Miami Heat, Pat Riley could help Paul George reach his potential

The L.A. Connection

As mentioned earlier, the George connection to the Lakers is very much out there. But there are some factors that could very much work in the Heat’s favor.

First, the Lakers are a franchise in transition. They have very recently appointed a new president of basketball operations in Magic Johnson, and a new general manager in Rob Pelinka. And that’s not to mention the ownership issues surrounding the team in recent times. In addition, the team has compiled a 91-237 record over their last four seasons. Despite multiple high draft picks, they’ve yet to find a star player to build around.

In contrast, Riley has overseen the Heat front office since his arrival in 1995, the same year in which team owner Micky Arison took control. Furthermore, head coach Erik Spoelstra has been in charge since 2009. On top of this, the Heat’s 30-11 record to complete this past season left an undeniable mark across the league.

Joining a team that is in complete rebuild mode is not likely to be overly appealing for a player of George’s stature. He is soon to turn 27, and will essentially be at the peak of his career. Rather, he could join Hassan Whiteside and Dragic in Miami and complete a trio that could compete near the top of the Eastern Conference.

Of course, there is the issue of George being unwilling to play the role of a stretch 4, which, like LeBron James, could help unlock George’s potential while also filling a major need for the Heat.