The Return of Riley was Inevitable

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about Riley returning being pretty much a done deal. At least, I started to. But for some reason, my computer coughed and hacked and erased my article.

So much for speculation - because it was pointless to speculate on something that was pretty much a known factor. Of course Pat Riley was going to return to the Miami Heat's coaching helm. It was just too hard to resist.

There was no way that Riley was going to be able to walk away. Sure, he just won a championship, but he is a lifer in this coaching gig. Jerry West, his former boss and mentor, called him as much. Besides, you don't think gambling with his roster only to win a championship would be enough vindication for this man? No, he is bent on perfection and last year's team - as good as it was - is far from perfect. There is much room for growth.

That may seem like firebreathing rhetoric or just chest thumping to outsiders, but a team armed with Shaq and Dwyane Wade is only beginning to scratch the surface with simply one championship.

And Riley knows this all too well.

So, Riley's return is a pretty good indication for a windfall of sorts for this franchise. It is definetly the golden days for this once snake-bitten franchise.

Besides, last season it is well-known that Riley was only able to institute part of the playbook - about 25% by some estimates. Considering that the Heat were able to gel enough to win a championship with that little sophistication is only a testament to the talent of this team. With more experience and the unquestioned authority of Pat Riley's system in place, this team is only going to get better. Scary better.

Riley knows this. He couldn't walk away from completing what could be by the end an unfathomable masterpiece.