MIAMI — It's not personal, Carlos. It's strictly business.
So goes life in the NBA franchise most closely resembling the Corleone family from "The Godfather."
On a day when competing basketball organizations worked to sign their own mercenaries to battle each other come go-to-the-mattresses time, it was the loyal, steady but ultimately unnecessary Carlos Arroyo who was the first casualty.
No one could take Arroyo off the hook Tuesday, not for old time's sake, not at all.
Because after starting 42 games for this 43-17 Heat team, Arroyo was cut Tuesday to make room for Mike Bibby. Bibby, an aged but able point guard and healthy upgrade over Arroyo and current starter Mario Chalmers, reportedly will join the Heat after being bought out by the Wizards.
But it's Arroyo's plight that shows the cunning and cold-bloodedness – all in good ways – that should remind everyone that the Heat still have a serious advantage over every other NBA franchise vying for a championship this season and in the seasons ahead.
And it's not LeBron James, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh.
It's the Godfather of the NBA: Pat "Don Corleone" Riley.
Riley alone had the chops, smarts, long-term vision and ruthlessness to convince LeBron, Wade and Chris Bosh to take pay cuts in order to join his family.
Riley even has his protégé, Erik "Michael Corleone" Spoelstra, calling his players "brothers." And the Heat have followed suit, LeBron included.
Because it's a family.
As in, always keep it in the family. A lesson even LeBron seems to have learned this season.
The Godfather has been mostly silent, unseen and most certainly in charge this season. You never let anyone outside the family know what you're thinking, and Riley certainly hasn't.
As long as he continues to rule the family, Miami should have no problem steadily consolidating power until it seizes the reins as NBA top dog. That most likely will happen next season.
But Riley is the Godfather for a reason. Cutting loose someone as loyal and beloved as Arroyo shows he has the chops to sacrifice pawns in order to reward kings.
Today, Spoelstra is Michael Corleone, a promising but unproven (and within the family, underestimated) protégé. LeBron James is Tessio, loyal always to the Godfather if not his son Michael. Wade is Clemenza, a long-term loyalist to the entire family, Godfather or otherwise. (He is, after all, more a Spoelstra guy than any other Heat star.)
LeBron-Tessio "was always smarter" (in basketball terms: better) than Wade-Clemenza, though both are formidable and able captains. Both would command clout and respect anywhere else. But with the Godfather around, there is limited chance of dissension within the Heat family.
But even great captains need soldiers.
There's Chris Bosh, who seems, were we to ask Kevin Durant at least, the best candidate to be Fredo.
The Heat's biggest problem is they have no Luca Brasi, a big, strong, violent force they can unleash in the trenches of the paint.
Which brings us to Bibby's imminent arrival.
At his most capable, Bibby can be Tom Hagen, a consigliere who makes everyone out there smarter, better, more likely to succeed – an extension of the Godfather and Michael out on the court. But short of that, being a capable, but behind-the-scenes lieutenant set on making his captains more effective will do.
It's better than Chalmers, a low-level guy with few chances for advancement in the family.
And poor Carlos?
He feels a lot like Enzo the baker – only if Enzo's loyalty and fake-gun act during his commitment to protect the Godfather got him gunned down on the steps of the hospital.
Would the Godfather have mourned poor Enzo? Sent out a statement praising him like Riley did for Arroyo on Tuesday? Felt bad?
Of course.
Then the Godfather, and his family, would have gone out and gotten real soldiers for the wars ahead.
Don't underestimate Pat Riley and his plan. (I would have kept Arroyo over Chalmers, but, hey, I'm not the Godfather.)
If not this season, Riley and his organization soon will dominate everyone else.
The Godfather is patient, cunning, bold and usually ahead of his adversaries.
And he does what he must for the family.
These are Don Corleone's words to Michael. But they just as easily could have been Riley's words to Spoelstra this week:
"I work my whole life, I don't apologize, to take care of my family. And I refused to be a fool, dancing on the strings held by all of those big shots. I don't apologize. That's my life."
GTFOH!!!!!"
