When Pat Riley stepped away from the Heat bench for stretches each of the past two seasons, he considered giving Erik Spoelstra sort of a test drive as a head coach.
Didn't happen.
On each occasion, Riley decided on battle-tested assistant Ron Rothstein, who was more equipped in short-term relief to deal with the attitudes and issues of disgruntled veterans two seasons ago, and the end of a horrendous run this season.
''[Rothstein's] already got the scars and the wounds,'' said Riley, who left the team for six weeks in 2006 to have hip and knee surgeries and skipped four games this season to scout college tournaments. ``We wanted to save those fresh ones for Erik. He's on his own from here on.''
Of course, Riley was joking about Spoelstra, 37, being on his own. The adversity and scars, however, will eventually come with the job.
With Riley now solely team president, his prized protégé now enters the fray of a turbulent climate in which NBA coaches, especially first-timers, are the toast of introductory news conferences one day and often out of a job a year later.
''I know what I'm getting into,'' Spoelstra said. ``I've seen it. But if you talk to any coach, they'll tell you the same thing. It's such a volatile time to get into coaching. I don't know if there ever is a perfect, perfect time.''
NBA executives, coaches and league analysts believe the pressure and expectations placed on new coaches might be at an all-time high, with a team's ground between pitiful and playoff contention expected to be closed in one season -- or less. In just the past 22 months, at least seven NBA coaches have been fired after no more than one full season. Three were dismissed in recent days: Charlotte's Sam Vincent, Milwaukee's Larry Krystkowiak and Chicago interim coach Jim Boylan.
OPPORTUNITY
But many believe Spoelstra steps into a situation where he not only has the hunger and work ethic to succeed, but also the support, structure and talent.
''It's a tough environment now, where you've got to win or be gone in many respects,'' an Eastern Conference general manager said Tuesday. ``But there are great opportunities, and I tend to look at this as one. The hardest thing to do is to get in that circle.''
Despite Riley's expectations to see the Heat in the playoffs next season -- which would require one of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history after a 15-67 finish -- Spoelstra appears surrounded by a solid circle of support.
After seven seasons as a Heat assistant, Spoelstra seems to have earned the respect from top players that Vincent reportedly never had in Charlotte. Groomed by Riley and backed by owner Micky Arison, Spoelstra also appears to have the confidence from management that Krystkowiak lacked in Milwaukee.
`NO DIFFERENT CAMPS'
From an outsider's view, Spoelstra has the infrastructure in place to overcome what he lacks in head-coaching experience.
''In that organization, there are no different camps,'' said a Western Conference executive familiar with Miami's front-office operations. ``There's a straight down chain of command from Micky to Pat and so on. When you have their backing, that's monumental in this case.''
Also viewed as vital is a path of dissention that Riley cleared to provide Spoelstra a clean slate.
The Heat's February trade of disgruntled center Shaquille O'Neal removed what might have been a huge obstacle in the coaching transition. Riley has also said he would rid the roster of players with unacceptable attitudes and effort.
The Heat also might not re-sign veterans Jason Williams and Ricky Davis. In addition to a top-four draft pick, Spoelstra mentioned Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, Shawn Marion, Daequan Cook and Dorell Wright as the core he expects to lead.
''I take tremendous responsibility for allowing it to get to where it got to,'' Riley said of Spoelstra's first-year challenges. ``But he's going to start fresh, hopefully with a more committed team, a more invigorated team, a team not fraught with dissention or disagreement.''
BUSY DAY
For now, Spoelstra is simply relieved to get through a first day of work that included a dozen media interviews, morning and afternoon staff meetings and lunch with Riley and general manager Randy Pfund.
Next on Spoelstra's itinerary is a trip home to Portland, Ore., for some time with family. Maybe then the magnitude of it all will settle in.
''It'll probably take a while for that to happen,'' he said Tuesday. ``I'm just trying to get my head above water.''
