ASK IRA: Do the Heat no longer have a Godfather?

Q: Perhaps a Godfather parable. Ultimately Don Vito could not do what needed to be done and the family was handed off to son Michael. Don Pat cannot do what ultimately needs to be done, a slow rebuild, so the family is handed off to son Nick Arison with Pat Riley serving as consigliere. – Michael, Port St. Lucie.

A: Which is basically where we stand today and have for years. There is a reason that Nick Arison’s name is on top of Pat Riley’s on the Heat’s organizational chart. But even beyond that, Erik Spoelstra has considerable input on personnel, Adam Simon is the authority on draft prospects (and those from recent drafts) and Andy Elisburg continues to make sure the money works under the cap, tax, aprons. The notion of a single organizational voice is quaint, but the reality is it takes a village. It is why, even in recent years, Pat Riley has spoken of deferring to Spoelstra or the Arisons when it comes to coaching or financial questions. While the Pat Riley Show can still be compelling, what the Heat actually need to do is present more of a united front in such postseason wrap-ups. It’s not that Pat Riley doesn’t still have answers, it’s that no single person in any organization has all the answers.

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Q: This is the only media market in the world where a coach gets such a free pass across the board from all media. The Heat were not contenders, but they should not have been worse than every team that was not trying to tank, either. – Tom.

A: On the list of reasons why the Heat only finished 43-39 (which still sounds like a winning record), coaching does not resonate at the top: 1. Injuries; 2. The Herro-Powell ill fit; 3. The undersized, unathletic nature of the roster; 4. The front office allowing the Heat to be outflanked by opposing front offices; 5. A potential dynamic big man who simply wasn’t dynamic often enough, in Kel’el Ware. And that doesn’t even get into an insistence (wisely so) of staying below the luxury tax in a season when it hardly paid to add to payroll.

Q: Doesn’t Erik Spoelstra deserve some of the blame for Nikola Jovic’s fit? It’s his job to work with what he’s got, and put players in position to excel, not throw them on the end of the bench. You get a productive season out of him, the outlook for this team is entirely different. – John, Ocala.