- 8 hours ago
Local 10 anchor and reporter shares his main takeaways from the Pat Riley end of season press conference and explains what he believes should be addressed this offseason by the front office.
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00:00Clay, is there anything, this is a conversation that we started having yesterday and we've continued today.
00:06Is there anything that Pat Riley could have said yesterday at his end of season presser that would have satiated
00:13the Heat fans who are tired of him?
00:19Probably not.
00:20I mean, I think at this point people want to see actions.
00:24Words don't do a whole lot of good.
00:26I mean, I like the tone.
00:28I also liked the idea that he did mention that they're going to start looking at player availability and stuff
00:34like that.
00:34I think when you look at some of the comments that he made, I think it certainly lines up with
00:39the idea that, you know, Tyler Hero, he's been unable to stay on the floor.
00:45And so like when they start to look at the players that they may be targeting, I don't think it's
00:49just about that.
00:50I think it's also about players who are currently on the roster who have trouble staying on the floor.
00:54So I felt like there were a few things in that message that, you know, I thought Riley needed to
01:00say.
01:00But I also, to answer your question, I don't think any of it matters until we actually see the actions
01:05back it up.
01:06And Clay, would that turn off potential free agents or, you know, or trades and stuff where, is that an
01:11outdated thought?
01:12Because guys aren't playing 80 games anymore.
01:14We were watching Michael Jordan in the 90s.
01:17Guys don't play 80 games any longer.
01:19That might, you know, would that turn off potential free agents when he brings that up about Jimmy, Tyler, and
01:24now this year he brought it up again?
01:27Well, I think it depends on the type of player you're looking for.
01:31And I think, man, they want to get back to their identity.
01:34And I will say this.
01:35I feel like the identity has eroded over the last couple of years.
01:39And, you know, the identity has always been based on the tough defense, the, you know, I know the whole
01:45toughest, hardworking, best conditioned, all that stuff.
01:48But, you know, if you're going to preach that, then I also think that you've got to be about it.
01:53And if you look back at the last couple of years, you have some players who are, I mean, certainly
01:57I think Bam Adebayo is about that.
02:00Pella Larson is somebody that I feel like, man, the identity is there with those two guys.
02:05And yet then when you see players missing so much time, I feel like if there's a player that would
02:10be turned off by that, I don't know that necessarily that's a player that you want to go after.
02:14I feel like those are the types of guys that are going to be going to be winners and they're
02:19going to fit into this culture in this organization.
02:21Say what you want about heat culture and all that stuff.
02:25But I feel like at the very least in the past, you could lean on that and you would know
02:31what this team was going to bring to the table.
02:33I just feel like despite the fact that, you know, the team won more games this year than they did
02:37last year, it just felt like that identity had gone away a bit.
02:41And I think the sooner you can get back to that, the better.
02:44Yesterday, Clay, Pat Riley made it very clear, A, he's not retiring.
02:49B, he'll quit before he is a part of a tank.
02:53And we know the heat aren't going to tank.
02:55But do you believe that everybody top to bottom in terms of the decision makers, the people at the table,
03:02right?
03:02The Erisons, Adam Simon, Spoh, Andy Ellisberg, Pat Riley, are they all aligned with that philosophy?
03:09I know what they say, but do you believe they're aligned in the philosophy of right now in the modern
03:16NBA, you can still do it the way that they've done it in the past, which is via trade and
03:23via free agency?
03:24I think their actions are going to tell us, you know, I think the actions recently have told us they
03:29are aligned for better and in recent years worse.
03:33You know, so let's see what happens.
03:34I also think the idea, the word tank is is one that I think you can take any number of
03:40ways.
03:41And I think, you know, they're going to say they're not going to tank, but that also doesn't mean that
03:46you're not going to be realistic about where you are right now and what you may need to be.
03:50When Pat Riley comes out and says something about wanting to have salary cap space in 2027, I don't know
03:57how you do that unless you're getting all guys on a one-year contract or, you know, so I, my
04:02feeling is that, you know, I don't see them tanking per se, but look what the Miami Dolphins are doing
04:09right now.
04:10Are we going to call that a tank or is that, and I get it, it's a different league, different
04:14salary cap rules, but I feel like that was a, this is a needed reset for that organization.
04:20And, and I feel like maybe that's something that we could see the Miami Heat do this year if they
04:25can't go out and get one of those top end players that, that you're hearing all the names circling right
04:30now.
