Heat coach Pat Riley, probably realizing that it’s no fun coaching a team that gets destroyed by 70 points a night, is making the wise move to just be team president. Former assistant coach/director of scouting Erik Spoelstra is now head coach. It’s not surprising that the new coach came from within, as Spoelstra obviously has Riley’s respect, knows the players and the team’s secrets. And until Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion get a lot more help around them the team has plenty of rebuilding to to.
“The game of basketball is a game about talent,” said Riley. “While we are always looking for NBA talent to perform on the court, the most important talent that you may find has to perform on the bench, in the locker room, on the practice court, late at night, watching film, motivating and executing all the responsibilities of a head coach. I believe Erik Spoelstra is one of the most talented young coaches to come around in a long time. This game is now about younger coaches who are technologically skilled, innovative and bring fresh new ideas. That’s what we feel we are getting with Erik Spoelstra. He’s a man that was born to coach.”
More info about Spoelstra is here.
