Some Miami Heat fans wonder if Pat Riley can be trusted to rebuild this team. Well, can he?
As the Miami Heat (and the rest of Heat Nation) try and forget the woes of their 2014-2015 season, there is work to be done moving forward. Having missed the playoffs this time around, Miami is now focused on the NBA Draft, resigning the likes of Goran Dragic, and rebuilding the team to once again become championship contenders.
Although many pieces of the puzzle must fit together in order to make the organization’s dreams a reality, it is no secret that team president Pat Riley plays a key role in assembling a worthy cast.
While every team has it’s ups and downs, the drop the Heat took from top dogs across both conferences, to finishing tenth seed in the East has some people wondering if something went awry with management. And in the center of management is Riley himself. Therefore, can Miami trust him?
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In short, absolutely. The only thing Riley may not have a grasp on is his still-present grudge against LeBron James for heading back to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Though even his denial may be more of a business tactic, or a way to show face, than dishonest.
During his time as a coach, Riley was a five-time NBA champion, a three-time NBA Coach of the Year, a nine-time NBA All-Star Game head coach and makes the short list of the greatest coaches in NBA history.
After announcing his leave from coaching for the final time, Riley orchestrated the acquisition of both James and Chris Bosh, setting in motion Miami’s Big Three era. This led to Riley winning NBA Executive of the Year in 2011, and two championships under his belt as Heat president. Many hated both him and the Big Three for it, but no one could deny the enormity of such a move. Following James’ televised decision, a media circus surrounded Miami for years, and Riley became the talk of the league.
Of course, it was easy to praise and have faith in Riley while the Heat were in their prime. Though the Big Three did not end up with a championship their first year together, eventually people understood that even the greatest of players need time to adjust to one another. And the year after that, Miami went all the way. The same happened in 2013, and the goal of three-peating was born.
The Heat then lost to the San Antonio Spurs in 2014, and speculation about whether the Big Three would stay together or not, began. James, Bosh, and Dwyane Wade all exercised Early Termination Options on their contracts and thus came panic of what would happen to a team that some say resembled the Space Jam Monstars.
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As Riley recently brought up in an interview, despite no indication of wanting to leave, James announced his return to Cleveland last summer and Miami supporters and haters alike were stunned. While a handful of people speculated that Riley did not properly close the deal, the bigger story was what he would do next. There seemed to be an unspoken understanding that the Miami Mafia’s boss would take care of it all.
And in a way, he did. Bosh resigned, and while some players decided to follow James, Chris Andersen and Udonis Haslem stayed loyal to the Heat.
That understanding came into play again, once news broke about Bosh’s blood clots. And once more, Riley came through; hours before the trade deadline, Dragic signed with Miami.
There is no denying that this past season was a disaster. Or that it took fans on an emotional roller coaster ride, starting with James’ departure. But the majority of the Heat’s troubles were injuries. And unfortunately those are not something anyone, not even the great Pat Riley, can control.
So is there any reason why the Miami Heat should not trust Riley? Absolutely not. He has shown nothing but dedication time and time again, and knows the steps the organization needs to take in order to ensure success next year, and further down the line. He has been busy setting the wheels in motion to make sure Dragic resigns, and without a doubt already has his eye on a draft pick.
"“I challenge myself more than anybody else,” Riley was quoted, “to make sure what happened this year doesn’t happen again.”"
And although words may not always mean much, in Riley’s case, they are everything.