Under new head coach Stan Van Gundy, the Heat stumbled out of the gate losing their first seven games.
Despite the mediocre record, the Heat entered the playoffs as the #4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Wade had a stellar rookie season, averaging 16.2 points per game, and was selected to the All-Rookie First Team.
The first round series pitted the Heat against the New Orleans Hornets, then in its second season of existence.
Following the season, Odom, second-year forward Caron Butler, and Brian Grant were all traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for big man Shaquille O'Neal, who had bad blood with Kobe Bryant; Bryant blamed O'Neal for the Lakers' loss in the finals to the underdog Detroit Pistons.