Trust me, there will be a repeat ... of 2005

Mejia: East | West | Who'll win?

When Miami drew Chicago, I knew what I had to do.

I had to hate.

That's what the Miami faithful will say I'm doing, picking the defending champs to get ousted by the Bulls in the first round.

How disrespectful.

With such a thin margin of error, Dwyane Wade can kiss hopes of a repeat goodbye. (Getty Images)

Do I have that short a memory? Just 10 short months ago, the Heat were putting the finishing touches on a defiant comeback, overcoming a mediocre regular season, some early playoff lethargy and a two-game NBA Finals deficit to thump their collective chest.

I get it. I remember. I was there.

But that was then. Dwyane Wade tore the labrum in his left shoulder in February and missed 23 games, and I don't expect him to be the same player who put the Heat on his back last June.

How do I know? Before I switched to sports writing, I was pre-med.

Orthopedic medicine. Really.

OK, no. But, I've talked to doctors about the labrum thing, and even though I insisted that Wade tends to bend like Gumby and has a body suited for quick recoveries, they assured me he's facing a tough road.

Then I watched him. Definitely not the same guy. He was walking a tight rope between cautious and tentative.

So, unless he's trying to pull a ruse, preparing to rip off the protective sleeve and scream out, "Ha! I've had two left labrums all along!" he's not going to like the treatment he's about to receive back in his hometown.