finish to last season, here are five reasons the Miami Heat will make the playoffs in season 2017-18.

There are many reasons to be optimistic if you’re a fan of the Miami Heat in season 2017-18.

First of all, their transformation over the course of last season certainly made an impression across the league. Having ranked 29th in offensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions) with a rating of 100.6 through their first 41 games, the Heat flipped the switched by recording an offensive rating of 109.7 in the back half of the season.

In the process, an 11-30 record became 41-41 by season’s end, narrowly missing out on the postseason action in the process. But although they came up just short, the confidence and self-belief derived from this scintillating 30-11 run is sure to hold the Heat in good stead moving forward.

So come the offseason, it came as no surprise that the Heat extended their two key free agents to four-year contracts. Guard Dion Waiters finally began to demonstrate the potential that made him the No. 4 overall pick in 2013. The other was forward James Johnson, a journeyman prior to last season, who found a home for himself by displaying a skill-set not many thought he was capable of producing.

The other major signing of the summer was the addition of free agent Kelly Olynyk. A seven-footer with the ability to stretch the floor, Olynyk was also signed to a four-year deal, and will provide the Heat with a real point difference in their frontcourt rotation.

And this is all without mentioning the Heat’s two leading players in point guard Goran Dragic and center Hassan Whiteside, each coming off excellent seasons. So with training camp just around the corner, here are five prime reasons the Heat will make the playoffs in 2017-18.