The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. And, yes, the incomparable Pat Riley is human, and humans make mistakes. It’s time for Riley to learn from his.
Riley’s blueprint in the summer of 2017 was simple: Re-sign a motley group of quasi-veterans who busted their butts to become respectable NBA players and finish the prior season by winning 30 of their final 41 games to long-term contracts, and allow those players to develop and grow within the Miami Heat system–otherwise known as The Culture.
The Culture was real.