Q: Ira, with Pat Riley telling everyone who will listen that he wants to win right now, what does that mean for Erik Spoelstra’s developmental process? – Chris.
A: Even the way that is phrased would arguably annoy Erik Spoelstra, considering how he often cites development as an ongoing process no matter the age, even with some of the 30-somethings that have been brought in. That said, there also have been times when Erik’s patience reaches a seemingly limit, with Kel’el Ware and Nikola Jovic as recent such Exhibit A and Exhibit B. That will make it interesting to see how it plays out with Jovic, who did just get a vote of confidence from Pat Riley. Basically, figure Dru Smith over Ryan Conwell, Bobby Portis over Jovic, and for all of Riley’s talk of Vlad Goldin, another winter for the Russian big man in Sioux Falls, if with the Heat at all. Veterans will win the day, because that’s how Riley has won the day over the years, and how Spoelstra has won the day.
Q: Ira, do you think the LeBron James talk left anyone feeling threatened? – Ed.
A: I assume you are talking about the Heat roster? In that regard, even when he was with the Heat, LeBron James was not a captain, with Udonis Haslem in that role. So if anyone might have thought about the consequences, it likely was Haslem’s successor as captain, Bam Adebayo. While Bam has had considerable sway in the locker room, with so much turnover it will be interesting to see the dynamic going forward in the wake of the addition of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the big personality of Bobby Portis. But Bam has made it work for nine seasons, including on the Olympic level, so never sell short his leadership skills.
Q: You noticed the only teams that are gripping about the second-apron restrictions on spending money are the teams with the most money to spend. Do we want to become like Major League Baseball, where the Dodgers and Yankees can spend hundreds of millions and dollars on players so they can win the World Series? Teams like the Lakers and Knicks that earn the most income can outspend the smaller-market teams. That was the whole purpose of putting in the apron system. It may not be perfect, but it does have a purpose for equality. – Barry, Deerfield Beach.
A: But is it fair to the best players that there therefore is a salary ceiling? And not only is there an individual salary ceiling, but the second apron also effectively creates a payroll ceiling. Yes, the players earn a ton. But have you looked at the size of the national television deals? It’s not as if the league is limiting that element, even if it means pricing out the fans with the streaming packages now required.