Miami Heat: 5 Takeaways From Pat Riley’s End-Of-Year Press Conference

1. A Clear Strategy Is In Place To Try And Keep The Core Intact

Riley is usually guarded and noncommittal regarding offseason plans, but on Wednesday, he was the opposite. He was candid, upfront and even sort of upbeat, which is surprising considering how the season ended.

"We’re going to really focus on this group of guys. We have found out something about three of these guys that I felt last year; they had something but were never given the platform. I think [Spoelstra] gave them the platform and then over the course of time you could see what the player… could really do, and perform and produce. And we liked what we saw… First thing’s first is to focus on our team… I think we’re in a good position to move forward."

Dion Waiters had a breakout year. James Johnson was a versatile monster, capable of shape-shifting between rugged center and ball-handling point guard. Wayne Ellington led the league in three-point shooting when wide open (no defender within six feet, per NBA.com).

The odds of landing Griffin or Hayward are next to nil. Why risk upsetting Johnson or Waiters in an attempt to woo either, especially after they made clear how badly they want to stay in Miami? Sometimes, it’s better to practice prudence, even if you’re someone with Riley’s acumen.

Plus, there’s the whole chemistry thing, which admittedly may not matter that much, but is still good to have. Judging by how much time this team spends together (even a week after the season ended), they seem to legitimately like each other as people.

Next: 2017 NBA Playoffs Roundup, Day 5

Bring back Winslow, add a first-round pick and a room-level exception player (as Riley alluded to), to a roster that won 30 of its final 41 games and see what you can do. At the very least, it’ll be a fun ride.