“Not one, not two, not three, not four….etc.” We all remember the infamous introductory party speech the Miami Heat held in the summer of 2010. LeBron James and Chris Bosh had decided to take their talents to South Beach, flipping the sporting world upside down. Not only did both stars abandon their respective teams, they guaranteed championships.

Guaranteeing wins is one thing, championships are a whole different story. But the “Big Three” did what they said they were going to do… well… kind of. They won two championships in four years. Say what you want about the Eastern Conference being “weak”, but they made the NBA Finals four straight times. They accomplished a lot, but now four years later things, have quickly changed.

The Miami Heat embarrassed themselves in the 2014 NBA Finals. James decided to return to Cleveland. (Yeah Joakim, I guess some people actually do like Cleveland) And the Heat were left sitting in the dark.

James left, and Bosh was in the process of putting on a Houston Rockets jersey. James Harden, Dwight Howard and Bosh teaming up in Houston would have created the “Big Three of the West.” Bosh could have had his own homecoming in Houston.

Pat Riley couldn’t let that happen. He wasn’t prepared to let two of his stars leave, so he overpaid for Bosh. He re-signed him to a 5-year, $118 million dollar deal in an effort to save the Heat from face planting. Dwyane Wade re-signed as well, but that’s not good enough for Heat fans.

James is gone, so now there’s no reason to go to the games right? Wrong. First of all most fans didn’t even go to games anyway, but don’t forget about Wade and Bosh.

Before the idea circulated that you needed to have three max players to win a championship, there were plenty of dynamic duos. Two star players can get the job done, and Bosh is more valuable than most think.

Before LeBron and his arrival, Wade was the star. Let’s not forget Wade is a three time NBA Champion and has a lot to prove this upcoming season. He has taken on great criticism due to his health and will look to answer those critics that question how much he has left in the tank.

Bosh also has a lot to prove. He will look to display his talent like he did during his Toronto Raptor days. Bosh is an excellent perimeter defender and is able to use his quickness and agility to his advantage. He has also improved his shooting touch. Miami’s duo will be able to work the two man pick and pop. Opponents have to respect his shot as he is capable of hitting mid-range and three point jumpers.

The Heat also added a few new faces this offseason. Luol Deng, a two time All-Star, played ten seasons with the Chicago Bulls. He holds career averages of 16 ppg and 6.3 rpg. He is best known for his defense. Deng and Bosh together will be a force to be reckoned with on the defensive side of the ball. We all know the famous phrase, “defense wins championships.”

The Heat also added veterans Josh McRoberts and Danny Granger. McRoberts is coming off a breakout year with the Charlotte Hornets, as he averaged career highs of 8.5 ppg and 4.8 rpg.

Danny Granger will look to get back to his Indiana Pacers days as a weapon that can space the floor. Granger has battled injuries the past few seasons and has struggled to find a rhythm.

Per James’ request, the Miami Heat also drafted Shabazz Napier. Napier had an amazing college career and will add a new source of depth to the Heat roster.

Yes, the loss of James hurts tremendously but all is not lost. Almost every player on the team has playoff experience which they can use to their advantage once they get there. The Heat will play with a chip on their shoulder as each player wants to prove that they can be successful without James.

Will the Heat reach the NBA Finals next year? Probably not. Will they be a competitive team in the East? Most definitely. For that, Heat fans should be excited what this team has to offer next season.