Inside The Heat

Miami Heat Fans Criticize Pat Riley After Paul George Signs With Philadelphia 76ers

Shandel Richardson

Dec 10, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat team president Pat Riley looks on during the first half of a game against the San Antonio Spurs at FTX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 10, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat team president Pat Riley looks on during the first half of a game against the San Antonio Spurs at FTX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Heat fans had a hard time sleeping early Monday earning.

Hours before sunrise, the Philadelphia 76ers pulled off a major move by acquiring Paul George from the Los Angeles Clippers in the middle of the night. It didn't stop Heat fans from expressing their displeasure with the news.

They were on social media posting about the move, placing most of the blame on Heat team president Pat Riley.

The Sixers signed George to a four-year, $212-million deal, pairing him with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. With this trio that now includes a healthy Embiid, Philly ranks up there with the favorites in the Eastern Conference. In Embiid and Maxey, they have two All-Star type players while George is still capable of producing at 34.

The George signing was the second major acquisition in the East. On Sunday, the Orlando Magic agreed to terms with guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He will better a Magic team that won the Southeast Division last season. Orlando already has one of the league's top frontcourts in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Adding Caldwell-Pope's championship pedigree (he won titles with the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers) only helps.

Which brings fans back to Riley. This could mark the second straight year the Heat failed to get better while their competition used the offseason to improve. Last summer the Boston Celtics added Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. It resulted in the first championship of the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown era in Boston.

The worst part for Riley is the Heat have limited flexibility in terms of chasing a big-name free agent to enhance the roster. It's up to him to find a suitable trade, most likely Tyler Herro or Duncan Robinson, that leads to improvement.

If not, the Heat will enter next season with the same core for a third straight year and possibly spending it looking up at the rest of the conference.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Inside The Heat. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson

SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here