When the Miami Heat and president Pat Riley made their pivot on the new franchise star with Jimmy Butler, nobody expected the success that would follow. This Butler/Bam Adebayo/Tyler Herro core has defied all the odds. It is a team that has reached two NBA Finals and an Eastern Conference finals in five years.
Those Finals runs also came as a fifth and eighth seed in the East. The philosophy has always been the same; elite coaching led by an elite front office and management in hopes of continuing a winning culture. With star players like Butler at the helm, it has been easy to buy into that mentality.
In a recent interview with Riley and the Miami Herald, he spoke on the sixth year of this current Heat build:
“Six years, yeah, this is a telling year for the team. It should be.”
Riley’s mentality and approach to free agency has been questionable to Heat fans. As other East teams like the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks have gotten better on paper, Miami has stayed true to their build. Over the years, the movement around the conference hasn’t phased Riley. He has always hoped that health and internal growth would ultimately push his team over the hump.
If any year could make that notion a reality, it is this year. The Heat have been adamant on maintaining their health, which has been led by example with Butler. The franchise star has been playing in every preseason game, including the second night of a back-to-back. For someone who hasn’t appeared in a single preseason outing in each of the last two years, this is a big deal.
Riley challenged Butler on his availability issues since the end of last season, and recently doubled down on that when acknowledging a potential contract extension.
Pat Riley on Jimmy Butler’s extension:
“The doors open for the very best. We know he’s a great player. We need our best people, the ones who are highest paid, most talented, to be together on the court at same time to believe we can win, and he’s crucial to that.”
(via Miami… pic.twitter.com/uLVdF15HEv
— Hot Hot Hoops (@hothothoops) October 18, 2024
So far, Butler has answered the bell, and is leading by example in this department. The rest of the roster looks locked in and ready to go on a revenge tour. The starting unit that features the core four and Nikola Jovic has looked promising.
Coach Erik Spoelstra has transitioned to a more modern day offense in terms of playing faster and with more 3-point volume. The Heat have attempted at least 40 three’s in each of their four preseason games so far, which was an offensive mentality that led to Boston’s most recent championship. Factor in these adjustments with health, player growth and more cohesion/chemistry, and the Heat could be break through with something special.
Riley has put all his trust and chips into this Heat build, and it could be long overdue for his gamble to finally pay off.
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