Heat’s coaching stability with Spoelstra continues to be NBA exception. How unique is it?

As the NBA’s coaching carousel turns, the Miami Heat’s stability in this department continues to be the exception.

With the start of the NBA Finals still a few weeks away, there are already seven head coaching vacancies around the league: Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards.

Meanwhile, Erik Spoelstra just completed his 13th season as the Heat’s head coach. Spoelstra, 50, has second-longest active tenured as a head coach with one team — trailing only San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich.

Rick Carlisle, who was hired as Mavericks coach just days after Spoelstra was named the Heat’s coach in 2008, resigned this week. So the third-longest active tenured head coach with one team is now Golden State’s Steve Kerr, who was hired in 2014.

The sixth-longest active tenured head coach is Charlotte’s James Borrego, who was hired in 2018.

According to The Associated Press, there have been 147 coaching changes in the NBA since the Heat promoted Spoelstra in April 2008.

“I always think about Pat [Riley] and Micky [Arison] just for having this incredible opportunity to be able to coach with this franchise,” Spoelstra said this past season on the night he became the 27th coach in NBA history to win at least 600 regular-season games. “I feel a great responsibility to do it the right way for something that they started and created.”

Spoelstra joined Popovich with the Spurs (1,310), Jerry Sloan with the Utah Jazz (1,127), Red Auerbach with the Boston Celtics (795), Red Holzman with New York Knicks (613) and Phil Jackson with the Los Angeles Lakers (610) as the sixth coach to win at least 600 regular-season games with one franchise.

“I always think about what Pat first told me when I was going to be the head coach,” Spoelstra said in April when he reached that milestone. “He said, ‘Just embrace it, enjoy it, be the best that you can every single day. But it’s going to go by like that. You’re going to blink and it’s going to be 10 years into your career.’ And I was thinking to myself like I was overwhelmed at the time just thinking about, ‘All right, what’s the next step?’ Press conference, whatever. And I’m thinking, ‘He’s crazy.’ 10 years? That felt like 100 years to me and here I am already 13 years in. It’s humbling to be able to work for the people that I do to provide such a great work environment and a great culture. I love the people that I work with.”

Maintaining stability at the top of its coaching staff has been an effective strategy for the Heat.

The Heat has won two championships and advanced to the playoffs in 10 of Spoelstra’s 13 seasons as head coach, with only the Celtics, Trail Blazers and Spurs qualifying for the playoffs more during that span. Miami also just finished its 11th season with at least a .500 record since Spoelstra took over, which is tied with the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Spurs and Celtics for the most in the NBA in the past 13 seasons.

Spoelstra agreed to a contract extension prior to the 2019-20 season that keeps him under contract with the Heat through 2024-25.

The Heat has also managed to create relative stability within its front office, and that starts with the longtime ownership of the Arisons. Riley has been the Heat’s president for the past 26 seasons, Andy Elisburg has served as the Heat’s general manager for the past eight seasons and has been a member of the organization since its inception, assistant general manager Adam Simon has been with the organization for 26 seasons, and Alonzo Mourning has worked as the Heat’s vice president of player programs for the past 12 seasons after spending most of his playing career in Miami.

But the Miami Herald reported Friday that Shane Battier left his full-time job as the head of the Heat’s basketball development and analytics department. Battier, who stepped down after four seasons in that role, will still do consulting work for the organization.

ALL-ROOKIE TEAMS RELEASED

The NBA released this season’s All-Rookie teams on Thursday night and, as expected, no Heat players made the cut.

The first team included Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball, Detroit’s Saddiq Bey, Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, Sacramento’s Tyrese Haliburton and Houston’s Jae’Sean Tate.

The second team included Memphis’ Desmond Bane, Cleveland’s Isaac Okoro, New York’s Immanuel Quickley, Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart and Chicago’s Patrick Williams.

Heat first-round pick Precious Achiuwa did not receive an All-Rookie vote. Achiuwa averaged five points on 54.4 percent shooting, 3.4 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 61 regular-season games (four starts) in his first NBA season.

“For me, it’s just having a better understanding of the game and a better IQ for the game, better feel for the game, especially on the defensive side,” Achiuwa said during his season-ending interview with the media. “This summer, I just look forward to building that overall part of my game. Just getting better in everything that I do. Work on my entire game, especially my jump shot. That’s going to be a big focus for me this summer.”

The Heat was represented by guards Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn on last season’s NBA All-Rookie teams.