OT: Pat Riley

[Natebishop3]

Am I the only one who thinks Riley is getting WAAAAAY too much credit for this? What did he REALLY do? Does anyone really think that Riley sold LeBron on this? I think it was Wade who talked Bosh and James into joining forces down in Miami. Was there any other city that could have signed all three? I think this was simply three guys who are friends deciding that they want to sign in the same place and dominate. Miami just happened to have the cap flexibility to sign all three.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

You don't need a CAP GENIUS to sign free agents. You just need a vision and the balls to get it done. Riles has always been a ballsy guy when it comes to these kind of things.

Riley is a closer.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

If any other GM pulled this move, it would be pure genius. It wasn't a total giveaway screwjob like when L*kers got Gasol or Celts got Garnett.....this took agression by Miami with a little help from the players.

 

[Natebishop3]

If any other GM pulled this move, it would be pure genius. It wasn't a total giveaway screwjob like when L*kers got Gasol or Celts got Garnett.....this took agression by Miami with a little help from the players.

I still think this was Wade. Pure and simple. Riley only cleared the cap space, which is great and everything, but he wasn't the only gm who was gutting his roster to sign LeBron.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Clearing cap space took work. It was a gamble, clearing the cap space would not guarantee LeBron. There were multiple suitors, each with a very strong case for him to sign. At the end of the day, the GM is the one who negotiates and Riley has a proven track record which has been built upon time both as a coach and a general manager.

He took a gamble with Shaq and that paid off with a ring. What, was that D-Wade too?

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

If you were to assign a percentage of contribution of Riley versus Wade in getting LeBron, what would it be?

 

[THE HCP]

You guys realize he is gonna weasel his way onto the bench again! He can't stay out of the spotlight!

 

[Natebishop3]

Clearing cap space took work. It was a gamble, clearing the cap space would not guarantee LeBron. There were multiple suitors, each with a very strong case for him to sign. At the end of the day, the GM is the one who negotiates and Riley has a proven track record which has been built upon time both as a coach and a general manager.

He took a gamble with Shaq and that paid off with a ring. What, was that D-Wade too?

Shaq was a trade, so of course that was Riley, but this was LeBron picking Miami over NY, Chicago, NJ, the Clips, etc. How is Riley a genius when all those other teams did the same thing and came up empty? I would say this is 80% Wade and 20% Riley.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Shaq was a trade, so of course that was Riley, but this was LeBron picking Miami over NY, Chicago, NJ, the Clips, etc. How is Riley a genius when all those other teams did the same thing and came up empty? I would say this is 80% Wade and 20% Riley.

Riley has built a reputation for winning. If the GM of Miami was a fuckup like any of the other teams, he might not have gone in. And he had the vision and/or luck to clear ENOUGH cap space to sign all 3 players. If this did not happen, none of this would have.

New York- perennial losers.
NJ - no GM
Chicago- Jerrys treated MJ like shit then the franchise went to shit after he left. all about Jordan.
Cleavland- no GM. fired the coach. LBJ was all that was keeping them winning

 

[PHXBlazer1]

It goes with the NBA theme where things just seem to kind of work out for certain people. Mainly Riley and Phil Jax, they basically just take turns every couple years. Must be nice.

 

[Natebishop3]

Riley has built a reputation for winning. If the GM of Miami was a fuckup like any of the other teams, he might not have gone in. And he had the vision and/or luck to clear ENOUGH cap space to sign all 3 players. If this did not happen, none of this would have.

New York- perennial losers.
NJ - no GM
Chicago- Jerrys treated MJ like shit then the franchise went to shit after he left. all about Jordan.
Cleavland- no GM. fired the coach. LBJ was all that was keeping them winning

Riley didn't win shit in NY. He had the luxury of coaching the Lakers with Magic and Kareem. What's so great about him? He's like Phil, he only coaches teams with superstars. Doesn't take a genius to figure out that coaching a team with the best player in the league makes you a winner. Like HCP said, I can guarantee that we will see Riley back on the bench now that LeBron is there, and he will be the "great coach who led LeBron and co. to championship." Please...... if anyone is a great coach, it's the guy who takes a team of role players to a title. Larry Brown took the Pistons, with no real superstar, and beat the Lakers with Kobe, Shaq, Malone, and Payton.

