Riley Stepping Down to Undergo Surgery

Pat Riley is stepping down as Heat head coach, with a temporary leave of absence, to undergo knee and hip surgery that Riley has been putting off. In his stead, Ron Rothstein will be headcoach for the Heat.

What this means

This is only a temporary absence, and is due to much-needed surgery that Riley has been putting off with the busy offseason. It couldn't come at a better (or worse?) time for the Heat, who are coming off an uninspiring blow out loss to the Magic and are looking to face the Clippers tonight in Miami. Up next is a 5 game road trip which they will start with Shaq and Wade out with injuries. Shaq is slated to return on January 15th, and Wade could return sooner although it is possible he will miss Friday's game against Phoenix as well.

This could display some frustration by Riley, who seems to be embattled with his team's under-performance. Eventhough the gamble won him a championship, the media seems to be targeting Antoine Walker as a major reason for the Heat's struggles while Riley, attempting to defend his player, has been forced into repeatedly calling out the entire team on occasion. This could be a move to help circumvent any exhaustion, as Riley is older now and may not be as ambitious about coaching with the recent championship ring on his finger.

Stay tuned...