Ira Winderman: March Madness? Riley cool to the notion

To his credit, this remains a time when Pat Riley continues with his cross-country due diligence, fanning out around the nation along with his staff to scout college tournaments.

Because even if his picks don't come in the lottery or the first-round, or the draft at all, he at least recognizes that there has to be youth in the pipeline.

But there also is a candor to his impatient approach: NBA success at a championship level comes from ready-to-win talent, from men, not kid stuff.

So he continues to pay through the draft for the 2010 moves that delivered LeBron James, Chris Bosh and two championships to the Miami Heat. And just over a month ago, he dealt two other potential lottery picks for the win-now promise of Goran Dragic, even without an accompanying free-agency promise from Dragic.

To some, it is the height of hubris, if not recklessness, to discount the very process that, under practically any definition, has allowed Riley to transport his championship legacy to South Florida.

Because if the Heat were not historically bad in 2002-03, there would not have been Dwyane Wade in the 2003 lottery.

And without Dwyane Wade, there would not have been confetti in 2006, '12 and '13.

But that also was back before NBA free agency became so transformative.

Before LeBron left from there for here, and then went back there again. Before clearing cap space became a way to create hope for the future without the accompanying pain of total tanking.

With their 2015 draft pick in danger of being forwarded to the Philadelphia 76ers this June, possibly in a lottery position, with it only protected through the first 10 selections, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was asked this past week about weighing tanking advantages.

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Ira Winderman: March Madness? Riley cool to the notion