The Miami Heat need to move forward following a difficult season that included the long-lasting Jimmy Butler saga, a 37-45 record, and a first-round ouster in four games by the Cleveland Cavaliers. It's impressive that the Heat made the playoffs, following a 10th-place finish in the Eastern Conference before they earned the No. 8 seed through the play-in tournament.
But a run through the playoffs only to be met with a first-round sweep isn't up to par for the Erik Spoelstra-coached franchise who made the NBA Finals in two of the past six seasons. Miami president Pat Riley isn't afraid to make changes for the team to get back to their championship expectations. He made his intentions clear that change is on the horizon in what's shaping up to become a busy offseason in Florida.
"I think we do have to make changes," Riley said Friday at a postseason press conference via ESPN and the AP. "There's no doubt there has to be some change."
He said the Heat "probably won't run it back" next season. The team could choose different directions—acquiring a star player to play alongside center Bam Adebayo and guard Tyler Herro, trade their own players for draft capital, or build out the roster around the edges to complement Adebayo and Herro.
Pat Riley says the Heat ‘probably won’t run it back’ next season
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Riley admitted the saga that led to Butler's trade to the Golden State Warriors had a "tremendous impact" on Miami which factored into the team's first finish below .500 since 2019. No matter the factors at play, though, the season's result is unacceptable for Riley and the "Heat Culture."
Changes are on the way. The specific adjustments and extent of the shifts are the only question.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Pat Riley Makes Preferred Path Forward Clear Following Heat's Disappointing Season.
