While it isn’t official until the players and owners both vote on the proposal, it appears the NBA lockout will finally end, and there will be a 2011-12 season to be played. The Miami Heat are more than ready for that to happen, and according to the latest article by AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds, are ready to pounce on available free agents to make sure they’re stocked for another title run.

Heat President Pat Riley is definitely set to make a splash and do his best to fortify his club for whatever awaits them this coming year. As Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald reports in his latest piece, Riley is set to fill whatever holes—perceived or otherwise—the South Florida club may have.

“We go in every day and we’re ready to hit the ground running,” Riley said.

Last season, after re-signing Dwyane Wade(notes) and wooing LeBron James(notes) and Chris Bosh(notes) to South Beach, the Heat fell just short of winning the second NBA championship in franchise history; falling to the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals 4-2 in what was one of the most exciting and successful pro basketball postseasons in recent memory. It seemed the entire nation was bent on seeing Miami go down in defeat. Many of them felt the Heat had unfairly conspired (although there was no evidence to back up such claims) to get those three players together on the same club, and looked to Dallas to end Miami’s magical run through the playoffs.

They got what they desired in the end—although I still contend that only happened because of the help of the refs—and all seemed right with the world.

However, the league’s inability to reach an agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) eventually led to a lockout that has lasted up till now, and seriously jeopardized the 2011-12 season; nearly destroying all of the good will the league had built with their exciting and fantastic 2010-11 season. The NBA was forced to cancel numerous games, and even with the recent agreement (which again, still has not been formalized) there will only be a truncated campaign to look forward to.

According to this article by the Associated Press, the NBA posted an outline of what the year’s schedule would possibly look like on its Twitter pages on Sunday, Nov. 27, with the hopes being of having a 66-game regular season ending approximately 10 days later than it usually would. That would require teams to play at least one set of three-consecutive games (back-to-back-to-back) and would see the season begin on Christmas Day; when the Heat are scheduled to take on the Mavericks in a rematch of last season’s Finals.

While many (including myself) are interested in the details and specifics of the new agreement—as laid out by Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski in his latest piece—the vast majority of fans around the country are simply content and happy there will actually be a season. To them, it’s not important what split of the Basketball Related Income (BRI) the owners or players get. To them, it’s meaningless in many ways what the maximum salaries or annual salary increases will be for the players. To them, how much of each player’s salary will be held in escrow doesn’t make a difference.

They simply want to see basketball played, and I can fully understand that.

They want to see Kobe Bryant(notes) jacking up threes at the buzzer to win games. They want to see Derrick Rose(notes) and Chris Paul(notes) make amazing drives to the hoop or dazzling no-look passes to their teammates for easy baskets. They want to see Dirk Nowitzki(notes) throwing up a floater from 15-18 feet as his defender helplessly watches it swish through the net. They want to see Dwight Howard(notes) dominate the boards like no one since the days of Bill Russell or Wilt Chamberlain. And they want to see Wade and LeBron slamming dunks in their opponents faces with the ferocity that is their trademark.

I won’t deny I believe my beloved Heat will end up on top when this whole season is through, but even I’ll admit that’s secondary to the simple fact there will be a season. As a fan of Miami teams from all sports, it’s been a little difficult this year getting all that excited about sports.

The Florida Marlins (now the Miami Marlins) struggled greatly throughout the year, and ended up in last place in their division after a very promising start. The Miami Dolphins have been absolutely atrocious, and the Miami Hurricanes football squad—while on the right track now under new coach Al Golden—still has a way to go before they’ll be back to where they once were. The Florida Panthers have gotten off to their best start in over a decade, and are looking good, but considering their history most fans are probably still a bit leery about getting too excited, as are those fans of the Hurricanes basketball squad.

However, with the Heat, the optimism just can’t be contained. All we fans needed was the simple fact a season would be played to have high hopes Miami would come out on top and win another title. It seems (if the owners and players don’t have everything blow up in their faces over the next few days before they can finalize their compromise) Heat fans will get just that, and with it the chance to see their heroes get a chance to fulfill their promise of bringing multiple championships to South Beach.

I don’t think I’m overstating it when I say Miami Heat fans can’t wait.

Game On!

More from the Yahoo! Contributor Network

Thinking NBA Players Don’t Know What’s Up in Labor Negotiations is Racist

Stern and Owners Have Mouthpieces in Media Trumpet Their Lies

Heat Owner Mickey Arison Should Fight in Court Against Stern’s Outrageous Fine

Stern and Owners Negotiating in Bad Faith Hoping to Bully Players into Deal

Derrick Rose is Absolutely Correct in Saying the NBA Owners Are to Blame

All stats and information taken from personal notes and verified at Basketball-Reference.com, NBA.com, and Yahoo! Sports.

Read more by Daniel Barber aka Hotnuke at TFS Sports.

*Daniel Barber has been a fan of all Miami teams since he was a child or since their inception having been born right above Miami.

Sources:

Basketball-Reference.com

NBA.com

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP)—Miami linebacker Jordan Futch was recovering
Tuesday from a suspected case of heat exhaustion, which necessitated him being
taken from the Hurricanes’ practice field by paramedics and transported by
ambulance to a nearby hospital.

Futch, who has been trying to recover from an upper-body injury, was
conditioning around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday adjacent to where most of his teammates
were practicing. It was already 82 degrees on campus at that point, and felt
like 88 when factoring in unseasonably high humidity—“sneaky hot,” Miami
coach Al Golden said.

