MIAMI – Much like many Heat fans, team president Pat Riley has mixed feelings about the team's 41-41 season.
"I feel absolutely great about what happened," Riley said. "I'm not happy about not being in the playoffs."
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Riley criticized the NBA for having a tie-breaker decide if the Heat or Chicago would go to the playoffs, given that Miami played two games in Chicago and the Bulls only played at Miami once.
Riley had effusive praise for head coach Erik Spoelstra.
"Incredible coaching and leadership by Spoelstra and his staff," Riley said. "I love this team. I love what we have built."
Riley said the team has flexibility in free agency to build to next season. Riley said the season was a "great disappointment and a lot of success."
Riley said he regrets saying last season that he wished for a "whale."
"We're going to focus on our guys," he said. "We've found something in three of our guys where they have something, but they never had a platform."
Riley said he doesn't know how this summer is going to work out.
The team president would not address the Chris Bosh situation because "there's no resolution to it now."
On the team's 11-30 start, Riley jokes that he had a conversation with Spoelstra.
"The one night he wanted to drive out to the Rickenbacker (Causeway), I said, 'Don't do it,'" Riley said
Riley was critical of players around the league taking nights for rest.
"We don't rest," he said. "I don't believe in it. I believe it's come to the point where it's become a travesty."
Riley said that Hassan Whiteside showed the Heat what he wanted.
"There's so much more we need from him," Riley said. "I think he has the capability of being a championship center."
Riley expects Udonis Haslem to return to the team, but wants him to earn a roster spot. Riley also spoke about his own future.
"I don't know how many more non-playoff years I could take or I would want to take," Riley said.
Justise Winslow is still very much a part of Riley's plans for the future, he said.
Riley was critical of some of the reports about deficiencies in Winslow's game.
"We're measuring this guy after 75 games, and I think that's unfair," Riley said, calling him a "glue guy."
When the Heat didn't make the playoffs, Riley said he was "pissed off."
Riley was very supportive of the Development League and hope that it expands to every team.
He also wanted every team to have a minor league affiliate within 100 miles of the team.
Riley discussed the Heat's potential draft pick.
"We're in purgatory," he said. "That's where we are right now. Sort of between heaven and hell. But we like 12-20."