04:31And to do that, they got to have the young guys play.
04:34And do you, do you feel as if Pat and Spoh on the same page about Kalil?
04:38Cause it sounds like, you know, he kind of said like, I don't know why he wasn't getting as many
04:44minutes, but you know, we'll figure that out, dude.
04:46Cause Pat is buying the groceries, Clay, but Spoh has to cook them and it don't seem like he wants
04:51to cook Kalil where anymore.
04:53Well, yeah.
04:54And I think that's, that is something they have to figure out.
04:56And, and again, this is, and I hate sounding like a broken record on this, but the actions have to
05:00back it up, not just from an organizational perspective, but also from a coaching perspective.
05:04And I could, I could see a world chanting where what they decide to do this year.
05:10And frankly, I think this may be, would be the best thing to do play Bam and Kalil together, lean
05:15into the guys on your roster that you feel like fill that identity that you've tried to build for so
05:21long.
05:21And you did build for so long and, and record wins and losses be darned.
05:27I don't think that's tanking.
05:28I think if you go out there, you put together a core of some of the young guys that you
05:32really like Bam.
05:33And then, uh, you know, lean into the toughness, the defense, the stuff that you've tried to do.
05:38Then come 2027, you try to make yours.
05:40But to me, that would be better than, than what they did this year, which is tinkering.
05:46Stop tinkering.
05:47Don't do that anymore.
05:47Don't, don't try to, to bring in veterans that, that, you know, you don't know if they're going to align
05:53with, with what you're doing long-term.
05:55Have a year where you do that sort of a thing.
05:58And, and again, to get back to your question, I think that has to be with Bam and Kalil together.
06:02And you have to figure out a way to make that work.
06:05Kalil's young, like very impressionable.
06:07Just because there may be a few things here and there that, that you didn't like this, this past season.
06:12And, you know, I, I think those are the types of players that, man, you, you keep working with them
06:17and, and building that identity in the building and building that identity with the player.
06:22But things can turn and they can turn pretty quickly, but it only happens if, if you play them.
06:26Do you like prime rib?
06:30It's fine.
06:33It's overblown, right?
06:34People get so excited, you're, you're leading the witness, you're leading the witness.
06:40You're just, that is fine.
06:41It's overblown.
06:42People get all excited about that.
06:44National prime rib day was yesterday.
06:46And I was saying to Crowder, I think that prime rib is this overrated meal that, and I find it
06:51to be a bloody wet mess.
06:53That's disgusting.
06:54Anyway, I think it's riddled with fat.
06:58You're out of line.
07:01But again, you gotta, you gotta remember who you're talking to.
07:04Here, like I'm, I'm taking a cheeseburger over a steak all the time.
07:07Well, that is true.
07:08You've told us that before, but prime rib, it's how people get like, just wildly excited when they see a
07:15prime rib carving station.
07:16And me, it turns my stomach when I see a prime rib carving station, because it's just this fatty, gelatinous,
07:24wet blood mess.
07:27As always, you find a way to take things just a step too far.
07:34Like, I could, I'd be happy with a prime rib sandwich with au jus.
07:38Like, I'm, I'm good with that, but I'm not, I'm not going out of my way to build my meal
07:42around, around prime rib.
07:44But, but it also doesn't make me vomitous.
07:47Like, I'm not going to, I'm not going to like walk by the station.
07:50But you would acknowledge if you do go to the, if you end up at that carving station, because there's
07:55nothing else.
07:56Everything on the plate gets defiled by the bloody water mess.
08:00That's like soaking all through.
08:02So your, your, your, your, your, your potatoes and bread, everything is just soaking in this prime rib blood water.
08:14Wouldn't you just get a second plate?
08:18Settle down, Clay.
08:19Not all of us have faculties.
08:24I just wanted, I just wanted to get your opinion.
08:27The Dolphins, the Dolphins draft.
08:29How do you feel like John Eric Sullivan did in his first draft as Dolphins GM?
08:34Do you feel like, do you see the vision?
08:38Do you feel like it's headed in the right direction?
08:40I, I see the vision.
08:42I feel like, I feel like they're heading in the direction that they've told us they're going to.
08:47Now, like his background, I love the NFL draft.
08:50I love studying this stuff.
08:51I get into it hardcore, but the more I have, the less I realize I know.