Futch was running and apparently felt faint, then went to the ground. He was
tended to on-site by team athletic trainers, and paramedics were called as a
precaution.

“It seems like everything is fine,” Golden said. “I think it was a case
of dehydration and low sugar levels. Again, I’m not the doctor but I’m just
trying to give you the idea that everything’s fine. He just felt really weak or
faint.”

Futch was not available for comment. Golden said he is not expected to play
Saturday when Miami (5-5) visits South Florida (5-4) in the Hurricanes’
next-to-last regular-season game.

“Jordan has been limited in his activity for the last nine or 10 days …
and we wanted to be safe,” Golden said. “From all accounts Jordan is doing
fine.”

Futch has 20 tackles in nine games this season for Miami.

Also Tuesday, Golden said safety Ray-Ray Armstrong will play against South
Florida. Armstrong did not play last week against Florida State while team
officials investigated whether he broke NCAA rules by having dinner with a
friend who owns a public-relations firm and represents professional athletes.

Miami compliance officers checked into the matter, found no wrongdoing, and
Golden said that athletic director Shawn Eichorst gave Armstrong full clearance
on Monday.

Follow Tim Reynolds on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ByTimReynolds

DORAL, Fla. (AP)—Pat Riley spent part of his Veterans Day on the
basketball court.

Only problem was, the Miami Heat president wasn’t surrounded by Miami Heat
players.

So instead, Riley stood at midcourt, microphone in hand and reciting the
Pledge of Allegiance while military members and their families packed into
bleachers on either side of the gymnasium—the latest in an ongoing series of
tributes the Heat have held for service members and their families in recent
years.

“That’s why we’re here,” Riley told the crowd. “We’re here because of
what you do for us and the freedoms we have in this country and freedoms that
you’re allowing other people to have in other countries. I can’t wait `til the
day everybody comes back from Iraq and Afghanistan. I can’t wait for that day
that everybody’s back with their families and able to come to Heat games.”

That day may be next month. Or next year. Either way, the answer should be
coming soon. After two more days of talks in New York ended Thursday night, the
NBA proposed a deal that would allow for a 72-game season starting Dec. 15.
Players are expected to decide to take it or leave it by early next week.

“I’ve had enough,” Riley said of the waiting game that comes with the
lockout. “I’ve waited long enough. I think we all have.”

Since 2006, the Heat have honored military personnel in a number of ways,
whether it’s welcoming returning veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
at home games or last year’s move to hold training camp at a pair of U.S. Air
Force installations in Florida’s Panhandle. Riley indicated that may happen
again in the future. And the team’s community-relations side has tried to keep
the Heat brand visible in South Florida while the lockout continues.

Still, there are some days boredom is unavoidable. Riley claimed he’s become
the No. 1 gin rummy and backgammon player in the Heat offices during the
lockout, and professed that his new look—a silvery goatee—is as good as the
one team owner Micky Arison has had for years.

“The day that we start,” Riley said, “this thing is history.”

He hopes to be shaving soon enough. And when the time comes, he said Heat
coach Erik Spoelstra and the rest of the staff will be ready to start moving
very quickly to prepare for an abbreviated season.

“Right now we have one of the greatest bases of fans in the league and I
think they’re patiently waiting,” Riley said. “They’ve supported us. We’re
supporting them. And we just hope that we’re going to be able to deliver to them
the same thing we delivered last year, which is exciting basketball. We’ve got
some great, great, great talent, great players and we can’t wait to get it going
again.”

Follow Tim Reynolds on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ByTimReynolds

So instead, Riley stood at midcourt, microphone in hand and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance while military members and their families packed into bleachers on either side of the gymnasium — the latest in an ongoing series of tributes the Heat have held for service members and their families in recent years.

“That’s why we’re here,” Riley told the crowd. “We’re here because of what you do for us and the freedoms we have in this country and freedoms that you’re allowing other people to have in other countries. I can’t wait ‘til the day everybody comes back from Iraq and Afghanistan. I can’t wait for that day that everybody’s back with their families and able to come to Heat games.”

That day may be next month. Or next year. Either way, the answer should be coming soon. After two more days of talks in New York ended Thursday night, the NBA proposed a deal that would allow for a 72-game season starting Dec. 15. Players are expected to decide to take it or leave it by early next week.

“I’ve had enough,” Riley said of the waiting game that comes with the lockout. “I’ve waited long enough. I think we all have.”

Since 2006, the Heat have honored military personnel in a number of ways, whether it’s welcoming returning veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan at home games or last year’s move to hold training camp at a pair of U.S. Air Force installations in Florida’s Panhandle. Riley indicated that may happen again in the future. And the team’s community-relations side has tried to keep the Heat brand visible in South Florida while the lockout continues.

Still, there are some days boredom is unavoidable. Riley claimed he’s become the No. 1 gin rummy and backgammon player in the Heat offices during the lockout, and professed that his new look — a silvery goatee — is as good as the one team owner Micky Arison has had for years.

“The day that we start,” Riley said, “this thing is history.”

He hopes to be shaving soon enough. And when the time comes, he said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and the rest of the staff will be ready to start moving very quickly to prepare for an abbreviated season.

“Right now we have one of the greatest bases of fans in the league and I think they’re patiently waiting,” Riley said. “They’ve supported us. We’re supporting them. And we just hope that we’re going to be able to deliver to them the same thing we delivered last year, which is exciting basketball. We’ve got some great, great, great talent, great players and we can’t wait to get it going again.”

___

Follow Tim Reynolds on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ByTimReynolds

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.