reflections
May 6th, 2008 The Direction of the Miami Heat


By: Dustin Chapman

Pat Riley has stepped down as head coach of the Miami Heat, but he remains the team’s President. This summer, he has a wide variety of decisions to make. The biggest? Simply put, the direction of the team. Does he go with a youth movement and use Shawn Marion’s expiring dollars (whether it be this summer or next) to build a strong, young squad around superstar Dwyane Wade? Or does he go out and build a viable veteran team around Wade, that can be competitive right away?

The answer to those questions may very well be answered on May 20, the NBA’s 2008 NBA Draft Lottery, which is just two weeks away. The Heat will enter the night with the very best odds at landing one of the top picks, if not the top pick, in this June’s draft. It is uncertain how they will feel by the end of the event, but it is indisputable that the lottery ball is bound to be be the route to Riley’s bold decisions.

If Miami ends up with a top two pick, which would net them the rights to either Kansas State forward Michael Beasley or Memphis guard Derrick Rose, it might make sense to go with a youth movement and build a strong nucleus of young players around Wade and the draftee. If they drop in the lottery, however, it is expected that Riley will explore other options and entertain the thought of trading the pick for established help.

The bottom line is that the Miami Heat are not competitive, they are not exciting, and they are not filling seats. This is the summer where Pat Riley needs to choose a steady direction and roll with the plan.

Heat fans need something to cheer for in the 2008-2009 season - either experience or hope.

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