Should Riley Fire Himself?

Let the fire blaze - off the court that is. Because there is certainly no fire - or smoke for that matter - on the court.

Zo is out for the season and might be done for his career. Shaq is undergoing "non-traditional" treatments for his hip in LA. Wade's injury is, all of a sudden, being characterized as worse than previously thought. Jason Williams shaved his head.

It doesn't mean the Heat were going to be this bad, but it certainly means that they are definitely as bad as their record indicates. It is almost like a curse...perhaps the curse of the Toine-bino? That is for another discussion.

The question is starting to be asked: Skolnick ponders why not just give the reins to Spoelstra now; MiamiHeatwave was asking a poll about Jeff Van Gundy's possibility as a fit here in Miami. Yet Riley himself said the replacement would come from within.

Too bad Stan Van Gundy didn't stick to that 4 year promise he made his daughter and stayed on as a consultant for the Heat another season. He could have been inheriting this team, again, for good. Then again, would that really have happened - could the players really have been able to welcome SVG back after his burnout exit? Certainly Shaq, who chased him out of town to begin with, wouldn't.

Ron Rothstein is a fixed part of this team's past - not its future.

Erik Spoelstra, long regarded as a strong coaching talent, is just about right to be plucked. Why not give it to him now and let Riley console that hip of his and work on acquiring players that he doesn't have to worry about getting along with? Skolnick is right on with calling for Spoelstra to replace Riley. And even if Spoelstra fails miserably, very few will notice and Miami can always change coaches coming into next season.

I'd do it quicker than Keith Askins can say "right on". Why is it, everytime I see Keith, I expect his bowtie to spin in a circle? Maybe that might get these players to focus a bit more.

At any rate, a prime time coach under any normal circumstances would have been fired by now or on his way out the door. But Riley is having a hard time firing himself. He is afraid of what the public might think. Here's a clue - thank God! It would show the people that Riley has some perspective and that a healthy dose of self-criticism is there.

It isn't that Riley is a bad coach - by far. But when armed with what he has on hand, there isn't much he can do - he is used to a certain style of coaching. The rules were changed while he was out - quite literally. We can't expect him to take this team in a new direction. Yet on the other hand, he can't be expected to find the best talent for this team and coach it. He is more concerned with the personalities he has to deal with as a coach and that alone keeps him from making the deals he needs to make. See Smush Parker - the only reason this guy is not playing is because Riley, for whatever reason, can't coexist with him. That is a conflict of interest at best, and at worst the picture would be of a GM and a coach that can't work well together.

A change is not necessary, it is inevitable. Riley has to figure which job he wants to keep - team president or team coach. Because he cannot do both. It just doesn't work. And frankly, a legendary coach like himself shouldn't be subjected to the mediocre roster that his "GM" currently gave him. One of them has to be fired. Riley's eye for talent has a more enduring vision at this point than does his coaching, which seems to bleed lesser players dry of their energy with his legendary practices.

The idea is sound - make the change, or be changed. Embrace it, while you still have a chance.

Shaq Being Shopped?

Nothing to see here...move along...

This is what it feels like these days. Some on the boards have started questioning this about a month ago. But where there's smoke...there is some heat? Because this team lacks fire.

Still, everyone is talking about what is NOT going on. Interesting. So Riley isn't shopping Shaq we are assured. That's funny because moving a contract like Shaq's now would be very hard to do. Then again, they said the same thing about Antoine Walker's deal and the Heat not only moved his contract off the books, but also upgraded with the acquisitions of Ricky Davis and Mark Blount (which forced us to part ways with Michael Doleac and Wayne Simien).

Could the Heat pull off something similar? Not likely, unless Mark Cuban wants to gamble. And frankly, that would make sense because that team is not going to win anything unless it gets mentally tougher. Shaq at least brings a massive ego and a confidence that champions need. Funny though how the Mavs' beat writers seem to be talking a lot of trash about the Heat these days - they and their how many championships? And they have even speculated about trading for Shaq which would help them in their search for a trophy.

Still, a deal to trade Shaq isn't happening because Pat Riley said so. Right Pat? Just like SVG was going to be coaching this team for quite a while and you were done coaching.

But here is what is positive about this - a statement. Riley has said "There's going to be a time when he's going to have to play with it. He's going to have to deal with it in the future and fight through it." That means Riley is calling Shaq out. As I have dubbed him, Whaq, his 250K per game price tag is just too much to ignore. He has his money, now it is time to produce. The Heat have held up their end of the bargain, Shaq needs to do his.

Join the discussion.

Deal or No Deal?

The question is becoming paramount, almost the defining point of this season - should Miami trade for help or not?

