Erik Spoelstra has the world on his shoulders. Spoelstra, 40, has the job everyone wants, but it’s the job that no one knows how to do successfully. In his third season as head coach of the Miami Heat, Spoelstra seemingly hit the lottery this summer when general manager Pat Riley signed premier free agents LeBron James and Chris Bosh to join superstar Dwayne Wade. But the Heat sit at 6-4 with only one win against a 2010 playoff team. The team that many thought would run through the NBA has failed to do so, and Spoelstra is the easy scapegoat.
(Spoelstra is 96-78 as head coach of the Heat.)With only two years as head coach under his belt, Spoelstra does not have much of a track record under his belt, but he has experienced some success. Spoelstra became the first Filipino-American to become a head coach in any US professional sport. In his first year as head coach, Spoelstra led the Heat to a 28-win improvement from their 15-win season in 2007-08. The fifth-seeded Heat lost in the first round to the Atlanta Hawks.
Last season, Spoelstra guided the Heat to late-season surge as the team won 12 of their last 15. But the momentum did not carry over into the playoffs and the Heat lost to the eventual Eastern Conference Champions, the Boston Celtics, in the first round.
(This is Spoelstra's third season as head coach, but his 16th season with the Heat.)As long as Miami loses, though, Spoelstra’s job security will continue to come into question. The reason dates back to the 2005 off-season when then-head coach Stan Van Gundy resigned despite the Heat falling a game short of reaching the NBA Finals (both Shaquille O’Neal and Wade were injured for the game). Many speculated that Riley, who immediately took over as head coach, forced Van Gundy out–a rumor which Van Gundy refuted.
Unless Spoelstra can find the right mix or combination of James, Wade, and Bosh, the speculation will continue.
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