Not being one to hold his tongue, Phil Jackson said that if the Heat do not turn the season around, that it would be certainly possible that Pat Riley takes on the Head Coaching responsibilities of the Miami Heat. Now I do not think that these comments are out of line because Jackson is referencing a precedent because this has happened before. In 2002-2003 season, Riley replaced Stan Van Gundy as the Head Coach and sure enough, he delivered a championship.
Would Riley do that again? One would think not, but there is too much riding on this season for that not to be an option. Would the Heat have blown a 20 point lead at home against the Utah Jazz if Riley was the Head Coach? Possibly. Would they have gotten blown out against the Indiana Pacers when they desperately needed a win if Riley was the coach? Possibly. Would they have at least one good showing against the Boston Celtics if Riley was the coach? Once again, possibly.
Another question that arises is whether Riley wants the job or not. The Head Coach is a very stressful situation mainly because of day to day dealings with the media. Riley's current position, The President, gives hime the luxury of not being in the spotlight. However, Jackson's comments may have stirred the competitive spirirt of Riley back onto the bench as he is known as a winner. Whatever happens, tonight's game against the Magic is going to say a lot about where the Heat are and where they are going and could serve as a good barometer for the Heat's front office. Players have been known to rally for coaches on the verge of losing their job, I feel that if the effort is not there by the Heat tonight, the domino's may start falling.
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