Fuck Riley.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Riley didn't win shit in NY. He had the luxury of coaching the Lakers with Magic and Kareem. What's so great about him? He's like Phil, he only coaches teams with superstars. Doesn't take a genius to figure out that coaching a team with the best player in the league makes you a winner. Like HCP said, I can guarantee that we will see Riley back on the bench now that LeBron is there, and he will be the "great coach who led LeBron and co. to championship." Please...... if anyone is a great coach, it's the guy who takes a team of role players to a title. Larry Brown took the Pistons, with no real superstar, and beat the Lakers with Kobe, Shaq, Malone, and Payton.

Fuck Riley.

Sure, he's coached championship teams. he had superstars, and this is what he has now. No doubt if in 10 games, the Heat are not undefeated, Riles will probably get back on the bench.

If Stan Van Gundy was coaching the heat and they had Randy Pfund as GM, do you really think this deal gets done? No because PAT RILEY is not in the mix. LeBron wanted to go to a winner.

 

[Natebishop3]

Sure, he's coached championship teams. he had superstars, and this is what he has now. No doubt if in 10 games, the Heat are not undefeated, Riles will probably get back on the bench.

If Stan Van Gundy was coaching the heat and they had Randy Pfund as GM, do you really think this deal gets done? No because PAT RILEY is not in the mix. LeBron wanted to go to a winner.

LeBron wanted to play with Wade and Bosh. He said so. He couldn't have done that in Chicago, he couldn't have done that in NY, and he couldn't have done that in NJ. Miami was the only viable option for all three players, unless there was a sign and trade.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

LeBron wanted to play with Wade and Bosh. He said so.

and Pat Riley made it possible. He's the GM. He cleared REAL cap space. So he was able to get it done.

No one else did.

 

[Natebishop3]

and Pat Riley made it possible. He's the GM. He cleared REAL cap space. So he was able to get it done.

No one else did.

Quit sucking Riles' dick Eric!

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Who else cleared enough cap space to sign 3 max players?

THEN get Mike Miller.

 

[Natebishop3]

Who else cleared enough cap space to sign 3 max players?

THEN get Mike Miller.

I wouldn't tout the Miller signing just yet... they gave up the #2 pick in the draft after only two seasons. That's pretty fucking sad, and there's still a VERY Good chance that will end up biting them in the ass. I would have kept Beasley just to see how he played with LeBron and co.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

I wouldn't tout the Miller signing just yet... they gave up the #2 pick in the draft after only two seasons. That's pretty fucking sad, and there's still a VERY Good chance that will end up biting them in the ass. I would have kept Beasley just to see how he played with LeBron and co.

didn't they have to get rid of Beasley to get LeBronze?

 

[PHXBlazer1]

didn't they have to get rid of Beasley to get LeBronze?

Not after Stern manipulated the salary cap and it was magically $2 million higher than projected. Weird how these things work.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/7100410.html

The $4.9 million in salary-cap space gained is crucial in the Heat's plan to add James and Toronto Raptors free-agent power forward Chris Bosh to a revamped roster that also includes re-signed guard Dwyane Wade.

see Nate. If you were Heat GM, you would have kept Beasley and LeBron wouldn't have been able to sign for max money!

 

[rocketeer]

Am I the only one who thinks Riley is getting WAAAAAY too much credit for this? What did he REALLY do? Does anyone really think that Riley sold LeBron on this? I think it was Wade who talked Bosh and James into joining forces down in Miami. Was there any other city that could have signed all three? I think this was simply three guys who are friends deciding that they want to sign in the same place and dominate. Miami just happened to have the cap flexibility to sign all three.

he's also going to get way too much credit when he has success coaching the team.

 

[PHXBlazer1]

From "15 strong" to "3 stars and Mario Chalmers" in 4 years. You go Patty!

(oh ya Mike Miller too)

 

[KingSpeed]

Am I the only one who thinks Riley is getting WAAAAAY too much credit for this? What did he REALLY do.

Riley is the guy in charge. He was the only GM who cleared enough cap space for three stars and he did it while still making the playoffs at a 5th seed.

