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Elbow room Overcrowding could become a problem in Miami
Updated: Wednesday March 28, 2001 9:31 PM
Alonzo Mourning's return to the court could mean great things for the Heat. If he's able to be the player he was before, Miami becomes the favorite to win the East. With Tim Hardaway playing better basketball, and a healthy Eddie Jones playing alongside Brian Grant and Anthony Mason, they're the best team in the East. But there's a cloud inside that silver lining. There aren't enough shots in the middle for Mourning, Grant and Mason, and it changes everyone's minutes. If head coach Pat Riley plays that front line together, they would be great defensively and in rebounding. They'd probably go from last in blocked shots and rebounding to the top of the Eastern Conference. But offensively, there's no outside shooter, and it can get awfully crowded in the middle. So, initially, there could be a bit of a problem on that end of the court.
To alleviate some of that overcrowding, Riley may have Jones play small forward, move Mason to the four and send Grant to the bench. Riley can't bench Mason, because he might not handle the apparent demotion well; it's a much easier choice to bench Grant. But whether it's Jones, Mourning and Grant, or Jones, Mourning and Mason, it's still a pretty formidable front line.
Getting what they deserveGeorge Karl just signed a record two-year extension with the Bucks, and the Sonics rewarded Nate McMillan's hard work with a four-year deal. It's good to see the coaches finally being paid what they're worth. Outside of the star players on a team, the coach is the most important ingredient in a franchise. Here are a few head coaches who've earned their money this season: Tim Floyd, Chicago: Losing teams are the toughest to coach. I've coached every type of team -- the worst teams, the .500 teams and the championship teams - and it's so much more difficult to coach the less-talented ones. You don't have an opportunity to win every night; you can play at the top of your game and still get beat. Jim O'Brien, Boston: If the Celtics make the playoffs, O'Brien should get an awful lot of credit, because he's really turned that team around. When he took over the team, most people gave him no chance at all, so he has to get some consideration. Mike Dunleavy, Portland: Dunleavy has had to work under a lot of pressure, because everybody's expecting so much from the Trail Blazers. His job also has been made difficult by the number of players he has to keep happy. If you go with 11 or 12 players in today's game, there are going to be problems because players complain about not knowing their roles. In the past few games, he's gone to an eight- or nine-man rotation, which had to be done but isn't always the most popular way to go. Kevin Loughery is a former NBA player and head coach. He appears each Sunday on CNN's This Week in the NBA.
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