The old way just wasn't working, so it had to be time for a change.

	Alonzo Mourning had another strong season, but little playoff success.

Four straight seasons the Miami Heat managed to have no peer when it came to winning the Atlantic Division, and four straight times this team managed to fall short of the East finals. In three of Pat Riley's five seasons in south Florida, the Heat haven't even gotten out of the first round. And worse yet, the last three years it's been the hated Knicks shutting the playoff door. Lesser coaches would be unemployed right now. Riley just re-tools, although even he admits he's running out of time. Yeah, we agree.

It has been said before, and deserves to be said again: Why should anyone believe in the Heat? With one of the top centers in the game, a Hall of Fame coach, quality parts at other positions and the money and ability to lure people to their town, the Heat still have accomplished very little. Who cares about winning the division if you can't advance in the playoffs? Just win, ba-by.

With that we give you our 14th offseason team spotlight, the Miami Heat. As always, we have our opinions, which are below, and we appreciate yours. Click on the right side of the page to see what you were thinking.

Why the Heat were 52-30: Watching the Heat play the last few seasons hasn't been much fun. Riley has employed a style of play which features defense and slowing things down on offense, and while it's more exciting than watching paint dry, well, the difference isn't all that obvious. Alonzo Mourning is one of the top centers in the game at both ends. But what comes after him? Plenty of uncertainty. Still, you place Zo on any other East team -- including the Bulls -- and they had better win 50 games. A prime center can make all the difference in the world. You can always build around him.

Last season the Heat were blessed with the services of the since-departed Jamal Mashburn, who augmented Zo's scoring. Tim Hardaway plus Anthony Carter equaled one usable point guard, P.J. Brown remained a quintessential team player who does all the dirty work, and Voshon Lenard and Dan Majerle managed to hit their threes. Sure, there were injuries, especially to Hardaway and Lenard, but 52 wins doesn't quite seem like a great season when 55 and 61 were the totals in the two previous non-lockout seasons.

Changes had to be made. When the Knicks took Game 7 in the second round, Riley cried at the podium, helpless to explain it all. The players found others to blame, as always. This time it was the officiating. The year before, when the Heat were the top seed, it was Allan Houston's so-called "lucky" bounce in Game 5. A year earlier it was Mourning's fight suspension. Enough already!

On paper, Riley has already improved the team. But as any Heat player or fan can tell you, that and a flashy regular season record gets you nowhere.

	Current projected top 6
	PG	Tim Hardaway
	SG	Eddie Jones
	SF	Anthony Mason
	PF	Clarence Weatherspoon
	C	Alonzo Mourning
	6th	Dan Majerle

Team MVP: If the Heat had earned the top seed in the East, and a certain Lakers center was merely average instead of incredible, Zo might have won the league MVP as well. Team LVP: Otis Thorpe wasn't expected to come right in and start, or average double-doubles, but he looked a lot older than he did a year earlier with Washington. Surprise! Mashburn had been ripped by the media for managing to suit up for about half of Miami's game in his tenure, but he stepped up with a very solid season. Sure, he had limitations as a defender and rebounder, but Miami needed his scoring. Up and comer: Riley doesn't seem to believe in the draft. Sure, he seldom has a high pick (or any pick), but if he can help it a safe veteran such as Bruce Bowen will always come before a rookie. As for Carter, we're still not sold that he can be a starting point guard. We may find out this year, and his numbers should at least get better.

What they need: Majerle is a fine player when it comes to defending and running after loose balls, but the Heat desperately needed someone at the two-guard to fill it up. Welcome, Mr. Jones. That's Charlotte's Eddie Jones, who came over recently in a nine-player deal from desperate Charlotte, happy to get something for its outgoing free agent. Jones is the top best defensive guard in the East and is still young. He should match Mashburn's offense right away.

So that settles one position, and the biggest need, though it opened another one. Anyway, how nice would it be if doctors could miraculously figure out how to restore Hardaway's knees to their form from the Golden State years? Hardaway has no cartilage left and it's painful to watch him to try and stay with even the most lumbering of point guards. He played in 52 games, but shot a miserable .386 from the field and was largely a shadow of his former self. He's likely to come back to Miami (he is a free agent, but who would take this chance?) and it's imperative that a good backup is in place. Carter, who shot only .395 and is not nearly the playmaker, was re-signed.

However, adding a stud did cost something. Riley had this love affair with Brown, and now he has a gaping hole at power forward. Brian Grant would fit in nicely, and don't be surprised if Riley sweet talks the Portland free agent into playing in Miami, either by the $2.5 mil max route or a sign and trade. Other free agents remain a possibility, but if not it will be Clarence Weatherspoon, who for some reason was the one taking the Heat's final shot of last season, manning the position. He's not a bad player, just a few years from his average prime and more suitable for 20 minutes off the bench. Anthony Mason, acquired along with Jones, is more a small forward and can help the team compensate for its potential point guard problems as well. But he's more than just a throw in. Mason is a very solid rebounder and veteran tough guy. Just watch out when the Heat visit New York City.

So far this offseason, Riley has sent seven players packing, though the loss of Thorpe, Lenard, Mark Strickland, Rodney Buford and Tim James shouldn't hurt too much. Youngster Ricky Davis came from Charlotte and should find a spot in the rotation right away, while the well-traveled Chris Gatling came from Denver and would be a nice sixth man if he isn't moved again. We recommend to him that he rent and not buy.

What the plan is: The Heat may not be thinking all about this season with the moves they are making. Mourning and Jones are still young, and Hardaway is barely being counted on anymore. In a year the Heat will have money to burn, and plan on going after the prime free agent, Chris Webber. But with all the changes, Riley doesn't have to win this year. It'd be nice if he did, but he pretty much has a free ride when it comes to the management in Miami. He will never be fired, but a few more embarrassing years would force him to leave.

With four of the five starting positions settled (someone will play point) and enough names on the bench to help out (remember, Zo, Jones and Mason will be playing 40 minutes a night), the Heat have to find a power forward and that's about it. Rumors of Grant coming to town are hot. But even if it's Weatherspoon, or Miami simply gets a small forward and moves Mason to the four, the Heat should contend for the Atlantic title again. The main plan was to change, with the goal of winning hopefully a result of that.

Whether Riley uses the same old style of play to overcome his team's weaknesses is another story. With Jones ready to run on every play, and Zo quite mobile as well, the Heat could run more and score more than the 80 points a game they did in the Knicks series. Statistically, Mason is on par with Brown, and Davis and Gatling can certainly run the floor. Defensively, the Heat will still be among the league's best.

Direction heading: Getting Jones was a steal, and now the Heat just have to hope Hardaway can give them another season and that some other team knocks the Knicks off in the playoffs. Miami may or may not top the 52 wins it had last season and may or may not win the division again, but this team will remain dangerous if it ends up in the right bracket when the real games begin. Getting through the East is possible.