 

[Natebishop3]

Riley is the guy in charge. He was the only GM who cleared enough cap space for three stars and he did it while still making the playoffs at a 5th seed.

Once again, you give Riley too much credit. It was Wade who got them LeBron and it was Wade who made that team a playoff team.

07-08 Wade goes down with an injury, plays in only 59 games. Heat got 15-67

08-09 Wade plays in 79 games, Heat 43-39.

You can't tell me it was Marion or Jermaine O'Neal who made that team a playoff team.

 

[Mediocre Man]

You guys realize he is gonna weasel his way onto the bench again! He can't stay out of the spotlight!

I hope so, then we can hire Spoelstra after Nate leves next summer

 

[Denny Crane]

Riley is like PJax in that players like him and want to play for him.

Two of Wade/Bosh/LeBron might have gone to the Bulls with their superior young core of players if players actually liked Bulls management.

 

[Masbee]

Am I the only one who thinks Riley is getting WAAAAAY too much credit for this? What did he REALLY do? Does anyone really think that Riley sold LeBron on this? I think it was Wade who talked Bosh and James into joining forces down in Miami. Was there any other city that could have signed all three? I think this was simply three guys who are friends deciding that they want to sign in the same place and dominate. Miami just happened to have the cap flexibility to sign all three.

You are wrong.

Pat Riley deserves tons of credit.

Chicago was a better situation for LeBron in terms of roster.

Point Guard and Center are set.

Miami has no point guard and no center. That is a real problem. So why would LeBron hesitate to go to Chicago?

The difference between Chicago and Miami -

Of course, Miami has the weather and no income tax, but I think the key difference:

Management and Ownership.

Miami: They have never screwed a star player over. They pay their players. They will pay the luxury tax and have done so recently.

Chicago: Not so much. Despite their claims to LeBron that they will pay luxury tax if he came, and that they would never screw HIM over, how could he trust them when their past actions do not match their current words.

Reputation matters. Riley has a rep for putting teams together, making ballsy moves, and taking care of his players, and winning with a bunch of different teams. Arison has a rep for spending big bucks on players salaries and paying the luxury tax.

Chicago has the Jordan era, which ended badly, and the rest is pretty much crap.

 

[Natebishop3]

You are wrong.

Pat Riley deserves tons of credit.

Chicago was a better situation for LeBron in terms of roster.

Point Guard and Center are set.

Miami has no point guard and no center. That is a real problem. So why would LeBron hesitate to go to Chicago?

The difference between Chicago and Miami -

Of course, Miami has the weather and no income tax, but I think the key difference:

Management and Ownership.

Miami: They have never screwed a star player over. They pay their players. They will pay the luxury tax and have done so recently.

Chicago: Not so much. Despite their claims to LeBron that they will pay luxury tax if he came, and that they would never screw HIM over, how could he trust them when their past actions do not match their current words.

Reputation matters. Riley has a rep for putting teams together, making ballsy moves, and taking care of his players, and winning with a bunch of different teams. Arison has a rep for spending big bucks on players salaries and paying the luxury tax.

Chicago has the Jordan era, which ended badly, and the rest is pretty much crap.

You failed to explain how that was Riley and not Wade. We know that Wade had the summit with Bosh and LeBron. Riley was not present for that. If Riley sold anyone, it was Wade, and I'm not even sure that happened. I think Riley was just along for the ride on this one.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Wade did not clear the cap space.

 

[Masbee]

You failed to explain how that was Riley and not Wade. We know that Wade had the summit with Bosh and LeBron. Riley was not present for that. If Riley sold anyone, it was Wade, and I'm not even sure that happened. I think Riley was just along for the ride on this one.

And why did Wade want to stay in Miami if at all possible?

And why did Bosh want to go to Miami, and refused to go to Cleveland and rejected Chicago?

You don't think it might have been because they were more comfortable with Miami's ownership and management than with the other places? You don't think it was because ownership made bold moves to create the most cap space?

I can see you will never be convinced. Whatever. Think it is all about Wade if you like. Yeah, he runs that team, makes all the moves and signs all the checks. That dude is amazing!