Riley appears to have aged considerably.
In Hollywood, he was once handsome and suave, but after coming to Miami for several years, his face has gained many wrinkles.
For the Heat, he pushes the players to their limits while also pushing himself.
After the disbandment of the Big Three, the Heat fell briefly for a season but then rose again.
This year, the Heat moved out of the cramped Miami Arena and set their home court at the newly built American Airlines Center.
Riley, along with the Heat players, personally visited the construction site of the arena to witness the rise of this brand-new modern facility.
The original Miami Arena could only seat 15,200 people, while the new American Airlines Center increased the number to over 19,000 and could reach 21,146 with additional standing room tickets, significantly boosting home game ticket revenue.
Besides the new venue, Riley is always finding ways to bring in new talented players through trades and free agent signings.
Just look at tonight’s starting lineup for the Heat: Tim Hardaway, Marshon, P.J. Brown, Rashid Wallace, and Dan Majerle.
Is there anyone who was drafted and developed by the Heat? No, not a single one; all were lured, swapped, or stolen.
This is Riley’s way of operation: since the League allows for player free agency, why take a chance on developing rookies?
Evaluate the ones that others have trained well, and find a way to sign them over, quickly piecing together the lineup with low risk, the surefire way to quick success.
Since the 1988 labor agreement abolished restrictions on free agents, these years, including the 1998 new labor agreement, have encouraged player free movement.
Many teams that have carefully nurtured high draft picks face the risk of talent loss when rookie contracts expire, with smaller teams easily turning into training grounds that funnel stars to big-city teams.
These smaller teams, although somewhat resentful, dare not say anything in the face of David Stern’s authority and the money distributed to them.
On the Trail Blazers side, Sabonis is injured, and before the game, Carl confirmed the starting lineup with Little O’Neal filling the power forward position, while Gan Guoyang remains the center.
The small forward is still given to the young Alan Henderson, with the Shooting Guard Kobe and Point Guard Brellock.
This lineup as a starter is indeed quite suitable, balanced, stable, and not prone to major mistakes.
Hart and Little Spo suggest letting Ben Wallace and Little O’Neal directly start as the inside combo, moving Ah Gan to the small forward and replacing Alan Henderson.
The Big Ben + Little O duo has already proven their defensive prowess, and Gan Guoyang can activate the offense better from the small forward position.
However, Carl, standing from the head coach’s perspective, carefully considered Gan Guoyang’s "complementary tactics" and believed it wasn’t advisable to employ too aggressive and unfamiliar lineups.
Starting inside must still rely on Gan Guoyang to hold the fort and stabilize the situation; otherwise, what if he gets overwhelmed, with the two young players committing too many fouls or failing and getting overwhelmed inside?
Additionally, Alan Henderson is a young and very capable player; he just hasn’t yet adapted to the Trail Blazers’ tactical system.
If removed from the starter lineup too early, it wouldn’t be beneficial to his development and would also be a slap in the face for Bird, who pushed for this trade.
Considering everything, Carl decided only to let Little O’Neal start replacing Sabonis and partner inside with Gan Guoyang, making no other changes.
As for Charles Barkley, Carl has never considered him a starting option; his age and condition dictate that he is more effective playing as the sixth man rather than a starter.
Indeed, many veterans in the NBA over 35 or 36 years old are no longer suitable for starting roles in terms of stamina and intensity; playing from the bench actually enhances the team’s combat effectiveness.
But coaches, respecting their former status and face, often continue to let veterans start, resulting in the starting squad not keeping pace, quickly digging themselves into a hole.
But Carl withstands the pressure from Barkley, straightforwardly refused Barkley’s request to start, which is not an easy feat.
The team, like a workplace, often sees coaches as a weaker party facing superstars; many coaches, facing dilemmas between stars and tactics, mostly choose to compromise with stars.
Carl, in his first season of coaching, established his non-compromising attitude, which will profoundly impact his future coaching career.
Of course, Carl has confidence because he knows that with Ah Gan in the Trail Blazers’ locker room, Barkley will not dare cause trouble, ensuring order within the Trail Blazers.
As the game nears start, Barkley sits willingly on the bench, patiently waiting for his turn.
Young players like Little O’Neal represent the team standing at center court against P.J. Brown for the jump ball.
Both teams play at a slow pace to start; in recent years, the Heat have always adhered to a defensive play style.
Slow-paced, high-intensity confrontation pushes not only themselves but also their opponents, showcasing a fierce style of play.
The Heat has also managed to acquire the fierce Rashid Wallace; they’ve started the new season quite strongly.
The two teams quickly engaged in fierce competition inside; Tim Hardaway attempted twice to break through under the basket, only to be blocked by Gan Guoyang.
Meanwhile, Gan Guoyang’s strong attack under the basket was also double-teamed by Wallace and P.J. Brown, with Brown smartly drawing Gan Guoyang into committing an offensive foul.
This lad is becoming more mature under the basket; having learned from Gan Guoyang for many years, he’s quite familiar with his playing style.