‘They’re going to cause a lot of headaches.’ Magic Johnson shares thoughts on Miami Heat.
It’s no secret that Magic Johnson loves Pat Riley.
And why wouldn’t he? The two won four championships together. His latest praise, however, goes far beyond their history in Los Angeles.
“He’s the best executive in the league,” Johnson said of Riley Thursday in Liberty City.
Talk about high praise. That might seem like hyperbole but the Lakers legend’s reasoning made sense.
“To retool the team the way Pat did and to make the trades that he made to get up under the salary cap,” Johnson explained. “... He’s done a tremendous job and this team is awesome.”
From shedding Hassan Whiteside’s contract to three-time champion Andre Iguodala’s team-friendly deal, Riley’s cap gymnastics rivals only Simone Biles. Throw in the Jimmy Butler signing with their arsenal of three-point snipers and the Heat will be a difficult out in the postseason.
“They’re going to cause a lot of headaches in the playoffs,” Johnson added. “Some teams going to want to run away from them because they shoot the ball so well. Then they have a guy that can close the game and that’s Jimmy Butler.”
What the Heat does in April will have exceeded many expectations. Johnson himself even admitted to it, saying that he “almost [wondered] what was going to happen” during the Heat’s darker days.
But that’s the greatest part about this season. Sometimes the unexpected is a pleasant surprise. Besides, it seems Riley and Johnson have their eyes on 2021..
“Just think what they going to look like next year,” the three-time NBA Finals MVP concluded.
