Basketball Pass

26 March 2008 | Miami Heat | Shooter

Shaq has been given many names in the past and most he has given himself. But the most recent “Scapegoat” title comes from Miami via Pat Riley who now has to explain a loosing season, giving Dwayne Wade an early vacation and basically calling off the season with months left to play instead of leading the Heat through the remainder of the season.

Pat Rileys Cop-out from the Miami Herald quoted earlier this week:

“I’m not sure the last three or four years I was looking for those qualities,” he said. “We’re going back to the model where we selected Caron Butler and Dwyane Wade.” And after that, Riley joked, “We’ll get back to the process of [bringing in] all the wounded veterans to screw it up again.”

Source: Miami Herald

Screw it up again? This coming from someone who had to be somewhat involved in the decision process? Its hard to believe that a Miami Heat team that is in complete disorder right now has a “it wasn’t me” attitude coming from the leader himself. If not you Pat then who? WHO? Oh yea… Shaq!

Shaq shot back in the Boston Globe:

“I guess when you have a lot of power, you can do what you want,” O’Neal said. “Me? If I ever came into that kind of power, I think I’d be willing to admit it if I messed up.”
O’Neal’s comments were met with silence out of Miami yesterday.
“I know what they said about me,” Shaq said. “Grant [Hill] called me up and told me, ‘They said you don’t want to play no more.’ I understand being the scapegoat comes with being the superstar. When it all goes right, you get the credit. And when it doesn’t . . . I guess this is what you get. I can accept being the scapegoat when we do things my way and they don’t work out. But when you have no control how things are handled, and you are still the scapegoat, I don’t go for that.”

Source: Boston Globe

Pat Riley is feeling the pressure of the poor decision making that lead to the assembly of a one shot championship team. So now that the glory is gone and the people of Miami are wondering what happened to the Heat, the blame goes squarely on Shaq’s shoulders.

Like Shaq’s statement if things where run Shaq’s way then yes the blame is totally and completely ONeals. But isn’t Pat Riley both the Head Coach and President of the Miami Heat? Who calls the shots Shaq? DWade? Or Pat Riley?

Pat Riley’s statements are completely off the charts bad form and show the lack of leadership abilities Pat Riley really has. Any big time veteran would probably be wise to steer clear of the Miami Heat while under Pat Riley unless of course they would be willing to be the next SCAPEGOAT!