Hearing about Alonzo Mourning's deteriorating condition and knowing the kind of person he is, my first concern is for him. I hope a remedy is found because I know how desperately he wants to play and to contribute to the Heat.

	Alonzo Mourning Center Miami Heat Profile
	2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT% 75 15.7 8.4 1.2 .516 .657

Mourning is the ultimate in team play, dedication and effort. He has everything one would want in an athlete -- in abundance. I have never seen a player work as hard as he does -- on the practice floor and in the weight room. He was so focused before a game and would lay his heart on the line every night.

Last year he came back and played all but seven games. He gained momentum in his game as the season progressed. At the end of the season, he was playing at about 75-80 percent of his full potential, and the Heat were optimistic. But until then, his inability to play at a high level was a major reason why the Heat got off to such a bad start -- along with Eddie Jones missing all of training camp and Rod Strickland missing the first part of the season. Pat Riley was forced to play rookies, and the Heat dug a bad hole from which they could never recover, even when Alonzo was playing better.

Now, the Heat are back to the same situation as before, when Alonzo missed nearly all of the 2000-01 season -- and it doesn't look good. For all of Anthony Mason's warts, he and Brian Grant were at least able to give the Heat some frontcourt stability the previous year. Now with Grant as the team's only viable big man, the Heat are in a bad position once again. Vladimir Stepania and Ernest Brown are only OK; the Heat are not going to win with them.

Mourning will stay on the Heat's salary cap. They got cap relief for him two years ago, but they won't get it again. And I don't expect them to go over the salary cap. The only big man still available is Michael Olowokandi. But even if they did a sign-and-trade deal, the Heat would have to lose some of the quality they already have.

This is a big blow for the Heat, but it's even bigger for Alonzo -- and I hope he gets well soon.

Dr. Jack Ramsay, a Hall of Fame coach who won an NBA title with Portland in 1977, is an NBA analyst for ESPN.