Heat coach Erik Spoelstra gives Pat Riley his flowers before 2024-25 season
10/17/2024 01:43 PM
Star small forward Jimmy Butler played well on Wednesday in the Miami Heat’s preseason home win against their southeast divisional rivals, the Atlanta Hawks. The Heat moved to 3-1 on the preseason with the victory and now have just one more tune-up game before things get underway for real in 2024-25 next week.
One subject of criticism in the Heat organization over the last few years has been team president Pat Riley, whose impact on the team’s success over the years is undeniable but whose apparent unwillingness to take any big swings in trades or free agency has limited the ceiling that this Miami group can achieve.
Still, that didn’t stop head coach Erik Spoelstra from giving Riley his flowers during a recent appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
“When you’re in the building and he’s here, you’re driven… This is the kind of workplace that I always dreamt about being part of… There’s one goal,” said Spoelstra. “…He’s got as much energy now as he did 15 years ago. I think he’s in better shape and better energy level than his last year of coaching.”
What is the Heat’s ceiling this year?
Outside of the Boston Celtics, no team in the Eastern Conference has had more success over the last five seasons than the Heat, who have reached two NBA Finals and another conference finals during that span, led by Jimmy Butler.
However, some would argue that the rest of the conference has now passed Miami up, with teams like the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers both making huge splashes in the offseason while the Heat stood by and idled with largely the same core as they’ve had the last few years.
There is optimism that Butler, who has made a habit out of not playing his best in the regular season, will be motivated to try a bit harder this season as he looks to secure a new contract, but it’s unclear whether that alone will be enough to carry a flawed roster very far in an increasingly crowded playoff picture.
Miami will be banking on the continued development of young players like Nikola Jovic and Jaime Jacquez Jr. in order to supplement their veteran pieces and try to salvage however much elite play Butler has left in the tank.
In any case, the Heat are set to open up their season on October 23 vs the Orlando Magic at home.
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