The second team to pick in the supplemental draft is the Miami
Heat.  Miami traded it's first round pick to Charlotte along
with Glen Rice, Matt Geiger and Khalid Reeves for Alonzo Mourning,
Pete Meyers and LeRon Ellis.  The Heat also traded a first round
pick that it received from Atlanta to New York for compensation
for signing Pat Riley.  In reality, the Heat has no draft picks.

Their net GM is:

  Rob Clough

and the Heat select:

  Ronnie Henderson, SG, 6-4, LSU

================================================================
 Team Needs/History:

   This was easily the most turbulent year in the relatively short
history of the Miami Heat franchise.  After building slowly through
the draft for years with players like Rony Seikaly, Glen Rice, Sherman
Douglas, Grant Long and Steve Smith, the team two years ago traded
half of their players away.  Instability reigned, and the team missed
the playoffs.  The Heat had just gotten new ownership, and money was
suddenly no object.  They wanted the best: the best team, the best
coach, the best facilities.  So they went after New York's Pat Riley
(illegally, some would say) and hooked him to a mega-deal where he is
essentially Coach For Life, Maximum Leader, Lord Of All He Surveys.
He gets the final say on all personnel decisions.  This being Pat
Riley, he decided that he would not play without a top-flight big man.
So they traded long-time Heat star Glen Rice, solid backup center Matt
Geiger, and talented rookie PG Khalid Reeves to Charlotte for Alonzo
Mourning, Pete Meyers and Leron Ellis.  What this really meant was a
3-for-1 deal.  Mourning was in the last year of his contract and
wanted big $$$; Charlotte didn't want to put up big numbers for him.
So he came to the Heat with the understanding that he'd be signed as a
FA after the year was over.
  Even if Riley hadn't made that move on opening night, the Heat had
done a good bit during the summer already.  The Heat had managed to
get rid of John Salley's dead weight though the expansion draft, and
got a 2nd round pick for Harold Miner from Cleveland.  Ledell Eackles
and Brad Lohaus left as UFA's, also no great loss.  They signed hustle
king and newly designated thug Keith Askins to a contract, which made
him the longest-running member of the Heat.  Then they signed Predrag
"Sasha" Danilovic, a player whose rights they had obtained from the
Warriors.  They also had newly-acquired Rex Chapman from Washington,
who they got for the rights to a couple of old 2nd round picks.
Finally, they signed their rookie draft picks, Kurt Thomas and
Terrence Rencher.
  The Heat started off well, with Mourning dominating the league and
Danilovic proving to be a surprise as a big-time, legitimate scorer.
Even Kevin Willis was playing well, concentrating on his boards now
that the Heat had a big-time low-post presence.  With Glen Rice gone,
Billy Owens did well at SF, slashing his way to the basket.  Then the
injury bug hit Danilovic, and suddenly, the Heat could no longer
score.  Also, Riley wasn't satisfied with Bimbo Coles at point guard.
So, with 30 games left in the season, Riley engineered ANOTHER trade.
They traded Coles, Willis, Kevin Gamble and Billy Owens and acquired
Tim Hardaway, Walt Williams, Tyrone Corbin and Chris Gatling.  Then
they traded rook Rencher for veteran Tony Smith, from Phoenix.  As a
fan of a team that had made precious few trades in its history, this
season was a dizzying ride.
  The trade had mostly positive results.  The Heat began winning, and
their injured players recovered.  Chris Gatling and Tim Hardaway, two
players with a lot to prove (and UFA's to boot) particularly stood
out.  Walt Williams was a lot shakier.  He was there to score and
slash to the basket, which he didn't do enough to please Riley.  His
defense was also questionable.  Chapman was another pleasant surprise,
and it was his 39 point rampage that allowed the Heat (just as they
had made the Hardaway, et al trade) to beat the mighty Bulls.  The
team got it together enough to snag the #8 playoff seed and get
stomped by the Bulls.
  This offseason is probably the most important in team history.  The
Heat have only **four** players currently under contract, which is
part of Riley's plan because this is the richest UFA crop ever.  Which
makes evaluating the team's draft needs almost impossible, because I
have no idea who's going to be there.  I will say that two things have
changed with regard to the common wisdom of the Heat's offseason
plans.  They planned to sign Mourning to a huge 7-year deal, but after
his swoon in the playoffs, they're rethinking this strategy.  They had
also planned to dump Tim Hardaway after the season was over, but he
played so unexpectedly well that they may very well keep him.  Bearing
all this in mind, here's a look at the team.



