As Charles Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal reports, Caron Butler last showed his stuff for a Wisconsin crowd four years ago, when he was a junior at Racine Park High School.

On Tuesday night, the 6-foot-7 rookie NBA forward reappeared for the home folks, but this time on a much grander stage.

The 22-year-old Racine native was equal to the big moment, scoring a season-high 20 points and adding seven rebounds and five assists in the Miami Heat's 97-93 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center.

With his mother, Mattie Paden, and a throng of 40 family members and friends in the stands, Butler enjoyed a happy homecoming.

"It was real fun to be out there," Butler said. "I just tried to keep a calm state of mind throughout this whole home trip. There were a lot of emotions, highs and lows.

"So I just said before the game, 'I'm going to try to X out the crowd.' That was my key thing, because if I knew I was looking in the crowd, I'd see my mother, and I'd get all emotional out there. I didn't look up there until the end of the game."

Butler, who survived troubled teenage years in Racine to become a collegiate star for two years at Connecticut, is not simply playing a bit part for the Heat.

The 10th overall choice in the 2002 National Basketball Association draft has made an instant impact in Miami, averaging 35.4 minutes per game to lead all league rookies. He also is scoring 13.1 points per game (third among rookies), handing out 3.5 assists (second) and grabbing 5.3 rebounds (fifth).

"I came down to Miami so early, right after the draft, that I hit the ground running," Butler said. "I got hooked up with the veteran players, and that's why I feel so comfortable around these guys. We're a big family."

The Heat has struggled to a 2-7 record to open the season, and veteran coach Pat Riley has responded by rewarding his rookie with plenty of playing time.

Butler played 40 minutes against the Bucks. Even though he bruised his right knee in a collision with Tim Thomas early in the final quarter, Butler quickly was reinserted in the lineup after the Bucks cut Miami's lead to five points, and he stayed on the floor for the final 7 minutes.

"The only time he doesn't keep it (composure) is when I scream at him," Riley said. "And that's, like, frequently. But he deals with that real well, too.

"He's learning, and his biggest problem is his lack of awareness of NBA situations on defense. He just finds himself sleeping on the weak side a little bit, but he's been real good for us."

When Butler started against Orlando in the Heat's season opener, he became the first rookie to start on opening night for Riley in his eight seasons with the Heat.

"He's not started a lot of rookies and not given a lot of rookies playing time," Butler said. "I look at it like, 'Wow.' Sometimes I can't believe I'm out there playing. I look to the sideline and see him (Riley) over there, and I think, 'This is a dream come true.' "

Butler showed his all-around abilities while being matched against Thomas and his fellow former Connecticut star, Ray Allen. Butler soared on a strong drive in the lane, he hit the baseline jumper and he even went high for an offensive rebound and put-back as Miami built a 12-point lead after three quarters.

"He was aggressive, and he got off to a good start," Riley said. "He's a strong player, and he's got to use his body. He's got to get there down and bang with 'em, get offensive rebounds and loose balls. That's what he did today."

It has been a long basketball journey for Butler, who was expelled from Racine Case High School in 1994 after being arrested for possession of cocaine and a firearm. He served a sentence at Ethan Allen School for Boys in Wales before enrolling at Racine Park in 1997.

Given a second chance to escape the streets of Racine, Butler made the most of it. He eventually went to Maine Central Prep Institute before heading to Connecticut, where he scored in double figures in 62 of 63 games and led the Big East team in scoring (20.3 points per game) last season.

He averaged more than 26 points in four NCAA tournament games last season, and finished with 32 in his final collegiate game, a loss to Maryland in the Elite Eight.

"I wish I still could be there," Butler said, "but it was a decision I had to make. I had to leave; it was best for me and my family. I took a piece with me when I left Connecticut."

His transition to the NBA has been smoother than expected. He made his rookie debut with a 16-point, seven-rebound performance against Orlando

Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel reports that Miami?s Alonzo Mourning has not completely closed the door on returning to play this year. Heat coach Pat Riley is assuming the door is closed. Mourning is battling kidney disease.

"The day that Zo informed me that he wasn't going to play this year, that's the day that I took the approach that he wasn't going to play this year," Riley said. "And that's how I'm dealing with it. We have to move on, and we are. I just want him to get healthy. I hope he can achieve his dreams, but we have a job to do."

While optimistic, Mourning admits the chances of him returning to the court this season are very slim. "If my doctors told me that there wasn't any light at the end of the tunnel, then I would retire, plain and simple," he said. "I'm going to play this thing month by month. That's how I've been going, month by month, just hoping to continually see progress. Until I reach a comfortable level where I can even think about basketball, then it's not an issue at all."

Pat Riley consistently praises the defensive efforts of Grant and Allen and would like to reward them with touches in the paint. But he recognizes their limitations.

''[Brand, Olowokandi and O'Neal] are entirely different post-up players than ours,'' Riley said. ``The level of post-up, back-to-the-basket play is at a different level, so we don't do that much.

``But we talked about that, and we're going to have to try to generate somewhat of a post presence where the defense is going to have to respect that.''

John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that Heat coach Pat Riley wishes he could have a "do-over". He regrets the two-year-old trade that brought Eddie Jones to Miami and he wishes he still had Jamal Mashburn and P.J. Brown on his team.

"I wish I could have kept that team together, and probably for all intents and purposes I should have," Riley said. "It's not a coincidence that when Brown and Mashburn went to Charlotte, that they became good, too."

Mashburn is the Hornet?s featured scorer while Brown helps to anchor the interior defense.

"That trade really solidified our ballclub," Hornets coach Paul Silas said. "I got myself a go-to guy, Mashburn, which I really didn't have before. I got a guy who can consistently give me 20 points a night and seven rebounds.

"With P.J., I've got a guy who can be the glue of your ballclub. He rebounds and he does all the dirty work, but he's going to come up with something to help you win every night. So you make decisions, and he (Riley) made a decision to move those guys, and I'm happy he did."

Since the move, the Heat has struggled to make a successful playoff run. In 2001, the Hornets, led by Mashburn and Brown, swept the Heat in four games in the first round. Last season, the Heat didn't make the playoffs.