NBA Basketball - The Miami Heat Sports Feb 25, 2001, 07:49 By Nick Wyldewood http://www.gamblingonlinemagazine.com

The Miami Heat have finally put together a championship caliber team that will make a legitimate run for this year's NBA title.  The Heat not only added depth to their line-up, but gave an overall face-lift to their starting five as well.

Pat Riley, the Heat's coach and team president, should get the nod as executive of the year with the deals that were made this past off-season by the Heat.  Not only is Riley still one of the best coaches in sports today, he was able to put together two major deals, that alone made the Heat the number one team in the East.  Now all he has to do is to get these guys to play together.

In the past the Heat has been a team carried by a tremendous coach and two all-star players, point guard Tim Hardaway and center Alonzo Mourning.  This year things are different and the supporting cast is much stronger than it has been in the past.   New additions like Brian Grant from the Portland Trail Blazers at power forward and Anthony Mason from the Charlotte Hornets at small forward will prove to be of incredible value come playoff time.  The key catalyst however, is the addition of Eddie Jones who came over with Mason from the Hornets.  He was considered by most basketball insiders to have been the steal of the summer.

Jones brings a career high scoring average of 20.1 points from the Hornets and solid overall defensive play.  He is among the best all-around defensive players in the game of basketball.  This will suit Riley's 'defense first' system, but the main issue will be offensive  productivity.  Jones will fit in well, and having an outstanding shooting guard should take some of the pressure off the Heat's superstars, especially Hardaway.

With injury problems and only a one year deal, Hardaway remains the big "what if", in this club.  He will have to improve and get to a championship level of play once again for the Heat to get to the big dance, but he will answer the call.  The cagey vet is a gamer and his magic will be amplified from the addition of Jones.  Jones in the #2 spot will take some of the scoring burden off Hardaway, who could be making this season his last in a Heat uniform.  His one year deal and injury problems has insiders questioning his staying power.  However, that one year deal has given him the respect he deserves and had made him the highest paid point guard in the league.

Coming off a disappointing run in the playoffs last season, Mourning was ready to step up his MVP caliber play and get those around him to do the same.  Hopefully he will recover and finally get the chance to show the world that he is a true champion and truly one of the finest players in the game.  If not it will take nothing away from a fine career and his reputation as one of the fiercest competitors in the game of basketball.

Even without their star, this team will be right at the top of the league, with the team that has gone south for the winter.