Riley Stepping In Was Inevitable

Byline: Michael Lee

He spoke of the misery and drudgery of being an NBA coach, of the constant wear and tear on both mind and body. "When you're down there in the trenches as a coach, the grind is very difficult. It's in only the two hours a night that you play that you are in a joyful experience. Only the games, I think, for guys who like to compete, are the fun," he said. "In between games, and the road trips, and the preparation, and the practices, and the fact that everything is rushed, you get fatigued. Planes. Buses. That's joyless. Absolutely joyless. That's something I don't have to endure anymore."

No, this wasn't Stan Van Gundy Monday morning in Miami when he announced that he was resigning as head coach of the Heat to spend more time with his family. This was Pat Riley during a lenghty phone conversation in September in which the Hall of Fame coach expressed his optimism for upcoming season, the players he surrounded around Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade and tried to shoot down rumors that he intended to push aside his apprentice, step down from his role as team president and assume the role of Heat coach.

Riley was adamant that Van Gundy's job wasn't in danger -- despite comments shortly after the Eastern Conference Finals that he would more actively participate in the direction of them team -- but added that watching the Heat's run last season triggered thoughts about returning to the profession that made him a household name.

"Why not? If you wrote for 22 years and decided to leave and went on to another profession and had a whimsical thought about writing again, you would have that. Anybody would have that. That's normal," Riley said. "I probably would continue to have that. I'm not going to ever admit that [returning to coaching] doesn't float around in that mind."

No longer just a whimsical thought, Riley is back, set to make his return to coaching tonight in Chicago.

At the press conference on Monday, Riley, 60, swore that this was not his intention ("I'm proud of what Stan has done," he said). But while it's difficult to question the sincerity of Van Gundy, an honest man who never hid his love for both coaching and family, this move was inevitable.

After Riley practically blew up a team that came within a few minutes of the NBA Finals, he seemed like the only person -- with the exception of maybe Phil Jackson and Larry Brown -- who could handle the responsibility of guiding this talented but combustible roster of O'Neal, Wade, Antoine Walker, Gary Payton, Jason Williams and James Posey. Van Gundy's lost desire for coaching, which he expressed to Riley throughout this season, merely created a convenient excuse for the takeover. With O'Neal back after missing 18 games with an ankle injury, the Heat was forced to start over. Why not start over with Riley?

"I think, right now, at this moment, I'm the best person for the job," Riley said.

Had the Heat been 16-5 and the players were responsive to Van Gundy, maybe he would've found more pleasure in his job. Since the Heat was just 11-10 and every player with the exception of Wade and Alonzo Mourning underachieved and appeared less than receptive to Van Gundy, family time with his wife, Kim, and four young children probably looked like a better alternative.

Ever since Riley opened his mouth this summer, and didn't immediately refute his comments, Van Gundy was placed under more pressure than any coach in the league. Van Gundy's boss -- a coaching legend with four championship rings and the face of the franchise for the past 10 years -- was openly campaigning for his job. They met at Riley's home in Coconut Grove in August to seemingly settle their differences. "I don't think our relationship since that meeting has ever been stronger," Van Gundy said Monday. But the players, perhaps, sensed that Van Gundy had little authority and were just waiting for Riley to come to the rescue.

In little more than two seasons, Van Gundy had led the Heat to as many playoff series (three) victories as Riley won in eight years as head coach with the team. But the fact remains that once the Heat acquired O'Neal, the expectations for the franchise changed dramatically.

O'Neal had no trouble loafing through his first three seasons in Los Angeles under the likes of Del Harris and Kurt Rambis, but once Phil Jackson and his six championship rings arrived, O'Neal found a coach that he could truly respect and bust his tail for. While O'Neal may not have forced out Van Gundy, he never hid his high esteem for Riley, who ranks third on the NBA's all-time victory list among coaches at 1,110, behind only retired coaches Lenny Wilkens (1,332) and Don Nelson (1,190). Although Riley led the Knicks to the NBA Finals in 1994, he never went beyond the Eastern Conference Finals in Miami and hadn't won an NBA championship since 1988, when he coached Hall of Famers Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy.

Still, Riley knows he has the confidence of both O'Neal and Mourning, the team's unquestioned leaders. "Regardless of what people might say, Pat Riley has more basketball experience than anybody in this organization. Anybody. That goes from [owner Micky Arison] on down," Mourning said during the preseason. "He's won championships. And he's been on championship teams. He's seen talent. He's coached incredible talent so he knows what it takes to get it done. I trust his decision making."