Player		    Pos.	Ht.  Wt.	College		 Contract Status
------		    ----    ---  ---	-------		 ---------------	
				
Tim Hardaway    PG	    6-0  195	UTEP		 UFA  
Tony Smith	    PG	    6-4  204	Marquette	 UFA
Rex Chapman	    SG	    6-4  195	Kentucky	 UFA
Sasha Danilovic SG 	    6-6  200	Serbia		 Signed
Voshon Lenard	SG 	    6-4  205	Minnesota	 UFA
Jeff Malone	    SG	    6-4  205	Mississippi State UFA
Walt Williams   G/F	    6-8  230	Maryland	 Signed
Keith Askins	SF	    6-8  223	Alabama		 Signed
Tyrone Corbin   SF	    6-6  225	DePaul		 UFA
Chris Gatling	PF	    6-10 230	Old Dominion UFA
Kurt Thomas	    PF	    6-9  230	TCU		     Signed
Stacey King	    F/C	    6-11 250	Oklahoma	 UFA	
Alonzo Mourning  C	    6-10 261	Georgetown	 UFA
Dan Schayes	     C	    6-11 262	Syracuse	 UFA


Team Evaluation:

As you can see from the roster above, it's very difficult evaluating a
team when only four players from the previous year are guaranteed to
return!  In general, the Heat learned discipline and defense under
Riley.  I think that if the team had been together for an entire year,
they would have had a much better seed.  As it was, they were really
only a few games away from a #4 seed.  In the player evaluation, I'll
make a decision as to whether or not I want to keep the player if he's
a free agent.

Centers:

Overall: Since they lost Rony Seikaly (and Alan Oggggg :-), the Heat
have been flailing here.  The addition of Mourning brought the Heat
their first all-star and some respect.  But is he really a franchise
player, worth franchise money?  That's the decision the Heat have to
make.

    Alonzo Mourning: Zo was brought in to be "The Franchise", the way
Ewing and Abdul-Jabbar were for Riley in the past.  The results were
mixed, but mostly positive.  Mourning brought a defensive ferocity to
the pivot that the Heat have never seen.  He was an effective scorer
and rebounder the entire season.  However, Zo carries a lot of
baggage.  It's been well known that his surly attitude has never made
him a favorite amongst other players and the media.  He blew off his
Charlotte teammates who desperately wanted him to stay.  He openly
criticized Miami fans for not cheering enough.  His desire for a huge
contract was questioned by some.  But it was clear that with him, the
Heat were successful, and without him, they struggled.  That was clear
until the playoffs, that is.  Against the Bulls, Mourning was
outplayed by the Bulls' roster of journeymen centers.  Thoroughly
outplayed.  Mourning's ppg total dropped from 23.2 to 18.0, and his
rebounding dropped from 10.4 to 6.0.  Worse, his FG% dropped 5%.  So
his demands for a seven-year contract, which up til that point the
Heat management would have loved to get, are now being viewed a bit
more coolly.  The Heat may be considering other free agent centers
instead.  I certainly wouldn't write Mourning off completely,
though--if the Heat can't get a bigger name (and there aren't too
many), Mourning would be great to keep around.  And he may want to
prove his worth after his playoff disappointment.
    
    Stacey King is a career-long bust who did little to distinguish
himself in Miami.  For awhile, though, he was the only backup big man
and he got a few minutes.  But he did everyone a favor and stayed on
the IR for much of the year.  He's a free agent and I doubt he'll be
back.

    Dan Schayes is a career-long stiff; to quote Thomas Hill, the biggest
thing about him is his size.  He was basically there to play a few
backup minutes for Mourning, get a board or two, and hack.  He did
this reasonably well.  Another free agent, I don't think he'll be
around unless Riley can't find another veteran, low-price center.

Power Forwards:

  Overall: This position was historically the Heat's one big weakness.
Kevin Willis didn't do much to solve this last year, his selfish play
undermining his decent stats.  This year, however, the Heat got solid
play from some unexpected sources.

