Zo Returns

Return of the Heat King

Alonzo Mourning will be back.

The Heat center made the announcement Sunday at his annual Summer Groove charity event, which brings great relief to Heat fans. The offseason has been a confusing one, seeing many targeted free agents get snatched up elsewhere but Riley has been contending all along that they will not overpay for a possible player.

In this case, the Heat will be getting unquestionable value on their investment.

Zo will back up Shaq again and this has proven to be a boon for Miami. Always professional and an intense leader, Zo continues not only to deliver continuity but to build on his legacy as a Heat player. He has the skills and the mentality to make it through another NBA season and be as productive as ever.

This was always going to be a crucial point for the Heat this offseason, losing Zo would be unthinkable as it would force the Heat to adapt Micheal Doleac to their backup center role - now they may have found another huge asset that could be liquidated.

Zo's return means that Doleac, in his last season and commanding a modest $3M contract in his final year, could be used as trade bait to shore up more pressing needs on this Heat roster.

As it stands now, keep an eye on Juan Carlos Navarro - Riley is meeting with the young Spanish point guard while on his way to Africa for a little R&R (in fact, Riley has not publicly stated he will return as coach, but with Zo signing on chances are pretty good that not only will Riley return to the bench, but that a move is going to happen that Zo also finds satisfactory). With Zo's return, he must feel pretty good about committing to another season.

Also, James Posey has been meeting with several teams, one of which is Golden State who is loaded with guards and small forwards and needs to deepen their front court depth. Posey would be an upgrade defensively, but throwing in a guy like Doleac could also give the Warriors a solid veteran to boost up their front court with. And Posey has stated he is open to a sign and trade possibility - and the Heat are looking at Mickeal Pietrus.

Zo's return is good for the Heat on the court, and also can serve as a barometer for what is going on behind the scenes - namely that Riley should return as coach and that there is possibly a deal in place that will give the Heat what they need going forward into this NBA season.

At any rate, welcome back Zo. It is going to be nice to have you back.