Miami Heat stars Shaquille O'Neal, left, and Dwyane Wade are shooting for a second straight NBA championship (David J. Phillip/Associated Press)

On the surface, the Miami Heat’s victory last season at the National Basketball Association finals in June seemed to reaffirm an age-old trend in pro basketball: The team with the best two players often ends up winning championships.

Certainly mammoth centre Shaquille O’Neal and fearless guard Dwyane Wade are among the top players in the NBA.

But it was Wade and not O’Neal who was the real difference in the finals against the Dallas Mavericks, and his performance highlighted a fundamental way the league has changed in just a few short years. Now, more than ever, speed wins over size.

Victoria, B.C.’s Steve Nash won his second MVP award and led the speed renaissance in Phoenix. Kobe Bryant – one of the quickest players in all of basketball off the dribble – led the league in scoring and scored 81 points on the Toronto Raptors, the highest single-game total since Wilt Chamberlain notched 100 points in 1962. And Wade’s quickness off the dribble made him unstoppable in the finals, allowing him to draw fouls at will and attempt an average of 16 free throws a game.

The rest of the league has taken notice, and even defensive-minded teams such as the Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies are promising to unshackle their offence and get out and run.

Here then is a breakdown of the teams on the road to the NBA Finals, competing in a race likely to be won by the quick.

THE FAVOURITES

Miami Heat
2005-06 Record and Result: 52-30, won NBA Finals
Starting five: Jason Williams, Dwyane Wade, James Posey, Udonis Haslem, Shaquille O’Neal
Outlook: The perception of the Miami Heat is that, outside of Wade, they are too old to continue to compete at the highest level. But although O’Neal is 34 and his backup, Alonzo Mourning, is 36, many of the Heat are still in their prime, including Posey, Haslem and sixth man Antoine Walker. And should the aging centres falter, third-string youngster Earl Barron was impressive in summer league. Head coach Pat Riley’s greater task is continuing to motivate sulky players including Walker and Gary Payton without the carrot of a chance to win their first championship. Wade, whose competitiveness is already inspiring comparisons with Michael Jordan, likely won’t need extra motivation.

Dallas Mavericks
2005-06 Record and Result: 60-22, lost NBA Finals to Miami
Starting five: Jason Terry, Devin Harris, Josh Howard, Dirk Nowitzki, Erick Dampier
Outlook: After blowing a 2-0 lead to Miami in the finals, Dallas hardly rested on their laurels this summer. Gone are guards Marquis Daniels and Darrell Armstrong and forward Keith Van Horn. Replacing them are guards Anthony Johnson and Maurice Ager and forwards Austin Croshere and Devean George. The upgrade in athleticism adds to what was arguably the deepest team in the NBA. But Dallas is no guarantee to return to the finals in the Western conference, where many of the league’s elite teams still reside. And to finally win a title, Dirk Nowitzki will have to shake off the perception that he failed to produce when it mattered the most.

The Phoenix Suns are a threat with two-time reigning NBA most valuable player, Steve Nash, leading the charge.

Phoenix Suns
2005-06 Record and Result: 54-28, lost to Dallas in Western Conference finals
Starting five: Steve Nash, Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire
Outlook: Last year the Suns showcased the most exciting, high-scoring team in the league, and they did it without the injured Stoudemire who, when healthy, is the most explosive post player in the league. Helping to ease the loss was the emergence of Diaw, a rare talent capable of distributing the ball like a point guard and guarding centres under the basket. This summer the team added guard Marcus Banks, whose relentless full-court pressure might help rest Nash while it tires Phoenix’s opponents. But the big addition is the return of Stoudemire who, if healthy, might finally help this team translate their regular-season success into playoff results.

San Antonio Spurs
2005-06 Record and Result: 63-19, lost to Dallas in Western Conference semifinals
Starting five: Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Bruce Bowen, Tim Duncan, Francisco Elson
Outlook: The Spurs have been for many seasons the antithesis of the fast-break Phoenix Suns; a super-sized, deliberate and incredibly successful team micromanaged by coach Greg Popovich and built around Duncan, the league’s most efficient big man. But last year the team began to open up a fast-break offence, utilizing the open-court skills of their European-trained guards Parker and Ginobili. This summer they let centres Rasho Nesterovic and Nazr Mohammed go to Toronto and Detroit respectively, a sign that size is no longer as important to them. With few long-term additions to the team, the three-time NBA champions appear to be reloading for a run at free agents in 2007. Yet even if that is their intent, they remain a dangerous team capable of winning it all.

