Riley Finally Realizes This Team Needs a Change

Riley's comments are a bit too late.

He started to blast the team for underperforming against the Bobcats and now the Sonics, who had the Heat down by 20 at home. And Wade was making his debut.

Um, yeah. Now you noticed?

This team hasn't gelled yet. Sure. And certainly this team is not full of lazy players who don't want to win - that is coachspeak to help motivate the players. Hold them accountable in the media, and get them fired up.

But there are real problems here, too. It starts with Riley's choices.

Letting Kapono go was not the worst thing that happened. He was just outpriced, overvalued. Bye. He's overrated. The problem is that Riley didn't replace him. Right now, teams are just forcing Miami to shoot and not giving them much to work with. That is, before Wade came back whose ability as a playmaker will help enhance the Heat's offense.

What it really comes down to is Miami can't shoot. Riley chose to keep Penny Hardaway and instead let a young shooter like Jeremy Richardson go. He also is not playing Dorell Wright or Daequan Cook - which means by keeping Penny, you also opted to put these young players back on the bench.

Now, it isn't Penny's fault - he is playing very well right now. But he isn't breaking any zone defenses - which Cook, Wright and even a Jeremy Richardson could help do.

The other problem, which is bigger, is that Shaq is not a starter anymore. He is not even the best center on this team - that would be Zo. Then Joel Anthony. Then Shaq.

Shaq just doesn't get it. You can't absorb passes in the pivot and hold on the ball - it won't score on its own. You have to put the ball in the hoop. Shaq just doesn't have the lift anymore, and as a result he fouls a lot on his way to the basket. Everything is slow and predictable. If he had a hook shot, he could fake it better and keep his defenders off balance. But he doesn't.

Shaq could use his excellent passing ability to keep defenders honest, but that would require his teammates to make shots - which they haven't been.

Riley has some tough decisions to make - and it really should come down to benching Shaq and going against what Riley feels comfortable doing - playing the young players.

That means start Dorell Wright and don't give him such a short lease - the kid can flat out play. You just have to give him a chance. Same goes for Cook, who just needs time and experience. Heck, you already have one of the worst records in the NBA. On the positive side, Wade is just getting back and this team has not played together much yet. Then again, the same could have been said about last year's team, and even the year before that.

Riley has to start changing things, but he needs to point the finger at himself and get over his age-old bias of experience over youth.