Miami Heat team president and former coach Pat Riley was the person who hired Erik Spoelstra into the Heat organization as a video coordinator.
Now, Riley and his protege share common ground in their burning desire to make the playoffs year-in and year-out. Riley spoke to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel:
“Sometimes you don't get where you want and you do what you have to do to make the playoffs. And that's where we are,” he said Sunday during the Heat's annual Family Festival, an event that raised $543,000 for South Florida charities.
“Well, I have high expectations. I've always had, Spo has 'em,” he said of coach Erik Spoelstra, who also was at the event, as was the entire Heat roster, mingling with fans. “I believe our players not only believe in the expectations, but we're right now in a wonderful stretch drive. That's how I look at it. It's competitive.
“Our last 10 games, with the exception of Denver, Detroit [went] right down to the wire. So I think this whole thing's going to go down to the wire and I think we're going to make the playoffs, and that's what it's about.”
At 28-34, the Heat are currently just one game back of the Orlando Magic for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. In fact, the No. 6-10 teams are separated by just 2.5 games in the standings, meaning the Heat could climb as high as the sixth seed by season's end.
Miami has fallen victim to injuries and inconsistent play from some of their youngsters, but they are in the thick of things in the East yet again.
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