Riley jokingly expressed concern about who would write the pre-game board, now that Van Gundy will serve as a team consultant. That certainly is the least of the his concerns. Although they lead the Southeast Division, the Heat has been a disappointment -- especially to Riley, who knows that the heat is on him to guide the team to a championship or deal with more heartache that comes with being an NBA coach.

New York Knicks

Usually, a team that has lost three games in a row would have no room in this space, but the Knicks' show of support in the wake of the death of Quentin Richardson's brother, Lee, was commendable. Richardson received the news that his older brother had been shot four times during a robbery in Chicago's south side while the Knicks were in Seattle. Richardson missed the team's final three games of that road trip, in which the Knicks went 1-2 against Seattle, the Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix. After the loss in Phoenix, the Knicks rerouted their trip home, stopping in Chicago to attend the funeral. "That was huge, man, to see all my teammates there," Richardson told reporters in New York when he returned to action on Monday, two days after his brother's funeral. He started and had five points in 21 minutes against Milwaukee. Lee Richardson's death came 13 years after another Richardson brother, Bernard, was shot and killed in a random shooting. Their mother, Emma, died of breast cancer the same year. "I don't think anything can take his mind off of what happened, but sometimes it's pretty good to be in this kind of environment," Knicks Coach Larry Brown said.

Portland Trail Blazers

The Charlotte Bobcats currently have the longest losing streak at seven games and counting. If not for Juan Dixon's heroics on Friday (28 points in an overtime win against the Hornets), the Trailblazers would be in the midst of an eight-game skid. And, the Blazers are the only team in the league that has lost by 45 points. Forty-five points!?! The next night, Portland blew a 14-point lead against Minnesota and lost by 10. The Blazers have been in trouble ever since leading scorer Darius Miles went down with a knee injury, a setback that has greatly impacted Zach Randolph, who has connected on 37 percent of his shots (30 for 81) and averaged 14.4 points in the past five games. Randolph, in the first year of an $84 million extension, has struggled since coming back from microfracture surgery on his right knee in April. He was benched the final seven minutes of regulation and all but 44 seconds of overtime in the Blazers' win against Hornets. He again sat for the final five minutes of the Blazers' 100-86 loss against Houston and endured heckling from behind the team bench. Asked if he wanted to stay in Portland, Randolph chuckled and said, "They pay me a lot of money."

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

The Man in Tights averaged 29 points, 5.6 assists and 5.0 rebounds in five games, with the Lakers winning four. He was sparkling as he scored 33 points in a win against Milwaukee. He was spectacular as he dropped 43 on the Dallas Mavericks -- including a ridiculous up-and-under reverse layup and the decisive three-pointer. But Bryant's most amazing game played in the past week was during a 102-91 win against Toronto. Bryant scored a season-low 11 points on a season-low 12 shots -- but he dished out a season-high nine assists. How about that? Bryant has learned how to lead his team to wins without turning into a serial jump-shot jacker. In the first 14 games, Bryant averaged 29.5 shots per game and the Lakers were 6-9. In the past seven games, Bryant has taken an average of just 22 shots and the Lakers are 5-2. Bryant is also shooting 46.1 percent over that stretch, an improvement from 41.6 percent at the start of the season.

Ron Artest, Indiana Pacers

The Pacers' championship dreams -- and Reggie Miller's last shot at an NBA title -- unravelled last season when Ron Artest failed to control his emotions and charged into the stands at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Through it all, the Pacers -- Larry Bird, Donnie Walsh and Rick Carlisle -- stood behind him and refused to trade the former defensive player of the year when teams were willing to make a move. After all that Indiana has had to put up with from Artest over the past four years -- with his monitor tossing, temper tantrums and desires to make bad hip-hop albums -- he demands a trade? The Pacers have too many losses to count when it comes to Artest, but it's time to move him. The headaches of this headcase, unfortunately, outweighs his immense talents.

1. Detroit Pistons (15-3)

Ben Wallace is down on his role and less-than-enthusiastic play of late, and their six-game win streak ended as they got tripped up in Utah. But with road wins against Golden State and the Clippers (yes, those constitute quality wins this season), the Pistons are still playing the best basketball in the league. Chauncey Billups has elevated his game, averaging career highs in scoring (17.9 points) and assists (8.1) under Flip Saunders.

2. Dallas Mavericks (15-6)

Coach Avery Johnson said the Mavericks start means "nothing," but Dallas wasn't supposed to be this good, was it? They have yet to get a contribution from Jerry Stackhouse and Josh Howard missed eight games, yet only two teams have fewer losses. Snapping Memphis's six-game streak helped them leapfrog the Spurs.

