Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
A ’CANES HOMECOMING
Riley believes team can take advantage of revamped East
Miami approaches home opener with a lot of questions after three-week break.
This time it’s from the heart. And this time the hope is from the start.
Even before the opening of training camp, there is no denying the sense of immediacy of the Miami Heat.
Heat President Pat Riley said Friday it is apparent all the way down to the wardrobe of coach Erik Spoelstra.
“Spo is wearing a T-shirt around with ‘True Competitor’ on it,” Riley said during his annual pre-camp media session at AmericanAirlines Arena. “So he’s letting people know from the beginning what he’s thinking about.”
After rebounding from an 11-30 start to a 41-41 finish last season, Riley stressed that picking up where the Heat left off is the priority, that pacing will be left to others.
“We’re going to see if that 30-11 record is what they’re about,” he said. “And it should be, because they played extremely well in the second half of the year and there’s no reason why they shouldn’t this year.
“I’m not saying we’re going to win 60 games, but that was a pretty impressive run for our team. The disappointment was not making the playoffs.”
Riley said an every-game-matters approach is the only logical mindset for a deep, committed, but not necessarily star-studded roster.
“So many things happen during the regular season with teams, and sometimes the teams at the top, they might not go as hard as you would think. It
doesn’t mean as much anymore to win 60 games,” he said. “You just want to get a position in the playoffs and save yourself for the playoffs.
“And there are teams that probably might be rated at the bottom, like I think some of the people have rated us in the bottom four in the [East] playoffs, are a little bit more hungry and maybe we’re going to build off of that 30-11 record and see if that’s real or not.”
With the Cleveland Cavaliers transitioning after the Kyrie Irving trade and with the Boston Celtics having overhauled their roster, Riley said the opportunity is there in the East.
“I know we see an opportunity, because there isn’t a Golden State in our conference, or a San Antonio or maybe a Houston or whoever might be more consistent,” he said. “There are opportunities for us. And we’re going to take advantage of that.”
Having spent to the cap, Riley said the team remains in win-now mode, with the current roster given the first opportunity to fulfill that mandate.
“I think we’re way ahead of a rebuilding cycle and I think we’re one step away from being a very good team,” he said. “One step away could be the collective effort of an ensemble cast of very gifted players or one step away could be a move that could bring a player here.
“I do think we have the assets for that, but I do think we have the inner strength of a team to take a step forward.”
Riley also addressed several players as the team prepares for Tuesday’s start of training camp at Florida Atlantic University:
On center Hassan Whiteside: “If he wants to achieve the goals that he talks about in the media and puts out in social media, which I think are great goals, to be Defensive Player of the Year or make the All-Defensive team and be respected, then those are things that you have to bring every single night.”
On forward Justise Winslow: “He’s a playmaker. He’s a big-game player, as far as making plays. They don’t always have to be baskets. And, so, the more that he feels the pressure that he’s got to score or he’s got to shoot the ball is one thing that he’s going to have to get over, because we love him as an athlete, as a winner.”
On guard Josh Richardson, who received a $42 million extension: “We believe in him — his size, his length, his defensive ability, his ability to shoot the ball. He can get us into offense.”