Ferry tries to improve on the Dukes 17-17 record | Forum
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Nov 5 '18
MIAMI -- The last time Pat Riley faced the end of an era like this, his back was literally against the wall. Authentic Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys .Prolonging the inevitable burned Riley when he last tried to squeeze a last-ditch loyal run out of the remains of his first Miami Heat championship team in 2006. Apply the bitter lessons learned back then to now, and perhaps its understandable why a clean break from Dwyane Wade was the move to make.Miamis magical Big 3 era technically ended two seasons ago when LeBron James bolted back to Cleveland. Couple that with Wades stinging departure last week in free agency to Chicago and the uncertainty of Chris Boshs medical condition moving forward, then its conceivable that no one from the most accomplished trio in franchise history will ever score a point in a Heat uniform again.Riley can move on with a heavy heart but a clear conscious now because the alternative is desperately holding on too long like he did nine years ago.Back in the 2007-08 season, in a desperate move to shake up a roster that had grown stale around an aging Shaquille ONeal and an injured Wade, Riley offered an invitation into his soul after a practice at AmericanAirlines Arena during what would be his final season in the dual role of team president and coach.This view of one of the most relentless, ruthlessly successful and maniacal executives in NBA history would be as clear as the picturesque Biscayne Bay just outside of the Heats practice facility.You all know me, Riley told a small group of reporters at the time. Im always pushing my chips into the center of the table. You want to make a deal? Lets make a deal. Lets go all in. How far do you want to go? Im always willing to see how far we can push it -- to the absolute max. What is it going to take?That approach has driven Riley through a Hall of Fame career that has seen him -- in one role or another -- collect NBA championship rings for all but one finger. Yet in this instance, the riverboat gambler in Riley drove him directly into a trade for Ricky Davis and Mark Blount.The intent was to salvage one last productive season out of a disinterested ONeal, and to reinforce the roster with a perimeter scorer to carry the load on nights Wade required injury rest or rehab.Oops.Pour Riley a glass or three of his preferred wine and play just the right rhythm-and-blues vinyl record to reflect his mood, and he might admit that his ego, ambition and pride got the best of him in what led to an injury-riddled, frustrating 15-win season that stands as the worst in his 21-year Heat tenure.Before now, that decision stood as the most recent example of Riley launching the franchise into a massive rebuilding process. Until now, he always has had the benefit over the past 13 years of putting the pieces back together with Wade as the foundational rock.The same intestinal fortitude, intensity and entitlement that steeled Riley and Wade together through five trips to the NBA Finals, the most successful four-year run in franchise history and three championships are the character traits -- and flaws -- that eventually ripped them apart.I will always love Pat, and I know he feels the same way about me, Wade said over the weekend during an appearance at his youth basketball camp in Miami. Hes a tough cookie. And Ive grown into being a tough one as well. Yeah, we can butt heads at times.Thats Wade admitting that he and his professional father figure and mentor are more alike than different. In fact, their similarities are what made it impossible to turn back once they had their differences.In what ultimately amounted to a $3 million difference in bitter contract negotiations forced Wade to stand on pride and leave behind a legacy in Miami for a two-year, $47 million deal with the Bulls. And in what amounted to a weekend binge to move the franchise forward, Riley executed a flurry of signings with the $20 million in 2016-17 salary cap space earmarked for Wade.Forget the facts, for a second. Its the optics that make this divorce overwhelmingly depressing a week later in the aftermath. If youre Riley, how do you justify matching a $50 million contract to retain undrafted, second-year guard Tyler Johnson and balk at giving Wade the $50 million he sought to stay? When Goran Dragic showed up last season admittedly out of shape after signing a five-year, $85 million contract, it was Wade who provided his healthiest season in five years by playing in 74 games. Hassan Whiteside secured a four-year, $98 million contract as Rileys No. 1 priority in free agency on July 1.But it was Wade who nearly pushed the Heat to within one game of reaching the conference finals as Whiteside was sidelined with a knee injury midway through the second-round series against Toronto. Simply put: Wade was the Heats best player last season, and also would have been next season. He felt he should have been paid as such. Or at least right behind only Boshs $23.7 million salary.On the other hand, if youre Wade, how do you still hold a grudge for never being the Heats highest-paid player in any season when the reality is you netted the max allowed on the rookie deal and extension through your first seven seasons? Then, when James and Bosh arrived in 2010, all three took less over the next four years until they each opted out in 2014. In retrospect, Wade bypassing the final two years and $42 million on his original big three contract proved as regrettable as the mistake Riley made six years earlier when he miscalculated Shaqs competitive hunger and Wades health.The irony is that had James, Wade and Bosh played out the completion of their 2010 Miami contracts, they would have reached the finish line this summer. But an era that opened with such hope and promise is on the verge of ending in pain as it pivots toward a necessary roster reboot.Six years ago, as James, Wade and Bosh were raised onto a stage to introduce their unprecedented union to the sports world, few could have honestly imagined it would splinter apart at the finish quite like