- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,212,576
- Reaction score
- 59
Q: Hi, Ira. LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo in Miami? Egos, Egos, Egos. – Alan, Apollo Beach.
A: And? More often than not, greatness equals ego. LeBron James already has played alongside and won alongside the egos of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and Anthony Davis. And that’s just his leading-men championship partners (you’d be surprised how many lesser players have oversized egos). Arguably, even alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron might find less ego in this current Heat locker room than several others he has shared. Erik Spoelstra has proven masterful in managing egos, which is among the reasons he will be the next Team USA Olympic coach. The best way to manage egos is to win. It’s when you don’t win that the egos can collide. And face it, if the Heat do not win with this mix, then it will be more than ego that will come under inspection.
Q: Did Pat Riley tip his hand when he said we still need a shooter and a big? – Smiley.
A: Only if he tipped his hand that the Heat aren’t getting LeBron James. Based on their finances, the Heat likely will only carry 14 under standard contract to start the season, in order to maintain flexibility going forward under their hard cap. So if LeBron James comes aboard, then there’s probably only room for one more. In that case, would LeBron count as the shooter or the big man?
Q: Care to share your thoughts on draft pick Ryan Conwell, if he has impressed you so far from the limited sample size during Summer League? – Rodney.
A: He has, certainly from the standpoint of what you could be getting from a second-round pick. But as Pat Riley noted at Giannis Antetokounmpo’s welcome session, the Heat are back in win-now mode, with championship visions. And that may mean that development comes outside of game minutes. And that could mean playing Dru Smith over Ryan Conwell.
Continue reading...
A: And? More often than not, greatness equals ego. LeBron James already has played alongside and won alongside the egos of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and Anthony Davis. And that’s just his leading-men championship partners (you’d be surprised how many lesser players have oversized egos). Arguably, even alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron might find less ego in this current Heat locker room than several others he has shared. Erik Spoelstra has proven masterful in managing egos, which is among the reasons he will be the next Team USA Olympic coach. The best way to manage egos is to win. It’s when you don’t win that the egos can collide. And face it, if the Heat do not win with this mix, then it will be more than ego that will come under inspection.
Related Articles
Q: Did Pat Riley tip his hand when he said we still need a shooter and a big? – Smiley.
A: Only if he tipped his hand that the Heat aren’t getting LeBron James. Based on their finances, the Heat likely will only carry 14 under standard contract to start the season, in order to maintain flexibility going forward under their hard cap. So if LeBron James comes aboard, then there’s probably only room for one more. In that case, would LeBron count as the shooter or the big man?
Q: Care to share your thoughts on draft pick Ryan Conwell, if he has impressed you so far from the limited sample size during Summer League? – Rodney.
A: He has, certainly from the standpoint of what you could be getting from a second-round pick. But as Pat Riley noted at Giannis Antetokounmpo’s welcome session, the Heat are back in win-now mode, with championship visions. And that may mean that development comes outside of game minutes. And that could mean playing Dru Smith over Ryan Conwell.
Continue reading...
