Your debate question: If Pat Riley had never taken over for Van Gundy, how would that have affected the team?
Pat Riley stepping in for SVG in midseason is what gave us this title. Stan did a great job in his first season but the players just didn't respond the way they do to Riley. When asked about how the situation Alonzo Mourning said,"Why have the pupil when you can have the teacher." That shows that this team has the upmost respect for Pat Riley. The Heat basically went from a 500 team to a real contender with the addition of Riley. Right from the start you could see that this team looked like a whole different ball club. Riley's motivational skills are something that Van Gundy definately lacked. Throughout the season this team only improved and became the champions there are today. If Riley had not stepped in I do not believe the Heat would've gotten past Detroit. Pat Riley brought in those veteran players for a reason and that was to beat Detroit. At times it seemed that Stan was not happy on the sidelines and just didn't know how to coach this new mix of players. If Miami would've gotten to the ECF I don't believe that Van Gundy could've given Miami enough motivation to get the burden of beating Detroit off of their backs. Also, the message Riley sent to these players of 15 strong is something that SVG would've never been able to get through to the egos on this team, it took one ego bigger than all the rest to bring this team together and that is what put the Heat over the top.
Stan Van Gundy was a good coach but with him as the coach the team wasn't gonna go anywhere. They were gonna stick to being an average team. They needed to get better so they brought in Pat Riley. Pat Riley really gave this team a push. They went form a 500. team to the best team in the league. Riley made Wade a better player. He got Mourning to come of the bench and give this team a great player coming off the bench. He knew what his players were, possibly cause he could relate because he was a player himself. He had much more expereince than Stan Van Gundy. Riley could relate to his players in ways that Van Gundy could'nt. Like Mournig said himself he had alot of respect for Riley and so did the other players on the Heat. Wade and Shaq were very close to him so they had a better realationship which led to the success of the Miami Heat. If Van Gundy was still the caoch the Heat were probably gonna lose to the Pistons in the confrence finals, maybe even lose in the 2nd round against the Nets. That's what would have happened if SVG was still the coach. So they brought in Pat Riley to change an average club to NBA champions.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting vcwannabe15:</div><div class="quote_post">Stan Van Gundy was a good coach but with him as the coach the team wasn't gonna go anywhere. They were gonna stick to being an average team. They needed to get better so they brought in Pat Riley. Pat Riley really gave this team a push. They went form a 500. team to the best team in the league. Riley made Wade a better player. He got Mourning to come of the bench and give this team a great player coming off the bench. He knew what his players were, possibly cause he could relate because he was a player himself. He had much more expereince than Stan Van Gundy. Riley could relate to his players in ways that Van Gundy could'nt. Like Mournig said himself he had alot of respect for Riley and so did the other players on the Heat. Wade and Shaq were very close to him so they had a better realationship which led to the success of the Miami Heat. If Van Gundy was still the caoch the Heat were probably gonna lose to the Pistons in the confrence finals, maybe even lose in the 2nd round against the Nets. That's what would have happened if SVG was still the coach. So they brought in Pat Riley to change an average club to NBA champions.</div> One thing you fail to point out about the difference between these two coaches is the motivational techniques. Stan Van Gundy is not even close to Pat Riley as a motivator and that is what this team needed the most. He was able to take the ego's of Shaq, Wade, Walker, Haslem, Payton, Zo, Williams, and Posey and make them into one. That is something very few coaches could do today. The only other coach who could try that is probably Greg Popavich. It was just too difficult for Stan to coach these giant ego's without one of his own.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting playmaker15:</div><div class="quote_post">One thing you fail to point out about the difference between these two coaches is the motivational techniques. Stan Van Gundy is not even close to Pat Riley as a motivator and that is what this team needed the most. He was able to take the ego's of Shaq, Wade, Walker, Haslem, Payton, Zo, Williams, and Posey and make them into one. That is something very few coaches could do today. The only other coach who could try that is probably Greg Popavich. It was just too difficult for Stan to coach these giant ego's without one of his own.</div> Yeah, I forgot to point that out. But anyways, Riley is the best coach in the NBA today, not Larry Brown, not Greg Popavich, not Phil Jackson, and not Avery Johnson. Pat Riley has the most experience out of all the coaches which made the Heat the winners of the NBA finals.