this. And if we were told only one member of that trio would still be on the roster six years later, theres no doubt Wade would have been the unanimous assumption.If theres one other thing Riley and Wade have in common, its that they dont do breakups well. Theres a trail of strained or ruined personal and business relationships alongside the championships and personal triumphs in their respective and collective wakes along the way.What Riley eventually proved in the face of past personnel mistakes is that, given time, hell steer the franchise back onto a championship contending course. But at age 71 and likely facing retirement soon, Riley lacks the time and patience he enjoyed a decade ago. Now, his back is figuratively against the wall heading into the toughest rebuild yet.Riley has never lacked the will to forge a way forward in Miami.Only this time, he no longer has a Wade. Joe Montana Jersey . On Tuesday, Ottawa placed forward Cory Conacher and defenceman Joe Corvo on waivers as trade rumours swirl around the Senators. Ben Niemann Jersey . Any real chance at payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said. http://www.cheapchiefsjerseyssale.com/ . Deulofeu injured a muscle in his right leg in Evertons 4-1 win over Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday. Barcelona says that its team doctors will "co-ordinate" with Evertons medical staff as Deulofeu recovers. Newcomers dont take long to impact college basketball, not in this world of one-and-dones and transfers. Over a two-week span, we will look at the top-five newcomers in each of the 10 biggest conferences. Next up is the Atlantic 10.When conference realignment got through with shuffling teams around, folks understandably wondered if the Atlantic 10 could keep its foothold as a strong, albeit not power, conference. The answer lies in this crop of top newcomers. When a league is still good enough to not just attract top freshmen but is counted as a destination for graduate transfers looking to finish out their careers, its still pretty darn good.DeJon Jarreau, UMass MinutemenTiming is everything, and Jarreau has arrived just in the nick of time for coach Derek Kellogg. Kellogg had a good run, including two NIT appearances followed by an NCAA run in 2014, but he has struggled to keep the good times rolling in Amherst, slipping to 31-33 in the past two seasons. Jarreau is part of Kelloggs most heralded recruiting class (No. 27 nationally) and has fans hoping for a turnaround. A New Orleans native, he is a terrific shooting guard who earned the No. 63 spot in?ESPNs top 100. He averaged 16.9 points as a senior and is expected to make an immediate impact. Jarreau brought along high school teammate?Brison Gresham, who is hardly a slouch, having averaged 14 points and eight boards in high school. But Jarreau is the big prize. Hes also just the tip of the iceberg for the best recruiting class in the league.DeRiante Jenkins, VCU RamsSo much for worrying about filling big shoes. Second-year coach Will Wade has stepped in for Shaka Smart with ease, guiding the Rams to the NCAA tournament last year and also winning on the recruiting trail. Jenkins is a 6-foot-5 forward who grabbed the No. 59 spot in ESPNs top 100. Hes the perfect player for VCU: versatile, quick and fearless. Jenkins turned down multiple Power 5 schools such as Clemson, Tennessee, LSU and South Carolina to come to VCU. And thanks to the Rams summer trip to Spain, he already is figuring out where he fits in and how to create some havoc He scored 24 combined points in the Rams first two games there.Chris Baldwin, UMass MinutemenTwo Minutemen in the top five? Yes, its that sort of year for UMass, the lone Atlantic 10 team to earn a spot among the nations top 40 recruiting classes. A Springfield, Massachusetts native, Baldwin is expected tto be an immediate contributor from his forward spot. Armani Watts Jersey. Though hes able to score in the double figures, hes more of a blue-collar worker who should really be able to help defensively and on the boards. Baldwin looked at a host of other schools, including West Virginia and Pittsburgh, but his decision to stay home and play for UMass is almost as critical as Kelloggs ability to attract Jarreau to campus.Patrick Steeves, George Washington ColonialsAmid allegations and an investigation that coach Mike Lonergan verbally abused players, and with a roster that has seen 13 players transfer out in the last five years, the Colonials got some much-needed good news with the addition of Steeves. A Harvard graduate transfer, Steeves was a valuable sixth man for the Crimson last season. He suffered through a series of injuries during his Harvard career, including a broken metatarsal, torn ACL and a leftover tibial break from the torn ACL that required more surgery, but when he finally got healthy and was able to play, he delivered to the tune of 9.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Steeves is a solid shooter, connecting on 46 percent of his field goals last year, and hell bring a jolt of experience as well as an assist to the frontcourt for George Washington. The defending NIT champions lost Patricio Garino and Kevin Larsen, the teams second- and third-leading scorers from a year ago.Emile Blackman, Duquesne DukesThe Dukes have made steady progress under fifth-year coach Jim Ferry but still havent crossed the threshold to become legitimate A-10 contenders. Blackman might help. He, along with?Kale Abrahamson, are the?first two graduate transfers in the programs history, and theyre arriving at a critical time. Duquesne loses its top-three scorers in Derrick Colter, Michah Mason and L.G. Gill and need some firepower. These two have it. Blackman scored more than 900 points in two seasons at Niagara, leading the Purple Eagles in scoring at 15.8 points per game before opting to leave after receiving his degree. Abrahamson arrives from Drake, where he averaged 11.1 points per game from his forward position. But its Blackman, who fills a vacant backcourt role, who will be especially critical as Ferry tries to improve on the Dukes 17-17 record from a year ago. 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