It's almost impossible to look at the Miami Heat's situation heading into the 2025-26 NBA season and feel as if Pat Riley has put them in a position to succeed. In fact, considering they find themselves stuck in NBA mediocrity, which could end up being for the foreseeable future, the argument could be made that Riley has put the team in the worst possible position it could be in.
The Heat's identity is somewhat of an unknown. They have two expensive All-Star players, who may not be good enough to operate as the team's No. 1 or 2 options, and are not considered a serious contender.