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Miami Heat Health, experience important factors for Riley's Heat
Updated: Monday October 22, 2001 8:47 PM
By Marty Burns, CNNSI.com When last seen, the Heat were getting swept out of the playoffs in embarrassing fashion by the Hornets. Pat Riley's once-proud group looked old, slow and tired. No wonder he cleaned house in the offseason, letting Anthony Mason, Tim Hardaway, Bruce Bowen and Dan Majerle walk for nothing. Over the salary cap and unwilling to pay the luxury tax, Miami couldn't make any big-ticket additions in the offseason. Instead the Heat signed a pair of solid veterans in shooting guard Kendall Gill and small forward LaPhonso Ellis and took a gamble on trouble-prone Rod Strickland. They will join holdovers Alonzo Mourning, Brian Grant and Eddie Jones in the regular rotation.
The main focus in training camp will be to make sure Mourning is fully recovered from the kidney disease that kept him out all but 13 games a year ago. Mourning looked like a shell of his old self in the playoffs. He is expected to be much better now that he's had more time to recover and get back in shape. The other issue for the Heat is whether Carter can handle the starting point guard spot. The third-year guard is good on the break, but he's a poor outside shooter and his defense is suspect. Eddie Jones will have to pick up the slack on the offensive end if the Heat is going to get back to its usual place atop the Atlantic Division. Standout Stat: 0 Games in which Alonzo Mourning, Eddie Jones and Brian Grant all started last season.
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