Recent ranking highlights biggest disappointment of Erik Spoelstra's Heat tenure

Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra are at the very top of the list of those who get credit when it comes to representing Heat Culture.

The organization's philosophy changed as soon as Riley came over as an executive in the 80s. During his Heat tenure, he spotted leadership in Spoelstra and handed over the coaching keys in 2008.

Spoelstra’s real test came with the creation of the LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh Big 3. For a young coach at the time with daunting championship expectations, Spoelstra rose to that pressure and became a two-time champion. His legacy-building didn't stop there, as he has led multiple iterations of Miami’s roster over the years. 

Erik Spoelstra is widely regarded as the NBA's best coach.

Following James’ departure in 2014, he has kept the Heat competitive and well-respected, even in the down years. In fact, a “down year” featured a playoff-contending team that stayed competitive in trying to earn an eighth seed. It could’ve been easy to tank for more reputable draft talent, but Miami didn’t need to with a combination of an elite scouting department and Spoelstra’s development program and culture. 

It didn’t take long for him to get through an underwhelming era. By 2019, Jimmy Butler had arrived in South Beach, and the Heat had returned to contender status. Even though national pundits didn’t seem to believe it throughout the seasons, Spoelstra has been at the helm of underdog playoff runs with Butler in the mix. Over the last five years, this era has featured three Eastern Conference finals and a pair of NBA Finals appearances.

As it may have been surprising to some, it wasn’t to Spoelstra, who seems to always get the best out of his rosters.

Recently, CBS Sports gave Spoelstra his flowers and ranked him the best coach in the NBA. Behind him were Nick Nurse, Rick Carlisle, Steve Kerr and Ty Lue.

Despite the recognition, it's worth noting that Spoelstra has zero Coach of the Year awards to show for it.

His leadership has led to three championships and six NBA Finals appearances with the Heat throughout his career. He is the franchise leader in coaching wins (750) and postseason victories (110). 

As much respect Spoelstra has earned around the league, it has been shocking to know it has never been acknowledged with the hardware. Luckily for him and Heat fans, he will have plenty more chances to snag that coveted Coach of the Year honor following an eight-year $120 million contract extension this past season.