The Heat are 8-24 and even as Ira Winderman points out, it is with great optimism at this point the Heat could get back to contending for a playoff spot. Let alone a shot at the title. The Heat would have to win 33 of their remaining 50 games to get to that .500 winning percentage which basically assures a playoff spot. That means 33-17 the rest of the way and there is no reason to estimate that as probable.

The season, as it stands, is a failure. The only questions to be answered is how many games will Whaq show up for and how many games will Riley coach from here on out.

The Heat have to commit to the future - that is what Riley himself seems to be commenting about.

So the answer is obvious - the Heat are in win maybe mode. They need to refocus on the young players they have (Cook, Wright, Barron, Quinn, Joel Anthony and Alexander Johnson) and see where that takes them. Maybe even Cook, Wright and Wade could turn out to be something akin to the Odom, Butler and Wade lineup that was on the verge of shocking the world (at least Indiana) in the 2003-2004 season.

Even Isiah Thomas, the league's worst GM, realizes that today's NBA game is a small man's game. Riley, for all his coaching talents, has only begun to realize this last season. At least publicly. But let's not make the same mistake Thomas has made - taking whatever is available and forcing it to work - that seems to be what this past offseason was about.

Sure, Riley tried this offseason: yet as Yoda says, "do or do not, there is no try". And he did not improve the Heat's chances with the players he acquired. Thankfully, he did not put the Heat in as bad of a position as Isiah did with the contracts he got in return. Arison wouldn't sign off on it.

The Heat now are forced to build around what they have. What they have is a frustrated young superstar in Wade who doesn't like losing. What they have is a grumpy old center that has to find a way to recover his game as it slips from his mighty hands. Shaq's refusal to reinvent himself in his latter years is the true reason why Miami is faced with the fall from grace few championship teams have ever faced. The Heat look more like a flash in the pan than a sustaining force. A trend more than a classic.

But there is hope if one chooses to see it. Daequan Cook looks to be a legit NBA scorer with star potential - he has the mental makeup to stay in this league and build with Wade. So does Dorell Wright - when Riley actually plays the both of them which injury has forced him to.

Riley's inability to change also has been his downfall. Stan Van Gundy always showed an ability to work with whatever he was given - just look at how much his team changed from 03-04 to 04-05 and how the Heat sustained success. He did something even Riley in his rigidness could not do.

There should be no deal for Miami unless it is a deal for the future and not for the now. Any deal to try and salvage this season should be predicated on the fact that the Heat are not going to win a championship this season but look to the future instead. If Riley, proving stubborn and ever the optimist, makes the mistake of dealing for parts to win now, he is mortgaging the future on his narrow view as a coach instead of a broader view which is demanded of a GM.

There is no greater illustration of this than Riley's gamble on Jason Williams knees. The Heat's 2007-2008 season was bet on his creaky knees being healthy and as a result the Heat franchise has stumbled and now are found on their knees.

Heat Got Issues

More like Unhappy New Year.

The Heat lost to the Bucks last night 103-98. A team that had 2 road wins comes into our house and beats us. Sure, we were shorthanded, but still, we got DWade.

Well, Flash wasn't enough. In fact, it looked like he was going to only play half a game last night, starting the first quarter with 4 points and 3 turnovers. He is just pressing too much and you can tell he doesn't quite trust this team right now.

For example, to close out the first half, Wade passed the ball twice to Ricky Davis who dropped the ball both times - on the same possession! Butterfingers Davis did come through with a great effort, except at that particular moment.

The Heat showed signs of their biggest problem that has plagued them all season - no defense. During the third quarter, the Bucks just kept rattling off points while the Heat couldn't find ways to stop them or score themselves.

The Heat had some bright spots - Quinn and Blount started and put in solid efforts to replace Williams and Shaq. Quinn, I have been saying all season long, needs to be the de facto starter for this squad since he is more of an offensive threat than Williams - I know, did I really just say that? But the numbers don't lie. Quinn doesn't turn the ball over and shoots efficiently with his timid offense, but his confidence is growing and he is taking the ball to the hole and getting scores.

Blount actually helped matters - he dominated the first quarter and was the reason why the Heat jumped out to an early lead and helped the Heat shoot over 50% in the first half. His energy and movement opened up the lane and his jumper helped spread the defense. Yet, he is hardly in position to get rebounds as a result - and he had three in the first quarter but then only 1 rebound the rest of the game. In order to meet that challenge, the Heat have to find someone to rebound at PF since Udonis has been exposed as a limited, although hard working, stiff.

