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Now this is something new for Mr Riley, he wants to get younger. He also talks about he expects James Jones and Eddie House to be back. Says he expects Spo to step on the gas as far as the tempo that they plan on playing at, next season

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/ ... id=6702364

Poor decesion. All the Heat needed was an average lebron and they win the title.

You win titles with veterans and stars playing like stars.

When you get young guys, they need to learn the Championship way and their ego gets in the way. Its hard for young guys to play in a place where only 3 guys get credit for wins. Veterans realize that does not matter.

He must be reading this board

Thank you Pat.

LovetheNBA1 wrote:Poor decesion. All the Heat needed was an average lebron and they win the title.

You win titles with veterans and stars playing like stars.

When you get young guys, they need to learn the Championship way and their ego gets in the way. Its hard for young guys to play in a place where only 3 guys get credit for wins. Veterans realize that does not matter.

You need a mix. Some fresh legs, and some veterans. Develop the fresh legs so you can compete in the future, keep the veterans so you can compete for the present.

We have plenty of "veteran" in Lebron, Wade, and Bosh. Okay, you all remember when Rondo was the unproven, 2nd year guy, with only 25 starts and was pretty much given the keys to run the "veteran" Boston squad to a championship? That squad which was in their first year together.

Nothing wrong with bringing young guys in and have them compete and produce, we got plenty of veteranship (not a word) in our Big 3.

Waiting for spo to respond that were staying the course and that our defense sets up our offense.

Heat3 wrote:Waiting for spo to respond that were staying the course and that our defense sets up our offense.

It's ironic that when the big three joined forces many believed that the offense would be the least of the Heat's worries. I have a hard time believing that the team was playing to their full potential on the offensive end, but if they were it makes me cringe to imagine how much uglier possessions would be under a different system.

I remember when Spo first got the Job. He talked so much about how he would open the offense and run more. He talked about how he would blend Riley's defense with an up tempo, movement offense. The guy has yet to show me anything on Offense. Every year they talk about the next year being the year with Spo. When he first got the job his excuses was that he was a rookie, next year it was because he didn't have talent(Didn't use Beasley right) and this year its because it was the first year with the BIG 3. He had LeBron/Wade/Bosh and he couldn't do crap. Spo sucks on offense...Plain and simple. Give him an ALL Star team and down the stretch it will falter. Not because of the players but because their is no system. Playing ISO ball is great in the regular season but if these finals proved anything is that HERO ball does run its course.

It's no slight on Spo if we hire a solid offensive coordinator. It's what's best for the team and it gives Spo more time to tweak his defensive sytem (the flaws of which were generally exposed by the Mavericks, though it had a lot to do with our offensive system come crumbling down once Lebron started playing far below average).

He's not saying were going with a bunch of rookies. He's saying we're looking to get younger. Huge difference. Remember Riley also said you don't win with youth but rather with veterans.

We're still going to get vets. They're just going to be in their mid to late twenties rather than their mid to late thirties.

More guys like Haslem and Miller, less guys like Big Z and Bibby...

I am speechless, surprised and excited - but i've had these feelings before. If I see this type of offense next year, it would be a welcomed change.

My alter ego says: I really don't/won't get excited about anything said in the off season, this talk could only be to enhance fan interest and give Eric more time to develop an offensive system.

When the season starts, I'll believe what my eyes see, not what my ears hear.

Riles comment was YOUNG VETERANS, FAST YOUNG VETERANS, nothing about inmature punk kids. I dont think Spo is the problem. The stars have to embrace their roles. They have to execute. Lebron needs a therapist. I swear if you watch the finals again and watch him, he had this dear in the headlights look that I dont get after all this time.

Someone made a comment about spo not using Beasley right, I totally agree, they should of never drafted him, you notice he is the one that seems to be on the outs in minny he will never about to crap in the nba period. Sure he will score, but nothing else. unless he really takes some major steps in growing up. Wow we could have had Kevin Love. I remember there was talk of riley liking him alot at draft time. But so be it

Wonderful news - now lets see how true it holds. Two issues are (1) easier said than done for Riley to commit to going away from such veteran-laden teams; (2) the tendency for younger players to (understandably) seek to maximize their earning potential during their 20's.

That said, our biggest positions of need for a shot of youth on the depth chart are on the wing and at center. We've got (hopefully still) Chalmers and now Cole at PG, and Udonis at PF. You've obviously got the Big 3 at the 2-4 positions as well.

