Way back in the honeymoon stage, Heat coach Pat Riley likened his duo of Eddie Jones and Brian Grant to Utah's John Stockton and Karl Malone.

It was going to be in their hands, Riley said. Games will be decided by their performances, he said. They can be great, he said.

His judgment may have been a bit clouded. Grant and Jones had just joined the team last season, Grant was playing out of his mind and Jones was on an upswing of his own.

The love affair has fallen on hard times. And after a meeting with the real Stockton and Malone on Tuesday -- one that ended with the Jazz handing Miami a 39-point loss -- Riley may be more willing than ever to part ways with either Jones or Grant, or both.

It's become that frustrating to watch, especially for the coach. After Tuesday's loss, Riley hinted about getting rid of players, suggesting that some of his players have not showed the willingness to play with the all-out effort the Heat are known for.

Two weeks ago in Seattle, before the Heat snapped a 12-game losing streak, Riley was more blunt with his threats, saying, "I'm not afraid to make changes."

Are 23 games and a 5-18 record enough to decide that this team has no chance of becoming even a decent team? Are changes absolutely necessary if Riley still intends on winning while rebuilding? And if so, who should go? The problems are easily identified but difficult to solve.

Jones is the most pressing problem because he is supposed to be the team's premier player -- the Magic Johnson of Riley's Lakers, the Patrick Ewing of Riley's Knicks and the Alonzo Mourning of Riley's original Heat. Jones is a disappointment.

Riley may have realized last season that Jones can't carry a team. Two league sources say the Heat tried to trade Jones several times last season, despite the fact that he led the 50-win team in scoring.

Players are privately frustrated with Jones' inconsistency, and Riley seems more willing to give newly acquired Jim Jackson just as many offensive opportunities as Jones. Riley's tendency to look in other directions also may be turning off the shooting guard. But for whatever the reason, the consistent output has not been there from Jones.

Still, Jones is contributing more than Grant, who seems to have lost any instincts for the game. Grant may be playing hurt, though he's not blaming his lack of production on injuries.

He came to the Heat as a forceful player. Now he's being bullied. Against Washington last week, Grant was so concerned about getting his shot blocked after grabbing an offensive rebound that he just pump-faked until he was called for a three-second violation.

If Riley is trying to unload either player, it won't be easy. Other teams have seen the shortcomings of Jones and Grant when they're featured in an offense, making their hefty salaries even less enticing.

Of the two, Jones has more trade value, but only free-spending teams like Portland, Dallas, Sacramento or New York probably would even consider him. And none of those teams likely would view Jones as an upgrade on the perimeter.

Not all the blame falls on Grant and Jones. The point guards continue to struggle, and Mourning's skill and endurance have deteriorated as he battles kidney disease. Only once has Mourning put together three straight strong games, and those were the first three games of the season.

"You have to pretty much evaluate yourself and what you're bringing to the game, your attitude, and find out what you can do better," Mourning said. "Each individual has to do that. I have. I just have to be more consistent with it."

What the team needs is wins, which will become increasingly difficult to come by once certain players deem the season unsalvageable.

Of Miami's 10 new players this season, six have spent a lot of time in their careers with losing teams. They know the danger signs.

"Belief is something that I think is fostered, because it's easy to not believe right now," Riley said. "Especially after (Tuesday) night. That's the one thing you have to really guard against."

Forward LaPhonso Ellis believes there is reason to remain optimistic. He says it's just a matter of the team not yet having picked up Riley's system, defensively or offensively. So in his eyes, 23 games is not enough to judge this team or its players.

If it's not, the pressure is certainly on during the next few games for players to learn the system -- or leave the system.

"Pressure is a funny thing," Ellis said. "Only when pressure is applied can you learn if a person has really learned or changed their behavior and tendencies."