Heat guard Eddie Jones is sitting in the Philips Arena visitor's locker room taking in some pregame tape of the opponent he will face momentarily.

The selection on this night is the film of the Heat-Hawks game of Nov. 3. Suddenly, Jones begins watching with keener interest. He spots himself with the ball dribbling, slashing, shooting -- and missing badly, again.

Then a statistical graphic appears at the bottom of the big screen on the taped telecast, and now Jones is about ready to change the channel: Eddie Jones, 3 for 15, it read.

``See that right there?'' says Jones, shaking his head. ``Look at that.''

Far too many times this season Jones has performed well enough to be considered good, but arguably not enough to be thought of as a premier player.

Problem is, for the first time in his career Jones is being called upon to be his team's unquestioned first option. But unlike his stint with the Lakers, during which he played alongside Shaquille O'Neal, Glen Rice and Kobe Bryant, or in Charlotte, where he shared the court with a productive Derrick Coleman, former Heat forward Anthony Mason and a total of six players averaging in double figures, Jones is getting no such help this year.

This season -- as in tonight's game at the Detroit Pistons -- the burden lies squarely on his shoulders, and the circumstances have taken a great toll on Jones' game.

``I haven't shot the ball great,'' Jones said. ``With the way we came out of the box, and me being a player that's going to try to make things happen, you end up forcing a lot of shots. I'm trying to make plays, and the shots aren't falling, so my percentage is low.''

Not all of this is Jones' fault. Many events beyond his control have transpired since he and his mega-contract were traded to the Heat before last season, including the departures of Tim Hardaway and Mason, Alonzo Mourning being diagnosed with a kidney disease and a complete breakdown of the Heat's offense. The chain of events has promoted Jones to the go-to-man status, a position he at times has seemed unprepared to handle.

``It's not like when he was with the Lakers and Charlotte,'' former Heat television analyst and Hall of Fame coach Jack Ramsey said. ``Now, Mourning can't perform near his peak, and it seems no one else on that team is. That has compounded the problem, and it's made things more difficult for Jones.''

Shooting 40.3 percent from the field, Jones is on pace to post the lowest field-goal percentage of his eight-year career. He is averaging 18 points but has yet to adjust to being the primary focus of opposing defenses. While with the Lakers, Jones played 2 1/2 seasons with O'Neal, during which the L.A. center averaged 26.9 points. Jones thrived there, twice making the Western Conference All-Star team.

In his 1 1/2 years with Charlotte, Jones enjoyed his best season. He averaged 20.1 points in 1999-2000 with the Hornets, getting lots of contributions that helped lessen defensive pressure on him. Now there is no such luxury.

``You see the games and how teams are defending against me,'' Jones said. ``I'm getting doubled, and now we have this zone thing, too. This year, I've been doubled a whole lot more than in the past. They're trying to take away the first option.''

Those defenses have been successful more than a few times. While Jones can frequently turn in a night like he did against the Hawks on Thursday (8 for 18, 24 points), he has been equally prone to performances like his 4-for-16, 12-point game on Friday against Memphis, or his 3-for-8 outing against Toronto last week.

It doesn't help Jones that coach Pat Riley seems absolutely intent on forcing his team to go to the post first, even though Miami's offense has proved ineffective there.

``The thing he needs to do a lot more of is drive the ball to the basket,'' Ramsey said of Jones. ``He would benefit from a team that runs the floor more, but the Heat is not like that. He's very good in the open court.''

But the Heat is what it is. Right now, it's a team that needs more from Jones before it can progress. Yes, the deck is stacked against him, but great players find ways to overcome the odds.

``I want more out of myself,'' Jones said. ``I think I need to demand more out of myself. I need to go out and make some plays regardless.''