3. San Antonio Spurs (16-4)

Hawks 94, Spurs 84. More than a few people had to take a second (maybe third or fourth) look when they saw that final score. The loss denied the Spurs of their best 20-game start in franchise history but it may have exposed a surprising weakness in the team: They are 0-3 on the second end of back-to-back games this season.

4. Los Angeles Clippers (14-6)

The Clippers were able to fend off the red-hot Suns and maintain a hold on sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division -- without Corey Maggette. Atlhough they lost to the Pistons a night later, thing are looking up for the Clippers, especially with second-year point guard Shaun Livingston closer to a return.

5. Phoenix Suns (13-7)

After winning nine a row, the Suns have lost their past two games to the Clippers and the Hornets. The Suns appear to have figured things out without Amare Stoudemire. They will be tested, however, with eight of their next two games on the road.

6. Memphis Grizzlies (13-7)

No need to panic after losing back-to-back games against Dallas and Indiana, right? But the Grizzlies are starting to get concerned about Pau Gasol, whose ineffectiveness and lack of confidence in the low post have contributed to a stagnant, sputtering offense.

7. Milwaukee Bucks (12-7)

The Bucks already have six road wins after winning seven games away from home last season. If not for a stinker against the Lakers last week, the Bucks would be in the midst of a seven-game winning streak. Milwaukee is an impressive 10-1 against Eastern Conference teams -- but 2-6 against the West.

8. Minnesota Timberwolves (12-7)

Wally Szczerbiak and Marko Jaric are starting to help Kevin Garnett on offense. Szczerbiak has led the team in scoring in five of the past six games, but the Wolves are winning because they are defending: Only four teams have topped the century mark against Minnesota this season.

9. Indiana Pacers (12-7)

The Pacers have won the past two games with Ron Artest sitting on the sidelines with a wrist injury. Maybe Artest was right when he said the Pacers "are a better team without me." Okay, maybe not. But now is certainly the time to find out.

10. Los Angeles Lakers (11-10)

In case you hadn't noticed, Phil Jackson can coach. This might be a little high for the Lakers, but there aren't many teams playing at a higher level right now. They've won five of their past six games, including an impressive road win in Dallas, snapping the Mavericks' five-game win streak.

1. Miami at Chicago (Tuesday)

Back to clean up the "mess" he created, Pat Riley returns to coach his first NBA game since April 15, 2003. This could be a good time to come back. The Bulls have lost three in a row at home.

2. Los Angeles Clippers at San Antonio (Tuesday)

The Clippers have lost seven consecutive games against the Spurs, including all four last season, but they have never been this good. The Spurs are looking to bounce back from their loss against the hapless Hawks. They haven't lost consecutive games.

3. Phoenix at Dallas (Wednesday)

It's always a special time when reigning MVP Steve Nash faces his former team. The Mavericks erased a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Suns when these teams met in the season opener.

4. Denver at Cleveland (Thursday)

Carmelo Anthony is upset that he is left out of the Dwyane Wade-LeBron James debate. He scored a season-high 40 when he was matched up against Wade and the Heat. Anthony might be looking to top that against James and the Cavs.

5. San Antonio at Minnesota (Thursday)

Tony Parker and Wally Szczerbiak have surprisingly been the offensive catalysts for both teams of late, but this battle of two first-place teams still comes down to Tim Duncan vs. Kevin Garnett. The Big Fundamental and The Big Ticket is a Big Deal.

6. Chicago at Detroit (Friday)

The Bulls are still smarting after Rasheed Wallace laughed at them during their first meeting this season, a Pistons victory. What are they going to do about it?

7. Washington at Los Angeles Lakers (Friday)

The Wizards open up a five-game West Coast trip against former teammate Kwame Brown. Brown, formerly a starting forward for the Lakers, will be looking to work his way back from a hamstring injury that cost him more than three weeks and prove that he really is "on a better team than the Wizards."

8. Miami at Cleveland (Saturday)

Ah, yes. Who cares about Pat Riley on this night? Wade and James battle for the first time this season. Both are busy hawking shoes and carrying their teams. Who's better? That's much more important.

9. Phoenix at Memphis (Saturday)

Boring Grizzlies vs. Exciting Suns. You can doze off and jump around during the same game. When they met last month, the Suns, at the time struggling to play without Amare Stoudemire, were routed by Memphis, which got a season-best effort from Damon Stoudamire (26 points, 7 assists).

10. Seattle at Portland (Saturday)

The SuperSonics face former Coach Nate McMillan for the first time this season. McMillan rejected a reported four-year, $18 million contract from the Sonics, who left him dangling as a lame duck for most of the regular season. The Sonics have struggled to keep the momentum rolling from last season, while McMillan has been exerting great efforts to inspire an immature team in Portland.

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