It's much too early to make any definitive judgments on this Heat team, especially with Rod Strickland and Chris Gatling out of the lineup.

But the early signs aren't encouraging.

After three games, it's clear Miami's perimeter defense isn't nearly as sturdy as last season's unit, which featured Bruce Bowen and Dan Majerle.

Of greater concern is a sputtering offense that's shooting errantly and having difficulty running simple sets.

In past years, the Heat (1-2) could afford a low-scoring game from one of its core players and still sometimes win. That no longer appears to be the case.

It was evident last week that Alonzo Mourning, Brian Grant and Eddie Jones must all play well for the Heat to win, even against mediocre opponents.