MIAMI, Fla. – LeBron James chose to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers over the Miami Heat as a free agent this summer; however, the league’s oldest player believes the South Florida franchise will be “damn good” this season.

In a recent episode of the Mind the Game podcast, hosted by the 22-time All-Star and Hall of Famer Steve Nash, they previewed what is to come over the next several months of NBA basketball. When discussing the Heat’s offseason transactions, James broke it down into three categories:

The Heat prioritize defense more than anything else; a philosophy first installed when Pat Riley arrived at South Florida in 1996. Head coach Erik Spoelstra has carried it on since leading the sidelines in 2008. The Heat have two of the league’s top defenders in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. Davion Mitchell is a standout defensive guard and Andrew Wiggins is versatile, guarding multiple positions.

“I think defensively, they’re going to be damn good,” James said. “You look at Wiggins, Bam, Giannis, and Davion – guys that hang their hats on [defense].”

The Heat should be among the best at protecting the rim with Antetokounmpo and/or Adebayo defending the paint. They can guard the perimeter too.

It’s no secret that having a superstar like Antetokounmpo, it delivers a bigger emphasis on adding three-point shooters to the roster. The Heat had established options in Wiggins, Mitchell, and Pelle Larsson while adding Klay Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency, plus re-signing Simone Fontecchio.

Bobby Portis Jr., who was part of the Antetokounmpo deal, is another floor spacer.

Adebayo’s offense has expanded behind the arc over the last three years – shooting a combined 33.3 percent.

“We know with Giannis, he needs space,” James said. “That’s when he’s really good. He has guys around him that create space.”

Spoelstra is still one of the most unique minds in all professional sports. He has experience in coaching superstars and putting new pieces together. Spoelstra is one of the best head coaches in the league at maximizing talent. He made the most with a rotation consisting of Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, Caleb Martin, Duncan Robinson, and Haywood Highsmith – all undrafted prospects.

Although the 55-year-old has not won Coach of the Year, it doesn’t discredit as a future Hall of Famer. Spoelstra will utilize several different lineups and plays throughout the season. He will have 31 nationally televised opportunities to showcase them.

James is very familiar with how Spoelstra operates and adjusts on the fly throughout games.

The Heat have championship aspirations this season; the same goes for the league’s all-time leading scorer with the Sixers. It could be an Eastern Conference Finals matchup down the road.

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