ASK IRA: Has Heat postseason criticism somewhat gone off the rails?

Q: Don’t you think that under the circumstances of the attrition over a short time span due to Max Strus, Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin leaving as free agents, Kyle Lowry and PJ Tucker aging out, and Jimmy Butler abdicating that Heat management made a very good roster reset in acquiring seven new regular rotational players in Kel’el Ware, Pelle Larsson, Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, Norman Powell, Simone Fontecchio and Kasparas Jakucionis. Don’t you think that it’s premature by two years when this was only the first full season of those seven playing together and with Butler gone, and good young prospects Ware, Pelle and Kas are just beginning to scratch the surface of their development, for the majority of the fanbase and local media to be declaring that the front office has failed with negative comment after comment like being outflanked by other front offices? The historical record says that Pat Riley has already (relatively rapidly) turned the franchise around four times, for which I give them a huge benefit of the doubt. – Morgan, New Orleans.

A: But don’t you think that the voice of reason has long been replaced by outside noise? Fans want it all and they want it yesterday. I’m not sure you can go through this past season’s roster and cite any “mistake” other than the Nikola Jovic contract (the mistake previously was made). wasn’t extended. Norman Powell wasn’t extended. No draft picks were dealt. Now, a case could have been made for failing to obtain capital at the trade deadline when it was clear this wasn’t a contention season. But swings and misses? In fact, of those who left, it’s not as if there was a significant net loss, especially when considering Max Strus’ recent injury history. Sometimes it takes time.