Pat Riley’s “Get a grip…” proclamation is well remembered, and many cited it as a message to Lebron James. Lebron has responded, opting out, indicating an interest in 1 to 2 more years, BUT making two things clear.  Firstly, he was unhappy to see other teams improve while the Heat, apparently to save money, amnestied Mike Miller and got weaker, not stronger.  Secondly, before he returns, Lebron expects to see how the Heat will improve the roster this time.  Bosh and D. Wade have also opted out, as has Udonis Haslem, all indicating a willingness to take less money so as to enable to Heat to add talent. Lebron has not suggested being open to less pay. The Heat need to be concerned.

Carmelo Anthony led the NBA in average minutes per game, at 38.7.  Lebron was 6th, at 37.7. Chris Bosh averaged 32 minutes per game.  D. Wade averaged 32.9 minutes, but played in only 54 games.  Clearly, Mr. James carried the heaviest load.  Here’s another interesting statistic; Lebron has never been the highest paid player on any NBA team, not in Cleveland, and not in Miami. If Lebron is thinking it is time to make a correction to that, who can blame him?  So the question becomes what help will Pat Riley bring in, to both improve performance and to reduce Lebron’s workload?

A couple of targets have been missed already. Gortat returned to the Wizards, and Shaun Livingston signed with the Warriors.  Luol Deng has rebuffed the notion of a pay cut, and Kyle Lowry has politely refused an interview just yet.  Paul Gasol has had a phone conversation with Riley, but nothing conclusive; and we know Phil Jackson’s relationship and history with him.  So the pathway to productive assets isn’t without obstacles.  The Heat need to rise to the challenge, or thank Lebron for his contributions, and give him their blessings when he walks away.