Heat vs. Hornets, NBA playoffs 2016: Dwyane Wade will have to lead Miami past the surprising Hornets

The Miami Heat were considered one of the Cleveland Cavaliers' biggest threats in the East before the season started, only to see some chemistry issues in the backcourt and an illness to Chris Bosh diminish their potential.

Just when everyone was ready to give up on then, they managed to close the season strong and keep pace with the rest of the second-tier teams. Now as a third seed, they will have home court advantage against the surprising Charlotte Hornets, who are looking to get to the second round for the first time since the franchise's return to North Carolina.

One of the biggest reasons for the solid second half of the Heat's season was the play of Hassan Whiteside. Long criticized for his immaturity and stat-chasing, Whiteside settled for a bench role and worked on his free throw shooting to become one of the best reserves in the league. Not only did his numbers improve after the All-Star break, but also his impact at the team level. With Bosh out, he became the best big man on the roster and a two-way force.

Going by the numbers, Miami looks like a throwback team. They play slow, take few three-pointers and rely a little too heavily on Dwyane Wade in the half-court. Yet after Bosh went down, they found a new identity by playing small, with four perimeter players surrounding a lone big man. That gives them plenty of flexibility to switch on defense and has allowed Goran Dragic to push the pace a little more.

Their opponent has some similarities. The Hornets also start four perimeter players around a traditional big man, with Marvin Williams serving as their faux power forward. They play at a deliberate pace for the most part and emphasize defensive rebounding. The biggest difference in their styles is three-point shooting, which is essential for Charlotte. They launched over 29 per game during the regular season, good for fourth in the NBA, to Miami's paltry 18 a game.

Kemba Walker will lead the charge offensively. The Hornets' point guard is having a career year thanks to a much-improved shot. With Nicolas Batum and Jeremy Lin on the roster, he's been able to play off the ball more often and the results have been phenomenal. Depth has also been one of Charlotte's strengths, although it remains to be seen if it will be as useful in the playoffs as it was in the regular season.

Whiteside started the last three games of the regular season after playing off the bench for a while and will likely be on the court for tip-off to begin Game 1. The challenge for Cody Zeller and the rest of Charlotte's big men will be to keep him in check. At his best, Whiteside can control the paint on both ends, keeping plays alive with his offensive rebounding and using his shot blocking to deter drives.

The challenge, then, will be to limit his positive impact and take advantage of his weaknesses. The Hornets don't typically crash the offensive glass, but should allow their big to do so to take advantage of the times in which Whiteside gets out of position chasing blocks. If Frank Kaminsky and Spencer Hawes get minutes, they need to punish him from outside when he stays in the paint. Al Jefferson should go at his body and take advantage of the fact that he's a poor post defender.