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As he passes the coaching reins to Erik Spoelstra, Pat Riley plans to change his approach from when Stan Van Gundy was the coach.
Reflecting in a quiet moment, Riley said, ''I distanced myself, I thought, a little too much [from Van Gundy], not in a meddling way. I really showed too much respect, too much distance and wanted to stay absolutely out of the picture because it was his show.'' Although Riley wants to give Spoelstra a lot of space, ``I think there has to be more contact between me and the head coach on a regular basis, meet once every month or every two weeks.''
And Riley said he must ''have a more positive relationship'' with his new coach: ``I don't think I ever gave Stan enough kudos because I never needed a pat on the back. When you're in that position, you never expect one. That's probably where I'll come in more than I did the last time.''
Players love Spoelstra, but he knows he must be tough on them when needed. ''A lot of players want the discipline,'' he said, noting he has yelled before. ''They will play [hard] for'' Spoelstra, Riley predicts, because ``they respect him.''
• Riley, 63, will remain president the next two years, and then (with owner Micky Arison) decide whether to continue. . . If the Heat cannot draft Derrick Rose, one potential point-guard trade option who intrigues management is Toronto's T.J. Ford (the Raptors say they will keep Jose Calderon).
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