08:56And so like to, to sit here and give out the draft grade stuff and, and say, ah, this is
09:01like, man, we have no idea.
09:05There is no way that we have the, the information that they do.
09:08With that said, I would have taken Caleb Downs with the first pick.
09:12I just think he's going to be so good in the NFL.
09:15I just love everything about the guy.
09:16Uh, yes, yes.
09:18Huge fan of, of Downs.
09:19And I, the, the thing about Bain is you have to have a vision for, for what you're going to
09:23do for, with him.
09:25And I, I do think that, man, Tampa, I think he's in a great situation there.
09:29Um, I don't know that the Dolphins are in a position to draft players that like you, you need to
09:37kind of plug into certain spots.
09:40And what I mean by that is, look, the short arms thing, I know there was a lot of talk
09:44about it.
09:44There was, there was some analysis on him and, and specific metrics in where he lines up.
09:49And there are certain times where, when he lines up, it does show up in, in, uh, in, uh, win
09:56rate and stuff like that.
09:57Like, so it does, it does cause issues when he's in certain spots.
10:00And so you have to have a vision for him.
10:02And if Jeff Haffley looks and he says, yeah, you know what?
10:05I don't, I don't know that that's going to fit what I want to do on defense.
10:08I'm okay with that.
10:09When you draft an offensive lineman, like Caden Proctor, assuming you feel good about the makeup.
10:14And I know a lot of the questions about the weight and things like that, but if you feel good
10:19about the makeup of, of Proctor, the physical gifts are just undeniable.
10:23And so I, but look, I am all on board with building from the offensive line, doing the stuff they
10:29did.
10:29I like Rodriguez a lot.
10:31Um, Chris Johnson talk about like vision for the player.
10:34Halfley was raving about him.
10:35So we just have to admit that we don't know as much as they do with, with what they want
10:40to do.
10:40Um, but I, I love that they not only used all their picks, but, you know, again, I would have
10:45taken downs, but at least they got a couple of fists that they're able to, to bring in guys there.
10:50So this is a, this is a full on reset for the organization.
10:55And, and so I think the more picks you can get, the more you can start to build the culture
10:59with those news, new guys, the better.
11:01And, you know, the real results, the real grades will be three, four years from now.
11:05Yeah, Clay, a hundred percent.
11:06We don't know what these young guys can do.
11:08Rodriguez Proctor's big.
11:09Like they look good on paper, but I did see the change in philosophy where we were a track meet
11:15team.
11:16They didn't draft anybody under six feet till the fifth round.
11:19We have eight picks over six feet that thought that we're going to get bigger now.
11:24That's what I saw in the draft.
11:25Do you like that approach?
11:26Cause I do, but I'm old school.
11:28No, I do a lot.
11:30I love it.
11:31And I also think that it's, it's needed.
11:34It's, and, and when, what I love about what the dolphins with John Eric Sullivan and Jeff
11:40Halfley have done.
11:41And again, I, I hate saying this because it's like, ah, we got to wait for the results, but
11:46they came in, they told us what they were going to do and they did it.
11:49And everything that they have said has made a lot of sense.
11:52Everything they have done has backed up the sensical things that they have said so far.
11:57Now that, that purely sensible line of thinking and actions could lead to six and 11 for the
12:05next three years.
12:06And I'm an idiot, but I just really think that, that what they're doing is, is building
12:11a foundation, a core that, that is going to be sustainable, which is all the Dolphins fans
12:16have wanted for a long time.
12:18Get build a team that can get back to the playoffs consistently.
12:21That's the only way that you can start winning playoff games again, and then we'll worry
12:25about winning a Superbowl down the line, but I, I'm with you.
12:28I like what they did.
12:29So no Superbowl next season though.
12:31I know, no, that's not happening.
12:33All right.
12:33Just checking.
12:35Clay Ferraro.
12:35When you talk Miami, you do not talk Superbowl.
12:39Yeah.
12:40That's it.
12:40That's going to be the next year's theme song.
12:42When, when you talk Miami, you're not talking Superbowl.
12:47I'm talking somewhere, nowhere near Superbowl.
12:51It's a terrible song.
12:53Yeah.
12:53Is it five and 12?
12:55This song needs to be massaged.
12:57Clay Ferraro.
12:58Watch him on local 10.
12:59Thank you, Clay.
13:00All right.
13:00Take care, fellas.
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