Spoelstra driven to avoid another letdown
MIAMI — The message was clear amid Friday’s finality to a Miami Heat season that fell short of the playoffs.
“We’ll be very determined to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” coach Erik Spoelstra said during his season-ending media session at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Even if it involves change, everything from the approach to the playing style.
“We’re not going to sit on our hands this offseason,” Spoelstra emphasized. “The way we feel right now is going to motivate our staff the entire offseason.”
Clearing out lockers was not where the Heat wanted to be Friday.
“There’s no excuse,” guard Dwyane Wade said. “We had opportunity. We didn’t seize that opportunity.
“This is different. This is a different summer.”
But there also was talk of a rapid revival, with Chris Bosh vowing to be back to speed in time for training camp after missing the second half of the season due to blood clots on his lung.
“We’re going to have an opportunity,” Bosh said, “and the opportunity is there. I think next year will be about really functioning as a team.
“We’re going to have the talent to compete.”
Two days after closing out a 37-45 season after four consecutive years in the NBA Finals, the theme was avoiding anything close to a repeat.
“We have high standards,” Spoelstra said. “We’re not used to this. This is a new process for me, having this much time off in the offseason.”
It is the first time in.his seven seasons as a head coach that Spoelstra will open the playoffs as a spectator.
“I would rather be working right now,” he said. “And it’s going to be very painful this weekend.
“Obviously we had different expectations for the end of the season. We’re a bottom-line business, so we do have to own that.”
He said that makes it important to also absorb this moment.
“I learned a lot this season,” Spoelstra said. “I know our players did.”
Among the goals when the team reunites will be playing at a faster pace.
“Pace, speed, quickness . . . let’s go,” Spoelstra said. “Players will see that right away in training camp. We have players best fit to play that style.”
Another objective will be to move forward, not try to replicate the past.
“I don’t want us to look at the past,” Bosh said. “I think we can build something for the future.”
Spoelstra said he and his staff will immerse themselves in draft preparation, with the team holding the No. 10 seed in the May 19 NBA Draft lottery, as well as player development.
“We won’t be idle,” Spoelstra said. “I can promise you that.”
There also are free-agency questions with guard Goran Dragic and forward Luol Deng.
“We love them,” Spoelstra said. “Hopefully they love us.”
Dragic again offered encouragement.
“I like this organization, this basketball style,” he said. “I had a great time here in Miami. I want to come back, but we’ll see what happens.”
But he preceded that by saying, “every offer, we’re going to go through.”
Bosh has yet to play with Dragic.
“I’m excited about him,” Bosh said. “I didn’t get to play with him this year.”
Wade indicated he will bypass the opt-out he holds for this summer.
While Friday also was the day for the team’s exit interviews, Spoelstra said that effectively will be an extended process, with so much time off this offseason, with plenty of face time planned with Wade and Bosh.
“With Dwyane and C.B., my exit meetings will probably be over lunch,” Spoelstra said. “And it probably won’t be just one lunch.”
One of the priorities will be getting emerging center Hassan Whiteside prepared for his first training camp.
“We will put a very specific program together for him this summer,” Spoelstra said. “I’m very encouraged by the progress he made and that’s just from him learning on the fly without a training camp.
“I don’t want to put a ceiling on him.”
Bosh’s message to White- side, “don’t be satisfied.”
Whiteside declined to talk with reporters Friday.
Spoelstra spoke of unearthing youthful potential throughout the roster.
“One of the silver linings is the experience our young players received this year,” he said.
He particularly cited guard Tyler Johnson.
“With undrafted guys, less than five a year actually make it and have a real role,” he said.
For Bosh, the offseason effectively began in Febru- ary, with his diagnosis. For teammates used to playing into June, he said the reality will hit home soon enough.
His Friday message to teammates?
“In about two months,” he said, “you’re going to start feeling weird.”