   Kurt Thomas was drafted surprisingly high at #10.  A short 6-9, I
didn't think much of his chances despite his excellent scoring and
rebounding numbers in college.  When the year began, he was nailed to
the bench as Riley hates playing rookies.  When injuries started to
hit and trades began to happen, Riley was forced to play Thomas, and
to his credit, he acquitted himself quite nicely.  He put up some big
scoring and rebounding numbers sporadically, earned a starter's spot
(42 games), and played solid defense.  As one of the few players under
contract, I'm sure Riley will give him a chance to continue to improve
next year.  He ended up with 9 ppg and 6 rpg for the year.

   Chris Gatling was a player acquired mainly to free up cap room, but
he turned out to be quite a valuable addition.  Playing as a reserve,
he ate up space on the boards and scored in the post, providing much
needed relief for Mourning.  Gatling is a hard worker with a nice
shooting touch near the basket.  After a big scoring binge over a few
games, he was even named player of the week once.  I think he'd be a
good player to keep around, a veteran with size and skills who doesn't
mind coming off the bench.  Gatling finished the season with 15 ppg
and 7 rpg, very solid numbers for a player coming into a new system.

Small Forwards:

 Overall: The weakest position on the team, and it used to be the
strongest.  Trading Glen Rice AND Billy Owens was a risk that did not
pay off.  Walt Williams was a big disappointment.  Look for the Heat
to pursue a free agent SF.


  Walt Williams was brought in to provide some much-needed scoring.
He was able to do that, but not consistently enough to make up for his
defense.  He had the option on his contract and has chosen to stay
with the team.  Hopefully, this means that he plans to commit himself
to Miami and work harder.  It may also mean that he wants to play
better in order to ensure that he gets a better FA contract later.
The real problem with Williams is that he was brought in to be another
primary scorer, and he didn't really live up to that, with only 13
ppg.  He actually led the team in 3-point shooting %, but he didn't
take enough of them.  If he's to get significant playing time next
year, he'll have to be more aggressive.

   Tyrone Corbin came over in a trade, mainly to free up FA money
after the season.  He was also brought in since he's a veteran who can
score.  He played sporadically, but had a few good games.  However,
the Heat don't really need him and I'd be surprised if they retained
him.

   Keith Askins is a remarkable success story, a second round pick who
has managed to stay around because of his defense and fire, not to
mention athletic ability.  Riley instantly took to him, using him as a
defensive stopper.  Askins can also hit the three, and had the green
light to fire away when he was in the game.  He's still under contract
and Riley will find a way to get him minutes, no matter who's on the
team.  Askins also plays a bit at 2G.  He gets the most out of his
minutes, shooting 41% from the 3-point line and getting 6 ppg and 3
rpg in addition to healthy block and steal numbers.

Shooting Guards:

 Overall: A plethora of talent, but no superstars.  The Heat could
make a move here to pick up a big-name FA, which I would like to see.
The team needs someone who can create his own shot and be able to take
the pressure off the big men on a consistent basis.

  Rex Chapman was injured for much of the year, but when he was
healthy in the second half, he played extremely well.  He was the
Heat's biggest three-point threat and actually drove to the basket a
little, too.  He has a huge salary that enabled the Heat to pick him
up for almost nothing in return (the rights to Ed Stokes and Jeff
Webster--oooh!).  It turned out to be a good investment for the now
open-walleted Heat, especially when Danilovic went down.  Chapman
scored 14 ppg led the team in three pointers made.  Still, Chapman is
not consistent enough to be a big time star, (37% on threes) he still
gets injured too often, and his defense is nothing to write home
about.  The Heat will look at him, but only for the right price.
Otherwise. they'll sign someone else to be a starter or give Danilovic
a bigger role.

  Sasha Danilovic was tearing up the NBA with his scoring the first
few weeks, then got a wrist injury that put him out until late in the
year.  It really hurt the team, who missed his scoring.  Danilovic had
been one of Europe's best players (watch him playing for Yugoslavia in
the Olympics) before joining the NBA, and as a rookie, he played very
well.  The Heat have him wrapped up for a couple of years, and I think
he'll get plenty of time to further prove himself.  Look for him to
drive to the basket more, ala Sarunas Marciualonis, and pick up fouls.
Improving his defense is a priority.  He scored 13.4 ppg, shooting a
solid 43% from the 3-pt line in only 19 games.

  Voshon Lenard was a free agent pickup who played very well as a
rookie.  Coming out of college early, he then went back to school for
a year.  He didn't make the Bucks and the Heat got ahold of him.
Lenard proved he could score and play defense.  He often gave the team
a lift in the second quarter with his shooting.  I think he'd make a
fine, low-cost backup SG once again next season.

