I was fine with it. Firstly, it was a huge surprise that the driver turned out to be Rikishi of all people, nobody saw that coming. I also appreciated that they were willing to do something new with Rikishi. The guy was over, had a unique look and could go in the ring despite his size. He also had a good look for a heel. With the right booking, he could've been what Mark Henry is now imo. So, in theory, I was all for a Rikishi heel turn and they did it in the biggest way they probably could have (running over Austin). I always liked him and I'm glad they were willing to give him an opportunity in such a large role.
I don't think HHH needed to be the guy at all. He was already getting over as a mega heel and imo he was already the most "sinister" heel of all time just for that few years alone, up until he tore his quad. HHH didn't need to be the guy to run Austin down (didn't they say he masterminded it, anyway?). They took a risk and tried to establish a new heel quickly. Rikishi wasn't a bad choice but it didn't work out for a couple of reasons: They weren't commited enough to him (I think he went on to fued with the Hardyz before being turned face again iirc) and because he had two over, yet relatively up-and-coming heels to compete with in Triple H and Kurt Angle.