In basketball, there comes a time when a team has to start from scratch and begin again. That point seems to be a real one for the Miami Heat, as team president Pat Riley openly admitted it's time to rebuild.
Riley: "We're rebuilding now. We're not tweaking like we did w/ Big 3 team. Or retooling, like we did after LeBron left." But plans to win.
— Ethan J. Skolnick, 5 Reasons Sports (@EthanJSkolnick) September 26, 2016
Riley is right on his words, at this stage in the NBA, once a team is left without a superstar (no LeBron James, no Dwyane Wade, no Chris Bosh), it can officially be tagged as undergoing a rebuilding mode.
After James' departure for Cleveland two summers ago, the team was retooling, finding not necessarily a superstar, but a spark plug to ignite the team and play alongside Wade and Bosh.
Article Continues BelowNow, with Wade in Chicago and Bosh unable to play, the Heat will rely on the likes of Goran Dragic, Hassan Whiteside, and emerging forward Justise Winslow.
By letting players develop and allowing Dragic and Whiteside to grow into a more prominent role, it'll help the team if they're able to stay afloat by the All-Star game or even try to work out a trade before season's end or the next offseason.
Sadly in a span of three years, Miami has gone from the “Big Three” period to the big zero.