And you wonder why Shaq doesn't take the regular season seriously?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2718720


Riley to have surgery on right knee, hip

ESPN.com news services

Miami Heat coach Pat Riley will take a leave of absence to have surgery on his right knee and hip.

The Chicago Tribune first reported that Riley would take a leave from the team, which plays the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday before embarking on a six-game Western road trip. A team spokesperson confirmed the leave of absence to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

According to ESPN's Hank Goldberg, Riley will have surgery on his right knee and hip and plans to return to the bench. The team was expected to hold a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

The Tribune reported that Riley informed the team of the decision on Wednesday morning.

Assistant Ron Rothstein will coach the team in his absence.

Riley spoke earlier in the week about the knee pain.

"I've got floating chips," he told the Sun-Sentinel. "I've got three or four things that have been floating in there for years. If I get it done, it'll be a day. There's just going to scope it and flush it out.

"I had an MRI the other day. It showed all these loose parts in there," Riley told the newspaper. "Lately it's been locking up and staying there."

The Heat, who have been without center Shaquille O'Neal, are off to a 13-17 start and out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference.

Gotta love a Hank Goldberg NBA story.

Only thing that would have been better is if they would have brought back Stan Van Jeremy as interim coach.

:ronjeremy:

"Floating chips"?

dumb Shaq voice: "uhhh....that's what happens when i jump into the pool w/ my bag of Doritos"

http://www.miamibeach411.com/ee/images/uploads/shaq_police.jpg

Next step is Isaiah gives him like $50 Million, he's fired after one year, and that's that.

I have the question the timing of this, I mean why do this now? To me there is one reasonable answer Riley is tired of coaching and figures if he sits out for the next 6-8 weeks he will come back refocused.

Riley has mostly been a professional throughout his career (I said Mostly) but has been known to do stupid things, and coming back this year is at the top of his list. It was obvious in the Scotty Bowman like behavior following the Heat's win he was happy to call it quits, he proved all that he had to prove, and showed his critics LA was as much him as it was Magic and Kareem.

However the Big Hypocrite talked him into coming back with the promise of season long dedication and maintained control of the locker room, neither of which was delivered. Now 1/3 of the way through the season his team is fat, lazy, injured, resting on its laurels and 3 games out of the 8th seed, as Riley had feared. So he figures now is as good of time as ever to take a break by having surgery. If the team comes together under Mr. 97-231 then he will come back and steal back the throne and all its glory or as I call it Deja Vu, if the team maintains its poor performance he can exit quietly with little to no real accountability for what happened this season.

Sure there is a second option/reason but I doubt a hip and knee ailment would be enough if the team was 25-5 to sideline him.

If it only takes a day to do (and I assume a few days to recover), why not wait until all star break?

Riley is a bunch of punks.

Compare and contrast with LB in 2005.

pat riley can do as he pleases vs managment looking out for #1 at all times.

i dont blame riley. not really an admirable act, but hell, i'd do the same thing. why waste your possibly last few years of being spry by coaching that broke basketball team. i'll say it again, worst champs ever. i figured theyd suck, and sofar so good.

Man, the Heat are a mess.

Check this out, especially the part about the special treatment for Shaq. That's got to go over well.


http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-spheatnote05jan05,0,5459147.story?coll=sfla-sports-headlines


Depleted Heat goes west for next 6

Wade still out; O'Neal, Walker, Posey stay home

By Ira Winderman
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

January 5, 2007

MIAMI -- The Heat departed short-handed Thursday for Phoenix, the first stop of its six-game western swing. It also likely will remain without the helping hand of guard Dwyane Wade.

In addition to forwards Antoine Walker and James Posey staying behind because of conditioning sanctions, center Shaquille O'Neal also did not travel. Just three days earlier, before he took a medical leave of absence, coach Pat Riley spoke at length of O'Neal joining the team on the trip and resuming practice for the first time since Nov. 19 knee surgery.

While Wade did take flight, tonight's game against the Suns likely will be another rough landing. Wade said he has yet to resume shooting since spraining his right wrist Dec. 27 in Chicago.

"It's getting better daily, it's just not coming as quick as I want it to come," said Wade, whose wrist remains in a cumbersome leather splint.

The Heat continues to list Wade as day-to-day, although the guard said he likely would put off a return until he could "get some practice situations in, whether it's some shooting or whatever."

While Wade's absence is for a tangible setback, Walker and Posey remain somewhat confused about being deactivated for failing to meet Riley-mandated conditioning thresholds. Posey, at 9 percent body fat, and Walker, at 11, both are 1 percent above their directives.

"I just know I'm at 9 percent now and 218 pounds, so I don't know," Posey said. "I feel good, like I'm in great shape."

Like Walker, he remained behind to work with conditioning coach Bill Foran, whose calipers ultimately will determine when the two can rejoin their teammates.

"Man, they're pinching me every day," Posey said.

Walker questioned those who question his conditioning.

"I practice every day and play every game," he said. "The last time I checked, when you're out of shape, you're not able to perform and play and miss days, you get aches and injuries that stop you from being able to perform on the basketball court."

Speaking later on WQAM (560-AM), Riley said nine of the 13 returning players from last season initially failed to meet their conditioning standards and that he has allowed O'Neal to exceed his targets because of the efforts made by the center.

Of his frustration with his underachieving roster, Riley said, "They simply don't want to work. They don't want to work right now. To me, it's disgraceful. And from that standpoint, that's what I've been dealing with, and that's what I'm trying to eradicate."

MOURNING AILING

Center Alonzo Mourning missed Thursday's practice because of flu symptoms but did travel. ...

During his radio interview, Riley said of the decision to step away and handle knee and hip issues, "If we were 25-2, would I have done it? Probably not." ...

General Manager Randy Pfund was spotted Wednesday watching the pregame workout of Clippers forward Corey Maggette, who has been the subject of trade speculation.

We lost pretty bad to this team too.

Clearly, Antoine Walker's conditioning is why he's getting only 38% from the FT line. And, with just a little bitty less body fat, he'll make those shots from the four-point line that exists in his dreams.

Clearly, Antoine Walker's conditioning is why he's getting only 38% from the FT line. And, with just a little bitty less body fat, he'll make those shots from the four-point line that exists in his dreams.

If you got 5 points for shots beyond half-court, you know he'd be out there heaving the ball from the opposite free throw line every chance he got.