This is not just another story about the Heat's inability to handle zone defenses. This is a story about what has become the story of the Heat's season.

It's simple: Show the Heat a zone, give it fits. And word is spreading through the NBA.

``When we're making a run on a team, the way that they think they can get back in the game is to throw some kind of zone on us,'' forward LaPhonso Ellis said.

``And it seems to have worked. Other teams would be unintelligent to not to do the same thing.''

Zone defenses have had a significant impact in two of the Heat's past four games entering Monday night's late tipoff at Golden State.

Miami likely will continue to see zones. The Heat anticipated seeing some zone from the Warriors, who got back into a game on Jan. 6 at Miami by using one.


It's no secret the Heat is last in the NBA in scoring. But the zone -- which was legalized before this season -- seems to further cripple the offense.

Passes don't hit their marks, no one finds the open man, and -- most important -- shots fall even less frequently.

Coach Pat Riley's theory is that most of the league's teams are having problems against the unconventional defense.

``I watch a lot of tape of other teams' zone offenses,'' Riley said. ``I'm telling you, it's hard. Everybody struggles a little bit with it. You're left with perimeter shots. . . . You're left with some second shots on offensive rebounds, but it's hard to pick apart a zone in just 18 seconds'' after the ball is advanced beyond halfcourt.


There is some legitimacy in that, but the Heat's problems against the zone are more serious than most teams'. And nearly halfway through the season, Miami shows no signs of finding a solution.

Consider some prime examples:


Against Portland last Thursday, the Heat cruised until the Blazers went to a 2-2-1 zone in the third quarter. Portland went on to force 13 second-half turnovers and limit the Heat to 30 second-half points, rallying for a 92-85 win.


In the first Warriors game, the Heat again got sloppy vs. a second-half zone and mustered 35 points after intermission. Golden State rallied from 16 down, closing the deficit to two before falling short in the closing seconds.


Probably the most infamous example of the Heat's breakdowns against the zone is the Dec. 27 game at Atlanta. Miami was outscored 31-16 in the fourth quarter as the Hawks overcame a 19-point deficit behind a trapping zone to win 100-96.

To Riley and some players, the zone is overrated.

``We should welcome a zone more than man-to-man because if you just move the ball a couple of times, you can get whatever shot you want,'' center Alonzo Mourning said.

``I'm going to tell you right now, I think it's a [expletive] defense. It was basically created for guys who can't guard people.''

So why does the Heat fall apart against the zone?

Because ``we have a tendency to not move the ball, passing up good shots, overlooking good shots, things of that nature,'' Mourning said.

``We've been playing a certain way the whole game, then all of a sudden, the zone springs on us and it's almost like we freeze up. It's a matter of us getting out of that and getting to a comfort level in approaching the zone. We need to be able to play right through it.''