The front rows are still occupied by South Florida's rich and surgically enhanced. A smattering of B-list stars still show up. The Heat dancers still sizzle, and Pat Riley still looks spiffy.
But you glanced out on the floor in the first quarter of Tuesday night's game against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Heat down 21-15, and you said to yourself: Tang Hamilton? Sean Marks? Vladimir Stepania?

They are fine basketball players, all of them, otherwise they wouldn't be in the NBA.

But it's hard to believe the Heat is on its way to a championship with a guy named after a breakfast drink and an intellectual from the Republic of Georgia who has averaged 3.5 points and 2.8 rebounds in his NBA career.

Most frustrating for Heat fans had to be the sight of Alonzo Mourning, still the team's heart and soul, on the bench for 19 minutes. He finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. Mourning bolted from the arena after the game without doing interviews, which is unlike him.

His gloomy face as he trudged off the floor said all you need to know.