Speaking of President-For-Life Riley, he again managed to get some impressive production out of some players who were better known as underachievers. The best example is Eric Murdock, who made life a little easier for Tim Hardaway. Another is Mark Strickland, a run-and-jump wunderkind whose developing skills produced some big games. On the other hand, he got almost nothing from tubby three-point shootin' big man Terry Mills. After going to all this trouble developing his bench, he abandoned it almost entirely in the playoffs. The Heat starters looked tired or half-dead, and even bench players like Dan Majerle didn't offer much. While it's important that your best players should get the most playing time in the playoffs, I think that abandoning some players who helped get you there, especially while the starters were struggling, was a bad move. Still, while Maximum Leader Riley is around, he will draw players to Miami. Players like him because he makes most of them better, and his teams never lose. He may be an egotistical tyrant, but he gets results. If the Bulls wind up breaking up, the Heat still have a chance to make it to the finals without a major overall.

Alonzo Mourning had a season of extreme highs and lows. Injured for 24 games, he had particular trouble adjusting to playing with goggles after he had his orbit shattered. He had more trouble dealing with his volatile temper; players like Dennis Rodman and Larry Johnson knew that the key to beating Mourning was to make him lose his cool. And Mourning did this far too often. The most egregious example came in the playoffs against the Knicks, when he and Larry Johnson went at it in a slapfight with 1.4 seconds left in the game. He was suspended for one game and the Heat ended up losing the series in five games. It was the most telling sign of the uneasy relationship he has with the team and fans: he's the team's franchise player, a remarkable athlete in his prime, and one of the league's best defenders. But when crunch time comes and their opponents key on him, he has often not risen to the occasion. But he's the Heat's future, and Riley is totally behind him. The main task will be harnessing his amazing intensity into something continuously positive, and learn how to distance himself from old grudges. As far as his skills go, he really needs to improve his foul shooting (67%) and work on his jumper a bit more. Having a decent backup would also help take some of the pressure off him. Mourning is still a top defender, shotblocker and rebounder. When he keeps his cool, his ferocious intensity makes him a valuable asset.

PJ Brown had a standard PJ Brown kind of year--solid, consistent effort; good rebounding, great defense, very little offense. He's a perfect role player, but the Heat desperately need someone who is willing to become more of an offensive threat down low. They thought they would get that with Terry Mills, but that's not his game. Mark Strickland has the potential to do this, but he's still too green. PJ Brown's glaring flaw, his limited offense, really hurt the team, especially on nights when Mourning's jumper was off. Still, Brown is Riley's kind of player, and if the Heat had one more superstar, he's the sort of chemistry player that can win close games.

Mark Strickland is an amazing young talent with fantastic ups. He got some major playing time late in the year when Mourning went down (again) and Austin had been traded. He produced in a big way, with spectacular jams and steady rebounding. Unfortunately, Riley didn't go to him much in the playoffs when Mourning needed SOMEONE to help out. The reason is probably because Riley always prefers to go with veterans in the playoffs, even if they're not playing well. (Recall the extensive use of Terry Cummings last year) With Austin gone, he now has the chance to grab a lot more minutes next year.

Terry Mills was a colossal disappointment. Signed away from the Pistons to provide offensive punch off the bench, he ended up being out of shape, injured and ineffective the whole year. Moving the 3-point line in really hurt his effectiveness. I bet Riley would love to move him, but I doubt he'd get any takers. Not sure what his role next year will be; if I was him, I'd slim down and work on extending my range. But it's always problematic when you have a guard in a power forward's body; he's just not interested in mixing it up down low.

Overall: A weakness on the team. Mashburn deserves a chance to show what he can really do, but injuries and trouble adjusting to Riley's system have slowed him down. Still, the talent is clearly there, but Riley would trade him in a second if he could get a more consistent offensive weapon.

Jamal Mashburn is a case study in frustration. The talent is there, the offense is there, but things keep holding him back. This year, it was an injury that knocked him out of the lineup at a time when he was getting into a groove. His defense is also not yet up to Riley's standards, and he's not a great athlete to make up for it. Mash is potentially the missing piece for the Heat's often stagnant offense, but he hasn't put it all together yet. Don't be surprised to see Riley dangle him as trade bait all summer long.

Dan Majerle had his moments this year, but his constant injuries limited his effectiveness. It particularly hampered his ability to get to the basket, forcing him to jack up 3's. A classic streak shooter, he could shoot the Heat in and out of games, and frequently did both. Still, his toughness made him the sort of player that Riley admires. An excellent bench player.

Keith Askins, "Mr Heat", continues to be the longest-running player on the team. I suspect he'll re-sign with the team this summer, with a small contract. Riley loves his kamikaze defense (especially in practice), his toughness, his versatility and his shooting. Another excellent bench player.

Voshon Lenard is one of Riley's finest CBA reclamation projects. A rock in the starting lineup, he often was the difference between victory and defeat for the Heat. When his shot was on, the Heat were nearly impossible to stop since Mourning could be left alone down low and Hardaway could be left alone to penetrate. He also has become a decent defender as well. All this being said, Lenard is still only a competent NBA starter who may actually be more appropriately used as a bench player. Riley would love to stick an all-star caliber 2-guard in this slot, giving him the third star that might propel the team further in the playoffs. Lenard has a wonderfully pure shot, but doesn't drive to the basket much and works better as a spot-up shooter.

Brent Barry was the prize in the unfortunate trade that sent Ike Austin, Spider Smith and a draft pick to the Clips. Bones got injured almost instantly, and spent most of the season either on the IR or on the bench, as Riley was unwilling to disrupt his rotation in the backcourt. From what I've heard, however, Riley really likes his ballhandling and athleticism, and wants to sign him. I find this a somewhat questionable move since defense is not exactly his strong suit, and I don't know if the Heat's physical, grinding style would best showcase his open-court abilities. We'll see, though; count on him being signed, if only for future trade bait.

Rex Walters was another late-season pickup. A former first-round choice, he's bounced around the league for awhile. His biggest problem is his inconsistent shot. Another free agent, I don't think he'll be retained.

Overall: The best position on the team, with an excellent starter and back-up.