After LeBron James decided that it's time to go back home to the Cleveland Cavaliers, one question instantly came into mind in many people. What's next for the Miami Heat? Will they raise the white flag and put their hopes in the lottery the way the Cavaliers did in 2010 when LeBron went south?
The Heat front office clearly took a big hit with LeBron's departure but they quickly shrugged off the blow and managed to steer the team away from rocky shores. Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem, who opted out of their contracts together with James and Bosh with the idea of giving the Heat front office the flexibility it needs to revamp the roster, are staying put. Bosh meanwhile, flirted with the prospect of joining forces with Harden and Howard in Houston and almost took the max-contract offer that the Rockets were ready to give him.
Fortunately for Miami, Pat Riley managed to convince Bosh on staying with the challenge of being "The Man" in the Heat and a 5 year, $118 million deal which was a year and $30 million more than what the Rockets could offer the star power forward. He then went on signing solid veteran free agents in Josh McRoberts and Danny Granger. And the latest in the Heat addition was veteran defensive swingman Luold Deng.
He saved that franchise from who knows how many tough years," said an executive from one of the Heat's Southeast Division rivals. "They were on fumes Friday night after the LeBron news. Everybody goes into free agency with contingency plans. But that's a death-blow, losing the best player in the game. But you have to give [Riley] credit, he didn't flinch. He had to pay Bosh more than he probably wanted to or should have. But he held it together. He had to or else they were done for at least a year or two.
All props to Pat Riley for salvaging the Heat from total collapse. Now they have a solid core of proven veterans in Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and Luol Deng while managing to retain Chris "Bird Man" Andersen and Mario Chalmers. But the East is suddenly looking crowded with the addition of the Cavs and the Bulls making an offseason addition of Pau Gasol making it difficult to foresee where the current Heat team ranks in the conference.
But if if you look at how the East has gotten tougher the more you would appreciate what Riley has done to keep the Heat competitive in its Post-LeBron years.
Miami is not a favorite to come out in the East but they will certainly be a playoff team and its not farfetched to think that they would finish in the top four of the conference. Especially if Bosh seriously takes the challenge of being "The Man" in Miami and live up to the potential that he has shown during his Raptor days before coming to the heat and becoming the third wheel behind Wade and LeBron.
Join the Conversation