Solid win for the Heat, if only because it came against a team that was coming off five straight wins and had a winning record.

But it was somewhat disconcerting to see that the combination of Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Juwan Howard, Erick Dampier and Joel Anthony -- basically every big other than Chris Bosh -- went scoreless on a combined 0 of 5 from the field and eight rebounds in 57 total minutes. 

That meant a lot more responsibility for Bosh, who responded with 27 points and 10 rebounds, but in the long run that's going to have to change.

The Heat rotation of big men has to have some kind of impact, and save for a couple possessions where Dampier made a significant play, they were rather non-existent. It also didn't help that Al Horford showed them up by shooting 10 of 11 from the floor, although most of those were jumpers.

I think Dampier (left) will have a long-term role on this team, and in the long run he might be the better option as the starter. He's physical, he can block a shot above the rim and he's just got a decent feel for the game. He made a nice pass to Bosh for a layup on one play that showed he's a lot more comfortable with the ball in his hands than, say Joel Anthony.

LeBron James didn't appear to have a post-Cleveland letdown, even though he went scoreless in the third quarter. Scoring 22 points on just 11 shots is an efficient game, and it's all that's required when Dwyane Wade and Bosh have it going -- and they had it going Saturday, combining for 53 points and 20 rebounds.

As much as Spoelstra's been getting killed, he continues to make smart moves. The latest one is the slow but steady inclusion of Mario Chalmers. He wasn't very effective last season, but that had a lot to do with the fact he was required to do more on a mediocre team. On this team, he can be solid. And he has been.

Against the Hawks, he had nine points, five rebounds, four assists and one turnover in 27 minutes and was plus-14, matching the plus-minus number of Bosh and Wade. He appears to have the full support of LeBron, which has to mean a lot to him. As much as Chalmers was considered a non-factor, he could end up being fairly important to this team in the long run.

(@chevyboy79, I actually watched the game from a bar in Connecticut with no sound, so no, didn't just steal Rick Fox's opinions. Heaven forbid two people watching the game can come up with similar thoughts.)

(@Ray, Reporters aren't fans. Even so, you clearly never read what I write, because I'm about the least negative Heat writer around. I get accused of being a homer more than I do of being overly critical.)

(Don't usually respond to comments, but I'm bored on a plane, sooo...)

There seemed to be some calm in the Heat players throughout win against the Sixers. It was probably because the opponent didn't really scare them, but even when Philly made a run, there appeared to be little panic, little pressing.

As Chris Bosh said after the game, his mindset is to simply "get the job done," and it appeared that was the entire team's mentality.

There were a couple of surprising performances. First, Carlos Arroyo looks like he's been working on that three-point shot. He hit 3 of 4 and looked comfortable doing it. The reason it appears he's been working on it, is because earlier in the season he wouldn't even spot up that deep. He'd usually stay in the 18-20 foot range, and that didn't open up the floor very much. But now, he's staying out there, especially in the short corners, and is nailing that shot. If he keeps that up, he makes much more sense in the starting lineup.

You could tell that Erik Spoelstra even made it a point to get him back in late in the game, whereas in the last few games Arroyo didn't even play in the fourth quarter -- not even in Orlando when he was playing very well.

Joel Anthony was the other impressive support player, playing with Udonis Haslem-like activity. His play let Spo limit Zydrunas Ilgauskas to 16 minutes. While it's encouraging to see Joel do that, the Sixers kind of allow him to be that kind of player because he doesn't have to worry a ton about Spencer Hawes or Marresse Speights, who combined for 12 shot attempts and aren't your classic centers. Nonetheless, considering the Heat's big man void, you'll take those types of performances whenever you can get them, and against any opponent.

Less than a week before LeBron James plays in Cleveland, and the questions have started. LeBron said he can't help but think about it, and the NBA and Cleveland are planning some serious, probably unprecedented security during that game.

I kind of have a feeling that you might see LeBron take off after that game, assuming the Heat can go in there and win. There might be a sense of closure after that one. I mean, it's not gonna get any worse than it will be there. Maybe it'll clear his mind. It'll also be the magical 20-game mark, where you'd expect him and the Heat to have their stuff together and really make a run.

First, though, the Heat has to prove it can win against a quality opponent on the road, and Saturday's game against the Mavericks will be a great test.

The Heat's in the middle of a stretch of six games in nine days, and that's just before the Heat starts a four-game trip that'll last just six days.

Maybe all those games will expedite this growth process.

It's easy to say the Heat took advantage of a Suns team that has no size, rarely plays defense and is playing the first game of an East Coast trip with a slightly injured Steve Nash.

