The distant view is that two teams for the aged will meet tonight at AmericanAirlines Arena.

At 5-17, the Heat still is trying to find its way. At 11-13, Utah already has begun its climb back from a 6-11 start.

But these are not mirror images -- and it has nothing to do with the Jazz's revival.

It has to do with management styles and roster alignments.

And that leaves the Jazz in far better shape for the future than the Heat.

Under the Heat's benevolent dictatorship of Pat Riley, ultimate power is held by one man when it comes to the short-term approach (coaching) and the long view (personnel moves). By contrast, Utah's Jerry Sloan coaches while front-office matters are debated elsewhere.

The upshot is that Utah is poised for a far smoother transition from near-miss contender than the Heat.

In performing due diligence with draft position as unappealing as the Heat's in recent years, Utah has constructed a bridge from the Karl Malone-John Stockton era into its next phase.