Miami Heat: This is the ideal time for Pat Riley to step down as President

Father time is undefeated, and this is the perfect time for Pat Riley to step down as the President of the Miami Heat

On paper, Andy Elisburg holds the title of general manager of the Miami Heat but for all intents and purposes, everything that starts and ends with the franchise goes through Pat Riley.

Since 1995, when he joined as president and head coach, the franchise only underwent two rebuilding stretches.

One began in 2002 after the team’s then-best player – Alonzo Mourning – was diagnosed with a severe kidney illness that put his basketball career in question the year prior. For the next two years, the team crawled its way back to NBA relevance behind the shoulders of Dwyane Wade until Riley fast-tracked the process in 2005 by trading for Shaquille O’Neil.

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The second rebuilding stretch started and ended in a similar fashion. Beginning in 2008, the team suffered injuries that set the team back and that rebuilding process was quickly curtailed in the summer of 2010 when Riley was able to team LeBron James and Chris Bosh with Dwyane Wade.

Back then, no one would fault Riley for resetting the team’s direction as championship success followed shortly after both of those rebuilding stretches.

For five years since the same cannot be said.

It is common knowledge that the characteristics which embody the Heat “culture”- grit, hard work, edginess – can all be attributed to the man spearheading the ship.

Three years ago, Riley began handing out contracts which far outweighed the talent of the players he was giving them to because they were able to embody those characteristics in their play.

That rationale only served to land the franchise in NBA purgatory commonly known as “middle-of-the-pack”. To add insult to injury, it also has boasted the highest payroll in the league the last few years running.

If ever there was a time for Riley to bite the bullet and embrace the grind of a complete rebuilding process it was now.

In the summer of 2021, most of the bad contracts that Riley had handed out would be off the books.

In the interim, young players such as Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow, and Bam Abedayo would have an opportunity to develop.

However, Riley once again decided to fast track the process beginning this free agency by principally obtaining Jimmy Butler for Josh Richardson.

Yet again, culture and contention took precedence over patience. Make note: this is the problematic pattern that has set Miami back since LeBron James left to Cleveland and Chris Bosh was diagnosed with a debilitating blood clot that ended his career.

Jimmy Butler is a talented player who plays hard but few will argue that he is the type of player that a franchise can build a team around.

If that transaction wasn’t bad enough, Chris Paul and his bowel-moving contract are now being linked to Miami.

At this point, the idea of preaching patience to a 74-year-old Riley would be an absolute exercise in futility.

South Florida should have nothing but admiration and affection for a man that has committed his life to the franchise ever since he came in 1995.

Similar to Russell Westbrook, another player and albatross contract Miami was linked to, Riley only has one gear.

Unfortunately, the lack of foresight to see the bigger picture at this time is also evident.

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Miami may be known as Wade County but the first name that will henceforth come to anyone’s mind upon mention of the Miami Heat is Pat Riley.

And like Wade last year, it’s time for his curtain call.

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