Just when you thought you had this NBA season figured out, Alonzo Mourning and the Miami Heat decided they'd try to mix things up. Last night, the five-time All-Star center Mourning returned to action against the Toronto Raptors despite a kidney ailment that has sidelined him all season and threatened to end his career.
Mourning, 31, has been out of action since doctors found, during a routine training-camp physical in October, that he has focal glomerulosclerosis, an illness that leads to kidney failure in about half of all cases. That result would have led to dialysis or a transplant for Mourning.
Mourning said he will be monitored closely by doctors, and his return will be on a game-to-game basis. The decision came after doctors told him that his status might not change for a year. He has been taking up to 11 pills a day to treat his kidneys and control his blood pressure and cholesterol, and is also following a strict low-sodium diet. Mourning last played Oct. 1 in the US Olympic team's gold-medal victory over France, but has practiced with the Heat in recent weeks.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Miami was 42-27 and tied for second with New York Knicks in the Atlantic Division with 13 games left in the regular season. That also put them six games behind the conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers. While it is unrealistic to expect the Heat to catch the 76ers in that span, the team's playoff hopes are sky high.
Last season, the 6'10", 258-lb. Mourning averaged 21.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and an astounding 3.7 blocks per game. Those numbers were competitive for MVP honors, and good enough to garner Defensive Player of the Year accolades. Mourning's presence, even if it is short of his superstar form, will have a dramatic impact on both ends of the court for the Heat.
To this point in the season, the center position has been a major defensive liability for Miami. The team has been starting 6'9" Brian Grant in the center slot, and occasionally allowing him to slide back to his natural position (power forward), inserting journeyman Duane Causwell at center.
Grant has done a formidable job, averaging 15.8 points and 9.2 points per game, but would undoubtedly be more productive at the four. Meanwhile, no one on the Heat squad is averaging as much as a single blocked shot a game. The Heat got by with this arrangement because there are very few dominant centers left in the NBA. But with Mourning's return, they'll once again have one of them.
Mourning's decision to rejoin the club marks yet another turn in its roller-coaster season. The year began with title hopes high as ever in Miami. With the acquisition of the sparkplug Grant from Portland Trailblazers and versatile guard Eddie Jones from the Charlotte Hornets, it seemed like the team would finally have all the compliments for tenacious coach Pat Riley to get back to his favorite pastime - winning championships.
But they don't give out trophies for having a good off-season. When fate intervened and Mourning got news of his illness, a good deal of mystery surrounded a Miami team that was almost entirely different from that of the preceding year. That mystery quickly turned to doubt when the Heat went 6-9 through its first month of play.
One major reason the Heat were able to climb back from their slow start was the play of forward Anthony Mason. When the Heat acquired Jones, Mason was little more than the afterthought that made the deal work out under the league's salary cap. This season, Mason is second only to Jones in scoring, putting up 15.9 points per game while pulling down a team leading 9.8 boards. These numbers, on top of his all-out hustle, earned him his first appearance in the NBA all-star game.
Now the missing link is Jones, the team's leading scorer. Jones went on the injured list with a dislocated shoulder earlier this month, and may not return for several weeks. Despite the absence of Jones, Miami heads into Tuesday night on a four game winning streak, including a major victory over Western Conference leader San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
As dominant as Philadelphia and the entire Western Conference have been, a healthy Heat club could realistically shake up the league's balance of power. Suddenly, the team that has managed to win without its leader, then without its scorer, could have both returning in time for the playoffs. Every other team in the NBA just cringed.
