The Miami Heat won the NBA title last season. They added one dude who shoots really, really well and another who used to back when he played for the Orlando Magic. They lost Eddy Curry, which surely means quite a bit, but perhaps even improved since last season, especially when considering that LeBron seems to have fully realized his potential for creating nightmares.

Doc Rivers understands the talent stockpiled in Los Angeles and the youthful awesomeness in Oklahoma City, but still believes the Heat are the NBA’s best team. (NESN)

“Philly, Atlanta, you can go down the list. There’s a lot of good teams in the East,” he said. “We’re going to have to get through them all to get where we want to go, but the best team in the NBA is Miami. I think, the East and the West, they should be on everyone’s mind.”

According to the Boston Herald, Miami’s preseason game against the Clippers played on Rivers’ office television while he prepared for Thursday’s practice. The Herald writes that he was trying to see if Miami had added any new sets (maybe some to highlight their new sharpshooter), but Rivers said he didn’t pay close attention.

“I was doing our stuff but it was on and I kept glancing up,” Rivers said. “I didn’t really watch it, but it was on in my office while they were playing.”

It’s been on in Boston a lot. Rivers has said he mentions the Heat every day, and Jason Terry said he wants to rip the Heat’s heads off because Rivers has made the Celtics watch so much Miami film.

Eighteen days until opening night.