Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports: Veteran power forward Charles Oakley continues to count the days until he can leave Chicago as a free agent in the offseason.

"Right now I'm in Desert Storm, and right now I'm just hoping to get rescued,'' he said Thursday night before his Bulls faced the Heat at the United Center.

At 38, Oakley is old even by Heat standards, but he said he still holds Pat Riley in high esteem. He said he is surprised the criticism his former Knicks coach has endured this season from former Heat players.

We have a lot of crybabies in this league,'' he said. "They get their money early without proving anything.

Oakley said the Heat's struggles are not a reflection of diminished capacity by Riley.

"He just doesn't have the players, and his hands are tied,'' he said. "He's still one of the best coaches in the business.''

In Heat news, Traveling with the team, General Manager Randy Pfund said the Heat would not rush into using its $3.3 million trade exception to upgrade its struggling roster.