Can the Miami Heat’s history of success be replicated with this roster and staff?
The Miami Heat’s exit interviews have run the gamut of inspiring to disenfranchising. Just as players like Kelly Olynyk have garnered praise, no one on the team has been labeled as off-limits.
Team president Pat Riley is a master tactician, but even he can’t predict how this off-season’s shakeup will proceed. For all the talk of moving forward with or without Hassan Whiteside, Dwyane Wade or Wayne Ellington, Miami has another personnel problem to confront: internal development.
The Heat’s philosophy has long been skewed towards salvaging players’ careers. Since drafting Wade in 2003, Miami has looked to do the impossible with its supporting cast.
Adding a disgruntled Shaquille O’Neal bequeathed Miami’s first championship in 2006, just as concerted efforts from veterans, Shane Battier, Mike Miller, Ray Allen and Chris Andersen gave the Heat a squad for four straight NBA Finals Appearances.
Even before Wade, Miami’s success was predicated on trading for their best pieces. Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway were midseason acquisitions who helped transition the Heat from a little-known expansion team to a playoff power.
Currently, Miami has shifted gears to player development, which stands in contrast to Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra’s usual design. Drafting Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson and Bam Adebayo in recent seasons has founded a decent core, though none inhabit the generational, once-in-a-lifetime talent Wade had.
Conversely, the Heat’s coaching staff is largely a relic of years gone by. Assistant coaches Juwan Howard and Chris Quinn are former players turned bench generals. Coaches Octavio De La Grana and Dan Craig have each been with the team for over a decade.
So now, Miami is at a crossroads. While their player personnel trends towards being a revolving door, Miami’s coaching staff is comprised of the old guard.
Though the salary cap suggests Miami will have a busy off-season, there is still solace that the team can work its player development magic. Richardson and Winslow have made leaps in their three seasons in Miami. The former has morphed into a defensive threat league-wide, while the latter has rounded his game into an all-around threat.
The good news is that the differences between the Heat’s staff and players doesn’t stand in the way of their success. Miami’s youngsters have spoken highly about working with Quinn and Howard. As a whole, Miami’s organization moves without issue.
Unfortunately, barring any incredible off-season growth spurts, the team is set on a course towards mediocrity. Miami spent the year looking for an identity after a whirlwind 2016-17 season and is on pace to struggle without a clear-cut star talent.
"“We are very committed to our process and what we do in terms of internal player development, giving players a chance to transform to become somebody different to be able to help the group grow,” Spoesltra said of Miami’s development."
Commitment to growth is the only choice for a team begging for mercy from its salary cap. Miami’s roster has bought into its own version of “The Process”, though the absence of freaks of nature like Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid leave a perennial fog around the end game.
Maybe a shuffle is in order. Enticing any one of the NBA’s jobless coaches as an assistant, such as Mike Budenholzer, could provide a fresh sideline perspective for a team in limbo.
Or, making a seemingly ludicrous trade that revamps the Heat’s rotations could spark another Miami playoff run. Gunning for a player like CJ McCollum, who 3D prints his offense, would increase Miami’s Eastern Conference credibility without busting the bank.
Next: Pat Riley prepping Miami Heat for offseason shakeup
With Howard interviewing for the New York Knicks’s coaching vacancy and any number of resident players potentially on their way out, Miami may be poised for the next era of Heat basketball.