This past offseason was a struggle for Pat Riley and the Miami Heat. After managing to retool from one major free agency loss just two years ago, the Heat find themselves once again starting all over.
The departures of Luol Deng, Joe Johnson, Amar’e Stoudemire, and others were painful enough for the franchise. But when 12-time All-Star Dwyane Wade chose to take his talents to the Windy City, the city of Miami took a hit for the worse.
Riley, who’s long known to build his teams around free agency, wouldn’t be saving the day this time – Not yet, anyways. Immediately building a true contender after your top player departs is nearly impossible, even for an all-time great like Pat Riley.
Rather than weep and focus on what was lost, Riley is taking a different approach. The Heat’s training camp is set to begin in just under three weeks, and Riley’s full attention is turned towards the upcoming season.
Following from Tom D’Angelo of the Palm Beach Post:
“No apologies, no regrets – except for one – no tears,” Riley told me (Thursday), obviously referring to losing franchise icon Dwyane Wade to the Chicago Bulls. “Good luck. We move on. Players come and go, but franchises move on.”
The Heat have been remade since losing Wade, Luol Deng and Joe Johnson among others. They are a mix of young athletic players with fewer veterans than Heat teams of recent years.
“I’m excited for our new guys,” he said before already talking about the next move. “Maybe we make a deal or catch lightning in a bottle again next summer (in free agency) like we did in 2010.”
For Pat Riley, 71, dwelling on past failures isn’t an option. Riley is likely entering his final years as Miami Heat President, meaning his determination at making the team a perennial contender is at an all-time high. Should an opportunity to improve the team present itself, Riley will be the first one to jump on it.
As for Dwyane Wade, his unforgettable 13 years donning a Miami Heat jersey will never be forgotten, and his contributions will be rewarded by the team down the road. Nonetheless, Pat Riley and the Heat organization have officially shifted their focus towards this upcoming season.
So long, Dwyane Wade.
