Pat Riley says don’t expect big changes in Heat roster

Yes, there are questions about Dwyane Wade and if his game is in decline (and how fast he is going down that hill). Yes, there are questions about Chris Bosh’s role within the offense and his value to the team, particularly relative to the big checks he cashes.

But don’t think the Pat Riley is breaking the Heat up.

They are back-to-back NBA Champions and have been to three straight finals, it’s premature to make major moves.

That’s what Riley said, speaking to the Miami Herald.

“I don’t like to change that much, not when you’re winning,” said Riley, who pointed out that Bosh made five plays in the span of 20 to 30 seconds at the end Game 6 to keep the Heat alive in the NBA Finals.

When the team reconvenes in late September, Riley said he hopes 14 of the roster spots to be filled by players who were under contract in the 2013-14 season — the one exception being Juwan Howard, who likely will be replaced by a free agent.

That means they plan to bring back Chris Andersen, but we will see what other teams will offer the Birdman, who is a free agent.

What Riley expects internal improvement to help carry the team.

“We need to improve,” Riley said. “Erik [Spoelstra] and I have already had two conversations about … because we’re a little older, they have to come back leaner, lighter, stronger, quicker and faster, so when you get a little bit older, you’ve got to dedicate yourself to diet and conditioning and training and becoming a better player skill-wise.”

Expect them to make a move to get a little bigger to match up with the Pacers and Bulls, guys like Samuel Dalembert or Jermaine O’Neal are out there.

But the Heat are not making any bold moves this summer. The summer after that… we’ll see.