C is certainly the big killer right now. Adding Dalembert, who at 30 isn't even really "young," would still give us not only an instant starter but amazingly a MUCH younger player at that position than we had this year (the average age of our centers 31, and that's counting Pittman who didn't play and is 23).

Maybe adding Kwame Brown at a minimum deal would be nice. He's 10 years in, but under 30 and would still be an upgrade over a number of our guys IMO. I'd take him over Dampier in a heartbeat.

On the wing we've got Miller and Jones, who aren't "that old" at 31 and 30, respectively, but often play old (especially Jones who's little more than a stand still shooter). Beyond Lebron, we don't have a single athletic wing 6'5" or taller. Two under the radar guys I really like are Kelenna Azubuike and David Lighty.

Azubuike's 6'5", 27 years old, athletic, and a career 41% 3pt shooter. Not sure why the Knicks cut him, but he can be a great rotational guard IMO. Oh, and he's got that mature college pedigree that Riley likes (3 years at Kentucky).

Lighty just went undrafted after being projected as a mid-2nd rounder in many mocks. That "mature young guy" mold again as a senior from Ohio State. He's 6'6", and just a well-rounded if unspectacular player. I could see him as a young Shane Battier-type of guy. We really need to bring him into training camp. It'd be as if we'd bought another 2nd round pick in the 40's this week.

My dream roster for next season (within a shred of reason):

Chalmers/Watson/Cole
Wade/Azubuike/House
Lebron/Miller/Jones
Bosh/Haslem
Dalembert/Joel/Pittman/Kwame

My ideal isn't all that different from eagleball's except I might give DeShawn Stevenson a look, and I think with Dally, Joel, and Pittman we might be better off with a young power forward like Varnado, rather than wasting Kwame's time...

Meh, we've heard this each year since SPo was hired and the Heat still end up being middle to end of the pack in pace.

A perimeter defender like Kelenna Azubuike would be ideal on this roster. The Knicks cut him because he was still injured recovering from the patella tendon injury he sustained the year before while at Golden State.

I still think we try to pkg some combination of Anthony, Chalmers, Jones, House, Z whatever to get Hinrich with the emergence of Teague maybe we have a shot.

I also would like to to see if we can get Shane Battier solid defender, great guy, can hit the perimeter shots

I also have this intrigue with Ben Hansbrough and how he would be a nice addition, guy is super tough competitor, can shot from anywhere and ready now mature

Dalembert, Murphy, Pittman
Bosh, UD
Lebron, Battier
Wade, Miller
Hinrich, Cole Hansbrough

Still not real wild about Dalembert, I do like Troy Murphy if he has anything left I like centers for this team that can step out hit jumpers with good hands around the basket smart guys, that understand whats going on in the defensive rotations and where the open spots are, like a youthful Brad Miller for our current roster the way we are set up I think it works better. Miller I believe is done it would seem but a guy like him. Just cant think of any, maybe one of those euro dudes, only problem there is I dont think riles is real wild about those guys

heat4life wrote:A perimeter defender like Kelenna Azubuike would be ideal on this roster. The Knicks cut him because he was still injured recovering from the patella tendon injury he sustained the year before while at Golden State.

If he's healthy, I'd love for us to sign him. At least invite him to training camp and see whether he's back to his old self or not. If he is, acquiring him at a low price would definitely be a steal.

Aside from center and point guard, our biggest priority should be a solid wing defender off the bench.

ASK IRA: Will the Heat finally trust youth?

Q: I like the Norris Cole pick. However, it tempers the enthusiasm of knowledgeable fans who know the Heat simply don’t trust young players unless they have to. We have wasted baggage on our bench with nothing to show for it. I also point to Atlanta who wasted a season of development that caused them a playoff series by not playing George Teague from day one, instead opting for Bibby and Hinrich. — Jose.

A: I might be wrong on this (it won’t be the first time), but after seeing J.J. Barea run circles around his team and Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo and Jrue Holiday try to do the same, I think Pat Riley has finally come around to the benefits of boundless, youthful energy (or at least I hope so). Riley had to jump through hoops to get Cole. I would be surprised if he then shuffles him to the end of the rotation on game nights. This is not the previous second-round picks that the Heat took shots on with little risk.