Riley Retires, But for How Long?

Pat Riley stepped down as coach of the Miami Heat on Monday . . . again! Erik Spoelstra has been named the new head coach. At 37 years old, Spoelstra is the NBA's youngest coach. The Heat assistants (McAdoo, Rothstein, Askins) are expected to stay with the team.

Riley will remain the team President. But the real question is, will he remain retired from coaching?

"I am definitely sure that I don't want to do this anymore," Riley Said.

I wish I could believe that, but his past brings clouds of doubt. With that said, I don't believe he'll be back as the head coach of the Heat. Spoelstra is a young coach, and Riley is showing great faith in him, giving him the job of rebuilding the franchise with Wade, Marion, and their upcoming draft pick. The heat (pun intended) Riley would receive if he came back again would be unbelievable, and unless Spoelstra bombs, Pat would disrupt the rebuilding process if he returns. Riley's done in Miami, but I won't count out the possibility that he'll coach again with another team.

Spoelstra is just what the doctor ordered for the rebuilding Heat. He's young, energetic, and brings a positive attitude that Pat Riley lacked.

Call me an optimist, but Miami can be a playoff team next year. Sure, coming off a 15-67 season doesn't breed confidence, but the reality is; Miami completely tanked it at the mid-way point. There's no reason a trio of Wade, Marion, and Beasley (if those ping pong balls fall right) can't lead the Heat to a playoff spot in the East. Combine that trio with Haslem (yes he's small to play C), a new PG, and a run and gun style and the Heat will not only be competitive, they will be fun to watch again.

Click here to read more about Pat Riley's retirement.

Was It Worth It?

14 wins
48 games back from 1st in the East
8 home wins
1-26 over a 27 game stretch

Listed above, are just a few of the many lowlights of this 2008 Season. Pat Riley has passed on coaching actual games to scout NBA prospects, Miami hasn't even attempted to win a game in the last few months. Riley shut D. Wade down for the year, sidelined Shawn Marion, Jason Williams and Udonis Haslem with various "injuries", and gave minutes to Earl Barron, Joel Anthony, and Bobby Jones (These 3 combined to shoot 2 for 20 during the Heat's 96-54 loss to the Raptors in March). Could it be any more obvious that Miami has been tanking on purpose? Atleast try to disguise it a little bit.

With all that said, this torturous season could have a light at the end of the dark (very dark) tunnel. Miami is in prime position to get either the #1 or #2 pick in the NBA draft. Should the Heat land in the top 2, they will take Beasley (at #1) or Derrick Rose (at #2). Each player has huge upside, and I don't see Miami going wrong with either pick.

Should Miami fall to #3 the smart selection lies with Brook Lopez. While Lopez won't achieve the same level of NBA success as Beasley or Rose, I see him being a solid NBA center (think Chris Kaman).

Now here's where the trouble begins. God forbid the ping pong balls slot the Heat at #4. Sure, they could get lucky and still land Stanford's Lopez at the 4 spot, but it's unlikely. That would leave Miami to chose between OJ Mayo, Jerryd Bayless, and Eric Gordon. Danilo Gallinari may deserve some consideration here, but he's European, so that immediately eliminates him from Riley's draft board.

OJ Mayo doesn't make much sense, considering they have Wade and Marion at the 2 and 3, and Mayo can't play the point. The same can be said for Eric Gordon. This leaves Jerryd Bayless. I don't claim to speak or all Miami fans, but a shoot first point guard wasn't exactly what I had in mind when looking at a 14 win season.

The year's already a complete disaster. The only consolation prize will come with one of the top 3 picks. A #4 selection will surely drive Riley into retirement and slow the rebuilding process even further.

Mayweather/De La Hoya - Press Tour - Miami

I headed down to Bayside today for the Mayweather/De La Hoya press conference. There was a good turnout and the crowd was spirited. There was a little trash talking, pretty much the usual boxing press event. The crowd was pretty much split 50/50 in who they were supporting. All the Latin fans were 100% behind Oscar (as expected), while the majority of the other fans were supporting Floyd. I snapped a few pics and took some video while I was there, you can view a few more on My Flickr Page.

Miami Heat - There Goes the Season?

All Signs point towards a dislocated shoulder for Heat Guard, Dwyane Wade. So, scalp your tickets and start planning for next year right? Not so fast! If you follow the Heat regularly, you know all about Wade's resiliency (and his overselling of an injury at times). There's no way around it, Dwyane will miss significant time with this injury. But, if the Heat can just stick around at .500, and Wade can make it back with about 10-15 games left in the regular season, all hope is not lost. Wade hasn't had significant time in the last 2 seasons (due to playing with Team USA), and in the wacky world of the Miami Heat, maybe this rest is just what the doctor ordered. In a season where seemingly everyone involved with the team (from players, right on up to the head coach) has sat out with relatively serious injuries, it's only fitting that Wade's dislocated shoulder be the last piece of the puzzle. So, Wade rests up and the Heat make another run to the title, right? Well, We'll see.