The Heat has started this season with a blaze, winning five of seven away games and three of four at home. Only the Atlanta Hawks have beaten Miami at home 100-92, and only Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers have beaten them on the road. The Warriors beat them 111-106 in overtime and theClippers beat them 95-89.

The Heat, however, managed to avenge their Hawks defeat only three days later  with a 116-109 win in triple overtime.

What made this victory so significant was the absence of "Big Three" stars Dwyane Wade and Lebron James. They have scored over 100 points in eight of their games, despite the loss of Wade for three games on the road. They are now in second place in the Eastern Conference behind the 9-2 Chicago Bulls, who they will play at home on January 29, 2012.

Despite the early success, there is still concern about team cohesion. How will the coaching staff manage player rotation to get maximum performance?

It is clear that Miami's point guard situation has improved greatly this year, but the team will need to trust both guard Mario Chalmers and rookie point guard Norris Cole to set the game's tempo. That means more touches for the point guards and less for Wade and Lebron. Without this re-balancing of skills, the Heat may again fail to bring the trophy home to South Beach.