  Jeff Malone was picked off the dust heap of the league by Riley,
looking for more scoring from veterans.  He actually played a few good
minutes for the Heat, although his athletic ability is very limited at
this point I'd be surprised to see him around next year.

Point Guards:

 Overall: This became one of the team's biggest strengths, after being
a weakness early on in the year.  Riley was not happy with anyone on
the roster when he got here, getting rid of former PG-of-the-future,
Khalid Reeves.  Bimbo Coles didn't have enough game offensively to
suit Lord Riley's purposes, either, hence the trade.

  Tim Hardaway played outstanding basketball for the Heat after
rotting away on the Warriors' bench.  A series of injuries and
personality clashes with coaches and players relegated this once-great
player to limited playing time.  Knowing that his stint in Miami was
his last chance to shine, he came through magnificiently, particularly
in the playoffs.  His shooting, passing and even his defense were
excellent all-around.  His performance was so impressive that the Heat
are strongly thinking of retaining him, and more importantly, he wants
to stay.  He's even gone on record that he wouldn't mind if the Heat
signed another point guard like Gary Payton or Derek Harper, that he'd
be glad to play with them.  Hardaway scored 17.2 ppg and racked up an
impressive 10 apg in the regular season, and his playoff numbers in
scoring were slightly better (17.6).

  Tony Smith was stuck on the bench in Phoenix before the Heat rescued
him, and he played very well as a backup.  He's a solid, veteran point
guard with a decent shot who makes few mistakes.  He's the kind of
solid roleplayer that Riley likes.  Don't be surprised if he comes
back, unless the Heat sign two free agent point guards.

What the team needs:

1. Stability.  Teams that have stable lineups tend to go farther in
the playoffs.  The Heat's roller-coaster trades damaged that
stability, and it threatens to hurt the team again if they go nuts on
the free-agent market.

Thus, I would recommend keeping the following FA players:

Mourning
Hardaway
Gatling

  Along with  Williams, Thomas, Askins and Danilovic, this is a solid
core of players.  Assuming this is my lineup, I would need the
following:

  a. A backup center who can really play defense.  With Gatling there,
    you can get away with having a backup C with no offensive game.
    The other option is to get a legit starting C and move Mourning over
    to PF--perhaps Dikembe Mutombo?

  b. A veteran backup PG.  Derek Harper would do nicely.  If no one else
     comes up, keep Tony Smith.

  c. A premier small forward.  (how about...Steve Smith!)   This is where 
     the Heat need to spend some money.  The other option is to move 
     Danilovic to SF and get a top-notch SG, like Reggie Miller. 

  d. A shooting guard who can create his own shot and hit 3's consistently.
     Danilovic will probably be fine, but the Heat will need a backup.
     A lower-priced Rex Chapman would also suit the bill.


Who to draft:

  The Heat pick Ronnie Henderson, Louisiana State.  At this low point
in the draft, I'm simply going on raw talent.  Riley generally doesn't
do much with rookies, but Henderson's scoring ability is the kind that
might get Riley's attention.  Without the "coaching" of dada Dale
Brown weighing him down, Henderson might actually develop into a real
player.  As it is, he was a scoring machine at LSU.  Yes, his shot
selection was questionable, but he had to carry the team with little
other talent on his squads--and Randy Livingston constantly injured.
His athleticism is also astounding.  His leaping ability is
prime-time, and he can actually drive to the basket quite well.  He's
also had some trouble with injuries, but nothing too serious.

Others considered:

There were actually a number of interesting choices at this point.  Some
were solid players from good programs who are either tweeners or just
undistinguished.  Some were of the tantalizing but risky set.  Others 
were in the talented-but-a-headcase category.

Mark Hendrickson, Wash St-- talented and a good defender but he sounds
too much like an NBA tweener.

Joseph Blair, Arizona-- big, tough player with not enough skills.

Jeff McInnis, UNC-- a lot of talent but a questionable attitude (Lakers, 
anyone?)   Could be a big steal down the road, though.

Jason Sasser, Texas Tech-- great scoring ability, but tweener size.
Could surprise, though.

Eric Gingold, Williams-- it came down to Gingold or Henderson.  I really
wanted to pick Gingold (I have a history of picking obscure players--
I picked Muresan for the Heat in '94), but I can't help thinking that he's
a complete fraud.  The fact that his agent perpetrated Yinka Dare on the
NBA made the decision for me.