Why Zo will work

The Heat will be adding Alonzo Mourning to their roster today. He cleared waivers at 10 am this morning, and will join the Heat in an official capacity on Monday after the All Star Break.

The speculation has been mounting all season as everyone, from Zo to his agent to the media, has been expecting him to obtain a buyout and then re-sign with the Heat in order to finally get the chance to win a championship. That dream becomes tangible now.

With the Heat, Zo joins the team with the best record in the East and with Zo the argument can now be seriously made that the Heat are an elite team. Not that they weren't before, but with Zo the Heat is a hard team to ignore. Even Detroit, the most talented team in the East, has to take notice. They are finally kicking into high gear - something the Heat has been able to maintain all season despite a learning curve the size of Shaq.

The pundits seem to be up in arms over this decision. Most agree that adding Zo makes the Heat a very deep and dangerous team but there are those out there who question whether or not two egos like Zo and Shaq can co-exist. Can they? The answer is simple, 'yes'.

Shaq has said it himself. He wants to win and he knows he needs Zo's help. He has admitted as much even acknowleding that if this happened when the Daddy was younger, he would have a hard time with it. Things change though, over time. These two once-bitter rivals, are now joining forces to win a championship. Zo knows that he needs Shaq and he needs this team to get him to the promised land. He also has been humbled by his disease and understands - all too well - that his playing time is limited because of his disease. Necessity creates the situation in which these two colossals of the game must interact.

It is epic in the basketball universe. It may not seem so now, but the alignment of forces like Shaq and Zo - two of the best centers to ever play the game - is like two superheroes joining up. Shaq has already dubbed Dwyane Wade 'Flash', so it is an appropriate analogy to liken Zo and Shaq to a Batman and Superman hook up. Both bring different looks to the Heat and only deepen the team's strength. Zo brings intensity, fire. Shaq brings confidence and domination.

The only question that should be asked, and indeed the only one that remains is, how can any opposing team have a chance against such a duo? They more than likely won't be on the floor at the same time, but Shaq and Zo will create something the likes the NBA has probably never seen: get ready for 48 minutes of hell.