Ira Winderman: Allowing uneven East to dictate Heat future would be a fool’s errand by Riley
MIAMI — The problem with being reduced to playoff bystander is the danger of getting caught up in possibilities lost, at a time when rational thought about realistic possibilities is paramount. As he wrapped up his team’s season last week, Miami Heat President Pat Riley spoke of having pushed for the playoffs, instead of a midseason asset reset, because of what the team viewed as a potential wide-open East race. Hope trafficking?
Sure. But hasn’t that been the case with the Heat since the Big Three of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade fractured 12 years ago? Since Riley spoke last week of an open East, the Heat, from the postseason sidelines, watched the No.
8 Orlando Magic push the No. 1 Detroit Pistons to a Game 7, the No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers eliminate the No.
2 Boston Celtics and the No. 5 Toronto Raptors going to a Game 7 against the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers.
Factor in a few shaky moments for the No. 3 New York Knicks early in their six-game elimination of the No. 6 Atlanta Hawks, and it would be difficult to argue there is anything as close to imposing in the East as the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs in the West.
Continue to the original source for the full article.