Fifty wins. Division-title contenders. Maybe even NBA Finals material.

All those descriptions have applied to the Heat and Utah Jazz the past several seasons. This year, though, they are bound by other common qualities: slow starts, closing windows of opportunity and patchwork rosters.

Times change, and the Heat and Jazz can testify to that better than most. Granted, the Jazz -- at 11-13, fourth in the Midwest Division -- are in better position to recover than the last-place Heat (5-17). But when they meet tonight at AmericanAirlines Arena, both will continue to struggle with the reality of no longer being a premier team.

``Everybody has to deal with their own problems, but I can relate knowing Utah is a team I used to play when I was on the West Coast -- a team that was always a top-three team -- and now they're struggling,'' said Heat forward Brian Grant, who formerly played for Portland and Sacramento. ``[Tonight] it's going to be two teams just trying to get a win.''

A sorely needed win.

The Jazz, which started 6-11, is trying to find consistency. Much like the Heat, it is trying to build chemistry with many new role players recently acquired to supplement the core of the roster -- namely veterans John Stockton and Karl Malone. For a franchise that has won four of the past five Midwest Division titles and won at least 50 games 10 of the past 12 seasons, it's definitely an adjustment.

In the Heat's case, 10 of 15 players are new to the team, a factor that probably contributed more to its poor start than anything. The Heat has surpassed 50 victories four of the past five seasons.