Miami Heat: 5 Takeaways From Pat Riley's End-Of-Year Press Conference
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Miami Heat president Pat Riley held his yearly end-of-season press conference Wednesday. We break down the most interesting tidbits.
After an enthralling end to the 2016-17 Miami Heat season, one that unfortunately culminated in heartbreak, all eyes in South Florida now turn to free agency and the NBA Draft.
Multiple players are set to hit the open market, some who could turn the Heat from merely being playoff contenders into potentially something more. The draft will also provide a great opportunity to add an important bench piece.
But before we transition fully into offseason mode, we received a final bit of closure on the season that was, in the form of Pat Riley's traditional end-of-year press conference.
The Heat's team president spent a lot of time discussing various topics, not all related to his own team. He went over the future of the franchise, what he thought of the players he acquired in free agency one year ago, the young guys on the roster, as well as broader matters like the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and the resting issue that became so pertinent around the NBA.
As opposed to making you listen to the entire 50-minute presentation, we plucked out and broke down the five most interesting tidbits. So without further ado, let's get right to it.
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5. Landing A Big-Name Player Through Free Agency May No Longer Be Plausible
The very first question Riley was asked after he opened the floor up to discussion was about going whale-hunting this summer. No, not in the literal sense. Rather, chasing the big names in free agency, as he has historically done so effectively.
By his answer, it appears the Heat will have to employ another strategy to land superstar-type players going forward:
I think the [CBA] is going to dictate a lot of things about free agency. If you go back to 2010, when we were fortunate to secure the services of LeBron [James], CB [Chris Bosh] and Dwyane [Wade], the rules were different. The money was lower. You could sign six-year deals. You had sign-and-trades. All of those things. Today, it's a lot different. Any great player… is going to have to give great pause to probably walk away from $65 to $70 million, or whatever the number might be, to go somewhere else. He's going to have to really want to come to you, or want to leave where he is.
Once the details within the new CBA were announced, most Heat fans assumed the days of acquiring opposing stars were probably over. It appears Riley has come to the same realization.
I mean, put in the simplest terms, how likely is it to get a max-level guy to turn down a five-year deal from his original team — one that's in the range of $210 million — to join a franchise he has little to no familiarity with? And for less money, on top of that? Next to impossible.
So the pipe dreams Het fans may have had about going after Gordon Hayward or Blake Griffin may have been just that: fantasies.
Fortunately, Miami's team president has a different plan of attack for retooling his future rosters.
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4. Trading For Big Names Now More Likely
In an answer to a later question, Riley said the following:
We don't have to go 'whale-hunting'; you can acquire, and I think sometimes you will be acquiring key players via trade… instead of going out and laying out $38 million for a guy. Some of these guys' max numbers are ridiculous. But that's the nature of the new [CBA].
That shouldn't really come as a surprise to those who have followed the team for a long time. After all, over the last two decades, Riley has almost made it a habit to acquire disgruntled stars via trade.
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All-timers like Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O'Neal and Tim Hardaway arrived to South Florida in that very manner. Who's to say it can't happen again?
Perusing the current NBA landscape, one name bears a striking resemblance to the ones just listed, for the likeness in their situations: Carmelo Anthony.
Big name? Check. Unhappy with his current team? Double check. (Thank you, Phil Jackson.) Stock at its lowest point? Yahtzee.
A month ago, I thought the idea of Miami trading for Anthony was a little too bullish. But now, after Jackson told the world that the New York Knicks' star would be better off elsewhere? It really may not be out of the question.
If the Heat were to package Justise Winslow along with whoever they draft in the first round, it may be more than enough to reach an agreement (provided Anthony waives his no-trade clause to join Miami). Wes Goldberg over at All U Can Heat outlined that very deal, and the potential repercussions of it.
However, is Winslow even available for trade discussions? Not according to Riley.