The issues only start there though. Riley's obsession over Luke Jackson is understandable - the kid had a great game in college. Hell, I want him to succeed and was excited at the prospect of his signing. But Kapono he is not, and although he can drive the ball he really shouldn't. His floater in the lane last night looked terrible and he looks like a JV kid trying to play with teh varsity.

What is more puzzling is why Riley won't just get over himself and trust Cook. The kid is an offensive weapon - he can light it up in a hurry. Like he did last night and helped save this anemic offense. If Riley gave the kid 25+ minutes a night, Cook might consistently score 15+ points - and help spread the floor with his shot in the process. But Riley is too smart for that.

Then there is Whaq, Shaq's alter ego/evil twin. Whaq showed up this season to pretend to be Shaq - he plants in the lane, doesn't move on offense, doesn't box out, doesn't play defense. He whines after losses and points the finger, grumbles about the team and its performance - yet never offers to take the team on his back and lead by example. Whaq, of course, doesn't sit with his teammates when he is injured, too. Calling into question just how injured he is and just how much does he really want to win.

As far as I am concerned, Whaq can stay injured. Whenever Shaq returns, who knows if he does, he can come back. Until then, keep the imposter off the floor and even off the bench for all I care.

Riley seemed to address this though, too. He seems to note that players are quitting on this team because of the losses. He wants the players to commit to the future - yet several don't have much future beyond this season: Jason Williams and Ricky Davis, for example. Davis, however, is out there playing and trying. Williams pouts about possibly being traded, and all of a sudden his knees are creaking up again. Riley was a fool, a commendable one though, for gambling the Heat's season on Jason Williams' knees. Jwill should at least take note of that and attempt to repay Riley's faith.

So the Heat have all kinds of issues - lack of trust in teammates, lack of a consistent effort, no leadership, and no vision of the future. This season, as promising as we all thought it to be, is not turning into utter blackness. A trade might not be enough to save this team - but it did work in '96. Then again, playing for the lottery is not a good idea as the Heat, even with a horrible record, are not likely to get one of the top 2 picks in the draft. Look at Boston last season. David Stern would never give Riley that kind of luck.

Artest and Bibby or Pietrus and Stoudemire?

First of all, Happy New Year everyone - here's to 2008 and goodbye to 2007. For the Heat, 2007 was a horrible year, going 39-48 during the calendar. Hopefully things change.

But don't be foolish and expect things to change just because the 7 was replaced by an 8. Keeping the same players around and expecting a different result is just moronic. Riley must know this and that is why there will be a deal sooner rather than later. If not, they will continue to spiral downward and the season will be lost.

So what possibilities are there? Well, Mickeal Pietrus remains a strong possibility to be dealt - that is, if we can believe his agent. They are pushing for a deal so that Pietrus can get the playing time he needs in order to score a big contract. He has commented on playing "closer to the West Indies" which is a very obvious way of saying Miami. Miami continues to show interest.

Then there is another option slowly churning in the background - Damon Stoudemire. The Grizzlies, loaded with PGs (Juan Carlos Navarro, Kyle Lowery, Mike Conley and Damon Stoudemire) are looking to shore up the rotation. They have committed to Conley (6th pick in the draft) and it seems sensible to move Stoudemire's contract although it is not certain they are trying to free up cap space (speculation about trading for Mike Miller has several teams tossed around including Miami). Golden State may attempt to land Stoudemire as a backup PG, which would undercut Miami's bid to land Pietrus and to trade for Stoudemire, a player Riley has shown interest in the past (plus the fact that the Heat have been able to work out trades with the Grizzlies in the past).

The other possibility, which is much more positive, is a trade with the Kings to get Artest, Bibby and possibly even Kenny Thomas. The Heat have been interested in this move for some time, and it seems that the Kings might actually start becoming more amicable to a deal with Artest getting bone chips removed and possibly missing a few weeks. With Beno Udrih, Bibby is not needed and Kenny Thomas does not get any playing time for new coach Reggie Theus. This deal would have to start with expiring contracts - the likes of Ricky Davis and Jason Williams. The Heat might even have to toss in a Udonis Haslem or even a Dorell Wright.

This is why I would pull the Kings trade before all others - it would make the Heat matter again instantly. They would get two excellent scoring options in Artest and Bibby who can play off of Wade or even help set things up for Shaq. But in Kenny Thomas they get a hard-nosed player who can slide in at PF and start if UD left. You have a starting five right there that could really make it interesting for the Heat in the second half.

If there is a deal looming, we will find out sooner rather than later. If Riley wants to save this season, it will have to be now. If not, no deal will be made and the season will be surrendered and scrapped for next year when the 8 changes into a 9.