Phil Jackson believes Pat Riley would coach Miami Heat
After struggling in their first 14 games this season, the Miami Heat are under pressure especially their head coach Erik Spoelstra, and Phil Jackson believes that if the Heat would not find
their rhythm soon, Pat Riley will return to coach the star-studded team.
Despite having superstars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh in their team, Miami dropped six of their first 14 games this season, including a humbling 93-77 loss against the Indiana
Pacers on Monday 22 November. The Heat (8-4) would also need to make huge adjustments after Udonis Haslem underwent surgery that could sideline him for the rest of the season.
“That record, I think, says a lot about coming together with some real talented guys, and not having a base,” Jackson said in an ESPN interview. “And then some things happened to them, Wade
getting hurt. They're still kind of searching out how they're going to find a role and work their roles together.”
Jackson reiterated that if Heat head coach Spoelstra would not make a drastic change for the Heat as soon as possible, he expects that Heat owner Micky Arison would asked team president Riley
to take over as they did during the 2005-06 season.
The Heat started the 2005-06 season with an 11-10 record despite having Shaquille O’Neal in their roster, prompting Riley to replace Stan Van Gundy. “That's kind of my take on it, is that
eventually if things don't straighten out here soon, it could be the Van Gundy thing all over again,” Jackson said.
Although the Heat are still struggling as of late, Jackson remained firm on his statement that the Heat would be an extraordinary team once they have adjusted to each others’ tendencies and
the star-studded team would have a shot to match or surpass the 72-win record of the Chicago Bulls in the 1995-96 season.
“They haven't had really an opportunity to get that all together,” said Jackson, whose Los Angeles Lakers are having a great start this season, winning in 13 of their first 15 games this
season. “They still need another couple weeks probably to get it all together to try to figure out the roles and how they're going to do it.”
And when he was asked who is the best team in the Eastern Conference, the 65-year-old and 11-time champion coach said that the Boston Celtics are still the “beast of the East” because of
their impressive team defence.
“The Celtics have a defense you have to plan for. Their defense is overwhelmingly a factor in the ballgame,” Jackson said. “They're going to smother. They are going to really contest. They
are going to body guys. There's going to be double-teaming underneath the free throw line. Boston still gives you a multiple effect as a basketball team.”
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