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The Miami Heat have long been viewed as a first-class franchise in the NBA, given how methodically they conduct their operations as an organization. That gave birth to the Heat Culture, with its primary custodians being the Godfather Pat Riley and Coach Erik Spoelstra.
A system that has every member accountable for their actions, with there being no star treatment. This is a primary reason why they've made the Finals twice in the last six years despite having no big names on the roster. However, ever since losing to the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 NBA Finals, things haven't been the same for the Heat, who have slipped downward.
Recently, appearing as a guest on veteran reporter and Heat insider Dan Le Batard's podcast, The LeBatard Show, Riley was asked to weigh in on the period between when Bam Adebayo blocked Jayson Tatum in Game 1 of the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals until the recent Giannis Antetokounmpo trade.
"You know, getting Jimmy Butler was a big play for us and we had a very good team and that's when we drafted Bam and Tyler in '17 and '19. Then we got Jimmy (Butler) with (Goran) Dragic and we went to the bubble and got to the Finals the first year,"stated Riles.
During this time, the Heat followed a strategy of drafting anywhere between the 18th and 27th pick while also adding veterans to the mix, a strategy that helped them get to the Finals in 2020.
Paying the price for not tanking
The Riley management never believed in the tanking philosophy, preferring to develop the middle-order draft picks under Spoelstra and his coaching staff. Reflecting on how tanking helped teams such as the OKC Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, Pat pointed out how their key players were among the Top 5 lottery picks and didn't need much development.
On the other hand, when it came to the Heat's 13th and 14th picks like Herro and Adebayo, many felt they had already peaked with two runs to the Finals.
"So, I should have lost a little more. That's what I should have done," said Riley sarcastically while explaining further:
"We never had a chance other than Wade and other than Beasley, second pick in the draft. Wade, the fifth pick in the draft," added Pat.
Furthermore, Riley has seen the first-hand benefits of landing a Top 5 lottery pick, especially with D-Wade, who played an integral part in all three of the franchise's titles and is widely regarded as the greatest player ever to don the Heat uniform.
Turning a new leaf with the addition of the Greek Freak
After a brief lull following Butler's ugly exit, the Heat seem to be back in the hunt for the East with the Antetokounmpo trade, with many describing it as a franchise-altering move. That said, Riley may have gone all out with this one, considering the trade involved parting with four first-round draft picks. Regardless, the Greek Freak was worth the risk.
It would be wishful thinking to have the Heat immediately make the Finals with the addition of Giannis, as there is still a lot that needs to be done to address the gaps on the roster. Nevertheless, it will be exciting to see the two-time Bucks MVP share the frontcourt with Bam, as well as play under Coach Spo.
Having turned 81 this year, the Giannis push could serve as Pat's last power move as an executive for the Heat. Still, from the looks of it, The Godfather does not seem to have any plans to call it quits.
