ESPN analyst Jalen Rose shared his thoughts on the playoffs Thursday during a teleconference with reporters and I participated.

Here's the first one I tossed Jalen's way and the others related to the Heat. Note: Our Barry Jackson has a Hassan Whiteside related question on his blog.

Q: The Heat and Hornets both finished 48-34, split the season series and appear destined for a good first round series. Which team advances and why?

Rose: "First off I'm happy for the Hornets -- in particular Kemba Walker. Watching him win the championship in college and be clutch and still continue to mature in the league and become one of the better one-on-one players, a 20-point scorer and basically be their best player in leading them to the playoffs -- I appreciate his progress, as well the versatility of Nicolas Batum. Al Jefferson has played well recently. Is he going to be able to do that in the playoffs?

"But I'm also excited on the other side to see Dwyane Wade who has been healthy for the most part this year, played [74] games this season. The addition of Joe Johnson, his versatility whether its posting up, playing one-on-one. The young fella [Hassan] Whiteside coming off the bench, getting a double-double, getting blocks. I like to see him Al go against one another. I really like how [Heat coach Erik] Spoelstra has developed his young players and turned them into rotation players on the fly. And I do give Miami the edge to advance in this series."

Q: What kind of threat would the Heat pose against the Cleveland Cavaliers?

Rose: "Besides the obvious Golden State and Spurs the individual intriguing series I'm looking forward to would be that one. Just because of the dynamic that's going to have to play out. That's something that we as fans really wanted to see every time the Cavs went back to Miami and imparticular the last time when they got blownout and LeBron [James] was fraternizing with D-Wade during the game and then talking to Coach [Lue], talking to the general manager afterward. He's basically played great basketball since. So the great thing that's going to have to happen for the Cavs to advance is there's going to have to be a hatred. There's going to have to be a dislike that LeBron's going to have to carry against his former jersey that he hasn't and against his brother brother Dwyane Wade and against the team he won two championships with. And vice-versa. I'm really fascinated to see how it's going to play out. Because Wade, if the Heat were losing by 25, if he was down there fraternizing with LeBron, I don't know who would have gotten to him first between Pat [Riley] or Spo."

Q: Heat fans seem to be split on Goran Dragic. Do you think he's a good fit for them and if so how is he going to do in the playoffs?

Rose: "I do [think he's a good fit] because he's a smart basketball player, a crafty lefty, can finish in the paint, finish at the hoop, make midrange shots and even make threes when he gets going. He can be a really effective offensive player and he's a willing passer. But he was playing different in Phoenix when they play four around one, sometimes five guys on the three-point line whereas Miami plays more traditional, more conventional. Wade's not a three-point shooter. Deng can shoot, but he's a driver. Winslow's not a three-point shooter. They are one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the entire league. That in itself surpresses the floor -- based on what he's used to playing and seeing as a point guard.

"But now I like the way they're using him inside pick and rolls situations where he has a live dribble to get to the paint or throw a lob to Whiteside. And also using besides pick and rolls, drive the middle with his left hand. I think he's been a lot better recently. It's also tough when you get a new contract and you weren't necessarily a franchise caliber player or even an All-Star. And a lot of Heat nation is probably saying 'Why are we paying this guy $80 million? You never get what you deserve only what you leverage to negotiate. He probably won't live up to being an All-Star in the East. But I do think he's effective enough to help them get to the Eastern Conference Finals this year."

Q: What will Dwyane Wade's legacy rank among active shooting guards?

Rose: "I'll put him in a separate category than the young upstarts like James Harden, Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler because he's done it longer. The longevity is there, the championships are there and he's a lot more accomplished. They are asked to a lot more for their teams. So, if we were taking who would we draft going forward you would probably take one of those guys because they're younger, healthier and all the stuff that comes with youth. But Dwyane Wade is still playing at an All-Star level. He's played in 70 games for probably the third time in his career. I like what I'm seeing from him headed into the playoffs. I like the way he's been able to change his game, not shooting as many threes, still driving to the basket, still getting contact, still finishing. Not only from midrange, but he still has bounce in his jumpshot. I really like what I'm seeing from him. I'm expecting him and Joe Johnson to lead the Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals."

Q: In your opinion what do you think Miami is still missing on their roster, or is it just going to come down to the development of Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson?

Rose: "Well, that's what's so unfortunate about Chris Bosh being out, because if they had Bosh, I would flip a coin in Game 7 to say who would win between them and the Cavs. It would be that close to me. So I think it's remarkable how Pat has rebuilt the roster. Look at what happened to the Cavs when LeBron left. They were the worst team in the league, and there's a reason why they got the No. 1 overall pick. So LeBron leaving, while he wanted to go home and play, the undercurrent for that was I probably have a bigger upside winning championships with [Kevin] Love and Kyrie [Irving]. So for what they've done with their roster, they are in position right now if they had Bosh to go with Joe Johnson, but without Bosh in the lineup, the obvious thing is their three‑point shooting needs help. But other than that, it's just unfortunate that he's not going to be healthy, especially if they end up going against the Cavs."