Pat Riley was defiant Monday in the wake of his Miami Heat missing the playoffs in year one of the post-LeBron James era. As part of his bid to assemble a more effective unit for next season, he's confident that point guard Goran Dragic won't be going anywhere, per Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel.
"If he doesn't sign, my ass is going to be in that [media] seat and I'll be writing about it," the 70-year-old told reporters with a laugh on Monday.
Riley appeared confident about keeping his current talent intact—in part because he's apparently working with the right kind of guys.
Lest we forget, the Heat felt pretty good about their chances of retaining James last summer—so good, in fact, that the organization drafted LBJ-favorite Shabazz Napier in the first round.
So far, however, Dragic has given Riley every reason to be optimistic.
"I'm a free agent, but I like this organization," he told Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald earlier this month. "I hope to stay here."
There hasn't been a promise, but Dragic seemed to mesh well with Miami despite never playing alongside big man Chris Bosh—who found himself sidelined for the remainder of the season with blood clots since February 11. Dragic still liked what he saw of the franchise, and that probably bodes well.
"Of course, I need to sit down with my family, with my agent, and explore the options and see which option is the best for myself, but, like I said, the last two months was beautiful for me," Dragic explained via Goodman this month. "We didn’t make the playoffs, but that doesn’t affect my decision. The teammates were great, and the team has a bright future, the coaching staff, the organization."
For what it's worth, Dragic also appreciates Miami's weather and proximity to the ocean. Can't hurt.
Should the 28-year-old stick around, the Heat would have one of the most potent backcourts in the business thanks to the still-great Dwyane Wade. With Bosh and Hassan Whiteside in the mix, the playoffs wouldn't be out of the picture by any means.
A return to that postseason is Riley's bottom line between now and the start of the 2015-16 campaign.
"There is not a person in the organization who doesn't think we should have made the playoffs," he added. "We always come to win a championship. I don't care what the odds are; I don't care what the prognosticators say.
"Nothing's changed from the standpoint of what our philosophy is from year in and year out. That's what our job is right now, to continue to try to do so."
With or without Dragic, adding talent remains a high priority for Miami. As Winderman notes, "The next major moment for the Heat is the May 19 NBA draft lottery."
Winderman adds that Miami only keeps its pick if it's among the first 10 selections, otherwise it goes to the Philadelphia 76ers. Pending the lottery, odds are the Heat will land the No. 10 pick exactly—but that's still up to chance for now.
from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1G0Y8ZK
via IFTTT April 20, 2015 at 10:24AM
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