A couple of issues circulating around the Miami Heat as we get ready for the homestretch of their most disappointing season ever....
Pat Riley hinted towards a likely couple-game reprieve from the Heat. Not to send a grandiose message. Not to undergo more surgeries. But to view select conference tournaments(me thinking the Big 12, Big 10 and maybe a little Conference USA). With the Heat hopefully destined for the No. 1 pick(and that doesn't mean by way of worst record), Riles wants to scout the Beasley's, Rose's, and Gordon's for himself.
That said, because it's spontaneous, unpredictable Pat Riley, this has sounded the alarms off on the conspiracy theorists. Is this a prelude towards Pat Riley's exit? Does he want to give Eric Spoelstra a trial run? Is handling both the coach and team president jobs finally too much?
I don't think it's any of those. I think you have to take Riles at his word.
First off, there's no point in disguising any desire to leave the seat, if that's what Riley wanted to do. Many people around basketball think there's a strong chance he's relocating upstairs after this year anyways, so who would be caught off-guard? And as much as he may feel responsible to reconstruct the franchise, he's already delivered a championship and doesn't owe the fans a shred more. So, if he wanted to take the rest of the year off, or let Spoelstra or someone else handle the reigns with Big Brother watching, he would do it. The fact that he's not stepping away means it's not related.
Besides, much like the Dolphins couldn't give a fair and balanced assessment to John Beck(now I sound like Fox News) considering the stench that permeated the Fins roster, how could you realistically assess a coaching performance with 24 games left and your team winning under the Mendoza Line? At least when Stan Van Gundy took over, he had a whole season and zero expectations.
Pat Riley hinted towards a likely couple-game reprieve from the Heat. Not to send a grandiose message. Not to undergo more surgeries. But to view select conference tournaments(me thinking the Big 12, Big 10 and maybe a little Conference USA). With the Heat hopefully destined for the No. 1 pick(and that doesn't mean by way of worst record), Riles wants to scout the Beasley's, Rose's, and Gordon's for himself.
That said, because it's spontaneous, unpredictable Pat Riley, this has sounded the alarms off on the conspiracy theorists. Is this a prelude towards Pat Riley's exit? Does he want to give Eric Spoelstra a trial run? Is handling both the coach and team president jobs finally too much?
I don't think it's any of those. I think you have to take Riles at his word.
First off, there's no point in disguising any desire to leave the seat, if that's what Riley wanted to do. Many people around basketball think there's a strong chance he's relocating upstairs after this year anyways, so who would be caught off-guard? And as much as he may feel responsible to reconstruct the franchise, he's already delivered a championship and doesn't owe the fans a shred more. So, if he wanted to take the rest of the year off, or let Spoelstra or someone else handle the reigns with Big Brother watching, he would do it. The fact that he's not stepping away means it's not related.
Besides, much like the Dolphins couldn't give a fair and balanced assessment to John Beck(now I sound like Fox News) considering the stench that permeated the Fins roster, how could you realistically assess a coaching performance with 24 games left and your team winning under the Mendoza Line? At least when Stan Van Gundy took over, he had a whole season and zero expectations.
Most importantly, though, Pat's premise makes sense. Yes, it's unusual for a coach to skip out for a few games to scout college players, but most coaches don't hold dual roles anymore. And most teams aren't on pace for 16-win seasons with a player of the caliber of Dwyane Wade. Speaking of which, Riley's only other time with a high lottery pick in his career was 2003, which landed him the Flash. It's even more important that they hit the bulls eye with this pick.
I'm not saying this proves Pat Riley is in it for the long haul, or even a certainty to rule the bench in 2008-2009. I'm just saying don't think one event is related to another.
And then, there's the Dwyane Wade shut it down question, which is just getting beyond annoying. I know the season is about ping pong balls now, and I know that DWade is not 100 percent. But those who suggest that Pat Riley should shut Wade down are missing one important factor.Pat Riley won't be making the final decision here. Neither will Micky Arison. And neither will trainer Ron Culp. It's Dwyane's decision! Just like DWade made the call to when he would come back in the first place. Just like DWade made the call to put off surgery last year. Just like DWade will make the call whether to play in the Olympics.
Trust me on this one folks, it's my job to cover this team. The Heat are trying to appease Wade, as they should, to make it a slam dunk to resign him after 2010. So if numero tres wants to keep logging minutes, that's what's going to happen. And Wade's made it abundantly clear that he's not about pulling the plug right now. For the same reasons Kobe doesn't want to go under the knife. Their teams may be in different places, but their competitive drives are on the same wavelength.
And besides, I'm not a doctor, and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express, so I don't know what the healthier option is. I can tell you though, that Wade's numbers are significantly better with 0-1 days rest this year(27.8 pts) than with 2 or more days of rest(17.2). And I had an orthopedic surgeon on my show last year that said athletes shouldn't always go for procedures because the risks are extremely high. So it's not as clear cut as it seems.
Bottom line is, whether you think Wade should be playing or lounging, calling for Pat Riley to shut him down is a plea falling on deaf ears. You are gonna have to tell the subject to shut himself down.
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