ON THE RISE

Chicago Bulls
2005-06 Record and Result: 41-41, lost in Eastern Conference first round to Miami Heat
Starting five: Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Andres Nocioni, Ben Wallace
Outlook: No team made a bigger splash in the offseason than the Chicago Bulls, who pried Detroit’s heart and soul, Ben Wallace, away with a four-year, $60-million US contract. But Chicago didn’t stop there, shipping underachieving centre Tyson Chandler to New Orleans for workmanlike big man PJ Brown and adding a stable of young, long-armed athletes such as Tyrus Thomas, Viktor Khyrapa and Thabo Sefolosha to further frustrate opponents. With a core of young talent already in place, Chicago’s additions make them legitimate contenders. The only question is which player will be the team’s go-to-scorer in the playoffs. Clearly it won’t be Wallace, a player as awful on offence as he is a dominant on defence.

Orlando Magic
2005-06 Record and Result: 36-46, missed playoffs
Starting five: Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu, Grant Hill, Dwight Howard, Tony Battie
Outlook: Few teams finished the season with the promise of the Magic, who won 16 of their last 20 games with a roster oozing with young talent. Leading the way is Howard, who at 20 years of age is already one of the league’s best post players. Last year’s trade with Detroit also brought Puerto Rican point guard Carlos Arroyo and Serbian big man Darko Milicic, two young players who add offensive firepower to the bench. Whether former star Grant Hill can overcome his seemingly annual bout of injuries and contribute, the Magic appear to be a team on the rise.

ON A SLIDE

Detroit Pistons
2005-06 Record and Result: 64-18, lost in Eastern Conference final to Miami
Starting five: Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace, Nazr Mohammed
Outlook: The loss of Wallace in free agency was a huge blow to Detroit, especially after the team had traded promising big man Darko Milicic to Orlando to clear salary cap room for him. Detroit recovered by taking Mohammed from San Antonio and sparkplug guard Ronald “Flip” Murray from Cleveland, but this appears to be a team in search of an identity. Last year’s new coach Flip Saunders brought more imagination to the offence but didn’t have the same intensity as former coach Larry Brown. The result was a disappointing playoff loss for a team many considered the favourite to win it all. The returning four starters and sixth man Antonio McDyess still have the talent to challenge Cleveland and Chicago for the top spot in the central division, but Detroit can no longer be considered a favourite.

Memphis Grizzlies
2005-06 Record and Result: 49-33, lost in Western Conference first round to Dallas
Starting five: Damon Stoudamire, Eddie Jones, Rudy Gay, Pau Gasol, Jake Tsakalidis
Outlook: When the Grizzlies traded hustling forward Shane Battier to Houston for intriguing rookie Rudy Gay and forward Stromile Swift, many hailed it as a move that would pay long-term dividends. But the maturation of Gay may have to occur sooner rather than later after All-Star forward Pau Gasol broke his foot helping Spain win the gold medal at the 2006 World Basketball Championships. With Gasol out, Battier gone and coach Mike Fratello attempting to install an up-tempo offence, Memphis is a long-shot to return to the playoffs in the competitive Western Conference.

THE DARK HORSES

At only 21 years old, scary-good superstar LeBron James is still improving. (Associated Press)

Cleveland Cavaliers
2005-06 Record and Result: 50-32, lost in Eastern Conference semi final to Detroit
Starting five: Eric Snow, Larry Hughes, LeBron James, Drew Gooden, Zydraunus Ilgauskas
Outlook: Cleveland didn’t do as much as Chicago or Dallas to add to their roster, but the already otherworldly LeBron James is only 21 years old and bound to improve. With another year together, his supporting cast should be more up to the challenge of playing to his level. Hughes missed half of last year with a broken finger and will be counted on to share the scoring burden, and the strong bench featuring former Toronto Raptor Donyell Marshall was further augmented by the additions of veterans David Wesley, Scot Pollard and rookie guard Shannon Brown.

Houston Rockets
2005-06 Record and Result: 34-48, missed playoffs
Starting five: Rafer Alston, Bonzi Wells, Tracy McGrady, Shane Battier, Yao Ming
Outlook: On paper, the Rockets are an elite team. But keeping stars McGrady and Yao healthy and on the court at the same time was the problem last season and remains a concern. To bolster the squad, the Rockets made the bold trade to add Battier, added guard Vassilis Spanoulis – the best player on Greece’s silver-medal winning world championship squad – and talented but disruptive swingman Bonzi Wells. Those additions should put Houston closer to the 51 wins they earned in the 2004-05 season. How far they advance in the playoffs will depend on their point guards, where the quixotic Alston will battle last year’s rookie Luther Head for the job.