Heat rising? It's not easy at the top

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Updated: 2006-11-30 14:12

The rotation returned intact, and the Heat are again hearing they're too old. O'Neal (34) has played only four games, while Payton (38) and Mourning (36) have often struggled.

"We don't allow older guys to have a bad game," Riley said. "We call them old. But when a young guy has a bad game, it's a bad game."

Forced to concede that O'Neal's approach worked last season, Riley may be less inclined to stew about this season's sluggish start. It helps to play in NBA's weaker conference, where only four teams have a better record than Miami.

With little reason to worry about a good seeding, Riley has even talked about the need to ensure his team is fresh come the postseason.

"The best way to do that is to take the real old guys and put them on the deactivation list and save them for the playoffs," Riley said. "That's when you need their smarts and savvy and talent.

"We need everybody now. But if we do get a full complement of players when Shaq gets back, we might have to think about that."

As the defending NBA champions well know, the season that matters most is still five months away.

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