That will be one argument of the "bench Wade" crowd—that the Heat are still contending, and therefore can't be concerned with pedigree and feelings. Others will cite the success of the San Antonio Spurs' Manu Ginobili, though Gregg Popovich was yanking him in and out of the lineup long before he was up in age.By now, Ginobili's used to it.Wade is not.There are other sacrifices that Wade can make to make the Heat stronger, sacrifices that will make more of a material difference to their championship chances—allowing Riley to add enough assistance to overcome his inevitable absences.
Giving up his starting spot?This isn't the moment to start that.Shane Battier's careful calculation in the summer of 2012 is about to pay off.Other teams, including the Toronto Raptors, offered more short-term cash. The Heat offered the opportunity for a longer-term splash, even after Battier had left the NBA waters."An investment in my future," Battier said last week, after his future officially arrived, with the final game of his career occurring in the Finals clincher in San Antonio.Battier knew that if he came to Miami, "people would know my name. Good reasons, bad reasons, but they would know." That turned out to be true, and now not only has he signed to serve as a college basketball (and occasional NBA) analyst for ESPN, but, as he quipped, "I can charge way more for my speeches now."So, while Battier won't be back with the Heat, his story is relevant as Pat Riley tries to rebuild, retool and reload the roster. Thursday, the Heat president guaranteed that "there will be other guys wanting to come down here."That is likely true, especially if James commits to stay, meaning that Miami would provide a platform no other organization can match: tropical climate, favorable tax situation, unselfish superstar. And, as Riley noted, he may have some mechanisms (a trade exception from the Joel Anthony deal and a mid-level exception of some amount, depending on other factors) that allow him to attract that talent at something near their market value.
Still, for all that's in Riley's favor, there remain two factors that may prove limiting:First, every veteran player has a floor. While Battier and Ray Allen both signed for less than they could have received elsewhere (roughly $3.1 million per season), Battier recently acknowledged, "I wasn't coming for the minimum." Neither was Allen. Players who will usually have little other choice, because they come with baggage. Miami hit big on Chris Andersen (off-court concerns), did reasonably well with Rashard Lewis (knees) and has gotten little contribution, thus far, from Greg Oden (knees) or Michael Beasley (immaturity). So the trick is finding players with little risk, who are willing to take a little, but probably not a lot, less.Second, while the Heat may find more players with Battier's perspective—chasing a championship for its own sake as well as the potential benefits beyond—those players are generally advanced in age. Riley conceded Thursday that he needs to "layer" the roster with some younger talent, and that "we would love to have players that are young who can grow into major roles."
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