What lies ahead is perhaps the greatest unknown in Pat Riley's seven seasons as Heat coach.

This certainly is not what was advertised when Riley declared at the start of training camp, "Why not go with the youth and the athleticism?"

And this certainly is not what was featured during training camp, with the Heat to utilize in tonight's season opener three players who did not participate in a single minute of the exhibition schedule.

No, tonight's game against the Toronto Raptors at AmericanAirlines Arena is unique beyond the fact that it will be played without longtime Heat stalwarts Tim Hardaway, Dan Majerle and Bruce Bowen, players all discarded in an offseason free-agent housecleaning.

It will be unique because this might as well be the start of the preseason, with guards Eddie Jones, Anthony Carter and Rod Strickland to see their first action in uniform since the start of training camp, and with forward Chris Gatling looking on from the injured list, waiting for his first action with the team.