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3. Winslow's Future With The Team
Late in his presser, Riley became indignant over a question regarding Winslow and fellow 2015 draftee Josh Richardson. After clarifying how highly he thought of both, he went into further detail pertaining to his second-year small forward:
I have been around players like [Winslow] for a long time. He is more than a shooter — he's a player, he's a warrior, he's a defender. He's got tremendous energy, he cares about winning. He always tries to make winning plays… I took a look at a lot of those guys, like Justise, who came in as one-and-done guys… I think Kawhi [Leonard] averaged eight points a game his first year. Six years later, he's averaging 25. We're measuring [Winslow] after 75 games. And I think that's unfair… give him a chance. He ain't going anywhere… He's a winner, we're glad to have him.
Is this a case of a team official talking up one of his guys in order to get his value to go up? Possibly. Or, at this point in time, maybe he really considers the former Duke Blue Devil untouchable.
To me, this evokes memories of 2003-04, the season in which the Heat were a team of surprising upstarts, like rookie-year Wade, Lamar Odom and Caron Butler. They rode youthful exuberance and a borderline-elite defense to a 42-40 record, when most thought they were headed straight for another high lottery pick. (Sound familiar?)
The young core's future looked very bright back then, too. So what did Miami do the following offseason? Simply trade every young piece (besides Wade) for O'Neal. Two years and one championship later, the decision was more than vindicated.
If Riley sees an opportunity to trade for a star, he won't hesitate to do so. Just look at his history for proof.
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
2. Whiteside Grew Up, But More Is Needed
When asked about whether Hassan Whiteside had finally become the player Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra wanted to see when they signed him to the huge contract extension, Miami's team president responded with one word: Yes.
Thankfully, he chose to expound on that answer.
But there's so much more we need from him. For us to beat Golden State or the world champions up in Ohio, or any other [contender], we're going to need to have a championship center. I think he has the capability of being that. I do think that now… he understands his responsibilities. [Spoelstra] and I discuss a lot of things about [Whiteside] and how he can better help us. Can he be a 17-[point], 14-[rebound], 4-[assist] guy, and shoot 61 percent and 70 percent from the line? Which is what… he is right about now. Or can he be a 25-17-6 player? And I think he can be that.
Although the assist numbers seem unlikely (Whiteside is never going to average close to six dimes), Miami's center does deserve some credit. In 2016-17, he had 17 games with more than one assist. In 2015-16, he had just six games with that many. Baby steps.
His improved maturity also led to his best year as a defender, even despite his block totals going down. The Heat allowed the fewest threes per game in the NBA, were second-best in paint defense and fifth in points allowed per 100 possessions, mostly thanks to a defensive scheme built around its game-changing center.
What's unquestionable is that he still has loads of untapped potential. It's not common to say a player who averages 17 points and 14 rebounds with over two blocks per game can reach yet another plateau. But that's how freakish Whiteside is.
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
1. A Clear Strategy Is In Place To Try And Keep The Core Intact
Riley is usually guarded and noncommittal regarding offseason plans, but on Wednesday, he was the opposite. He was candid, upfront and even sort of upbeat, which is surprising considering how the season ended.
We're going to really focus on this group of guys. We have found out something about three of these guys that I felt last year; they had something but were never given the platform. I think [Spoelstra] gave them the platform and then over the course of time you could see what the player… could really do, and perform and produce. And we liked what we saw… First thing's first is to focus on our team… I think we're in a good position to move forward.
Dion Waiters had a breakout year. James Johnson was a versatile monster, capable of shape-shifting between rugged center and ball-handling point guard. Wayne Ellington led the league in three-point shooting when wide open (no defender within six feet, per NBA.com).
The odds of landing Griffin or Hayward are next to nil. Why risk upsetting Johnson or Waiters in an attempt to woo either, especially after they made clear how badly they want to stay in Miami? Sometimes, it's better to practice prudence, even if you're someone with Riley's acumen.
Plus, there's the whole chemistry thing, which admittedly may not matter that much, but is still good to have. Judging by how much time this team spends together (even a week after the season ended), they seem to legitimately like each other as people.
Bring back Winslow, add a first-round pick and a room-level exception player (as Riley alluded to), to a roster that won 30 of its final 41 games and see what you can do. At the very least, it'll be a fun ride.
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