It’s been 15 years since Pat Riley has pushed the reset button quite like this.
Back then, in the early 2000s, the Miami Heat team president was rebuilding from a really-good-but-not-quite-great era anchored by franchise cornerstones Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway. A couple of lottery seasons and plenty of roster filler followed, until Dwyane Wade arrived in the 2003 draft and Shaquille O’Neal was acquired in a July 2004 trade. Shaq was traded away in February 2008, but LeBron James arrived via free agency before the 2010-11 season. The Heat were essentially in title contention for a decade.
Wade’s 13-year Heat tenure ended with his acrimonious departure last month to Chicago via free agency. Gone this offseason is the franchise icon who helped lead Miami to three NBA titles in an eight-year span, along with key veterans Luol Deng, Joe Johnson, Amar'e Stoudemire and Gerald Green.
Riley’s latest major makeover begins now, with a 2016-17 team built around returning catalysts Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside, along with promising second-year contributors Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson. The Heat won’t be championship contenders, but they might still be compelling in the East as Riley plots the course to acquire his next superstar to return Miami to elite status.
Here are 10 games on the 2016-17 schedule -- which was released Thursday -- to watch for the Heat:
Oct. 26 at Magic: If Chris Bosh’s medical situation is resolved by the season opener at Orlando, this will be his first game back in uniform since recurring blood clots ended his second consecutive season back in February. If Bosh is back, there’s a bit more hope for the Heat this season.
Nov. 1 vs. Kings: As a rookie second-round pick in Sacramento six years ago, Whiteside once told a coach that he and DeMarcus Cousins would be every bit as good together as Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Six years later, Whiteside has developed into a $100 million man in Miami.
Nov. 4 at Raptors: This is the first meeting between the teams that slugged it out in a brutal seven-game playoff series that propelled Toronto to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in franchise history and dropped Miami into a roster overhaul.
Nov. 10 vs. Bulls: Most expected D-Wade, at age 34, to stay with the Heat and then retire (soon) as a career-long member of the franchise. Instead, he returns to Miami for the first time as a Chicago Bull. Just doesn’t seem right. It’s still considered Miami-Wade County, after all.
Nov. 25 at Memphis, Nov. 26 vs. Memphis: Aside from facing Wade, this will certainly be the most emotional game of the regular season for Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who faces his best friend -- former lead assistant and rookie head coach David Fizdale -- in a back-to-back, away-home set that starts in Memphis.
Dec. 10 at Bulls: Even though this one is on the road, it’s still D-Wade in a Bulls uniform. And if reality didn’t set in when Wade returned to Miami in November, just image the disbelief when you hear his name called in that iconic Bulls player introduction at the United Center.
Jan. 23 vs. Warriors: During the LeBron-Wade-Bosh Big Three era, nearly every team in the league circled the Heat’s visit to town on the calendar. Now, Miami is on the other side of that equation in its matchup with Kevin Durant and the NBA’s latest superteam.
Feb. 10 at Nets: If Bosh has yet to play by then because of his medical condition, this game would mark the one-year anniversary of his previous suited-up game with the Heat. The remaining money owed on his contract would no longer count against Miami’s salary cap if Bosh is unable to resume his career.
March 4 vs. Cavaliers: The champs visit after LeBron James intimated in June his “secret motivation” for winning a title in Cleveland was fueled by someone -- perhaps Riley -- telling him that leaving Miami in 2014 would be the biggest mistake of his career. The Heat and Cavs then meet again two nights later in Cleveland.
March 31 vs. Knicks: The Knicks have a bitter history with the Heat, and the second end of this back-to-back set could have playoff seeding implications. With Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah joining Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, the Knicks will be relevant -- either as a contender or catastrophe.