But that doesn't take away what the team did against the Suns. The effort displayed from start to finish was exactly what this team needs to be successful as the chemistry project continues. The closing out and rotations on defense were phenomenal -- probably as hard as we've seen any Heat team play for an entire game in a long, long time. That would explain why the Suns, who average 25 three-point attempts a game, only got off 19 of them despite trailing all game and only made five of them. It also helps explain why Steve Nash only had two assists, because when he hit an open man, that man wasn't open for very long at all.

The other encouraging part for the Heat was how crisp and consistent the ball movement was. You could see a handful of times when Wade and LeBron almost took what would normally been considered an OK shot for them in previous year, but they passed off last second to an open player with a better shot. That's what Eddie House was talking about when he said no one on this team should ever take a contested shot. The result is 55 percent shooting.

Now, Bosh's big game can be considered a tad inflated by the fact it was the tiny Suns defending him. But it's not as if he simply got his points from shooting over the top of smaller guys in the post. He worked within the offense and found himself open not only for jumpers but near the basket. My favorite play was that smooth shuffle pass to Udonis Haslem for a dunk.

What matters here isn't who he did it against, but that he did it at all. The confidence Bosh can gain from scoring 35 against the Suns, in three quarters no less, can go a long way to getting him to play better against bigger, tougher teams. Sometimes you just have to remind yourself that you can do it. And Bosh just did that.

On the slightly negative side, starting Zydrunas wasn't a great idea. He only played seven minutes because it was obvious it wasn't a good matchup against the Suns.

LeBron's plus-minus was plus-24, Bosh was plus-23, James Jones plus-23, Haslem plus-21 and Wade plus-20... Think that might be the Heat's best lineup? 

If anybody would understand what it takes to create an NBA superpower around three major players, it’s Eddie House.

He was there in Boston when that team was put together and won a title in 2008.

Which makes what he said Monday so interesting. He said when he was in Boston, about a week after the team was put together, a bunch of players, including him and James Posey, were playing cards at Paul Pierce’s place.

They were listing teams and wondering if any of them could beat Boston in a seven-game series. They went through every good team in the league and decided then that the Celtics would win the championship.

That obviously came true. So, I asked if he and his Heat teammates feel the same way, and it was an interesting, honest and probably very true answer.

“Yeah, but this is going to be a lot tougher than that,” House said. “The regular season was easy for us (in Boston). We had a lot of breaks where we won games at the end. We had a lot of stuff go our way.

“I feel the same way about, ‘Yeah, we’re going to win this (thing),’ but it’s going to be a lot harder. Everybody has to give up. I think everybody is giving up, but we have to give up more. Even myself, I want to be out on the floor more, I feel like I can help the team when I’m out there. But at the same time, it’s Spo’s call, so when he does make a sub I have to be able to control myself a little bit more.”

So it seemed there was a little hesitation in matching this team’s confidence to the Boston team’s confidence. This next part might be the most interesting thing he said, if only because it hasn’t always been the case.

“This team should never take a contested shot,” House said. “I don’t care who it is. We’ve got so much stuff out there, that it should never be, unless it’s an end-of-the-shot-clock desperation shot. We should get a wide open shot every time down the court. I think once we realize that, it’ll be a lot easier.”

So far, the Heat has attempted to move the ball, and for the most part has gotten open looks for its shooters, which is why James Jones is shooting 50 percent from deep and why Zydrunas Ilgauskas has gotten so many open looks.

But a few times, and maybe it’s a few too many times, the members of the Miami’s super trio revert to their old ways of thinking they have to finish a tough shot rather than just go with the flow offensively.

This is where those guys are caught in the transition. The early thought process was, “Be who you are, and we’ll eventually figure this out.” But being who they are includes taking tough shots that they make more often than other players.

So they eventually have to transition out of that. They have to find the balance between creating and finishing, and creating and letting someone else finish. And others need to make themselves available to finish.

It’s a strange place they find themselves in, mostly LeBron and Wade.

Maybe House sees it a little clearer because he’s usually waiting on the perimeter and watches what’s going on from a good view. And maybe it’s about the time for LeBron, Wade and Bosh to both start making that transition.

Clearly it's far too early to demand drastic changes, but people are going to dissect and wonder and examine this team and it's "failure" of a 5-4 start as deeply as possible.

So let's figure this out. Is it just a matter of time eventually fixing everything, or does there need to be some significant tweaking and possibly a personnel move?

Spoelstra might have given some signs that he's willing to change things, if only by certain choices he made in the rotation Thursday. He played very little of Joel Anthony and Carlos Arroyo, even starting Zydrunas Ilgauskas in the second half. That might have been more of a matchup thing with Shaq and not a long-term switch, but should it be? The offense certainly opens up with Z in there, and he made not be the most mobile rebounder, but he can hit the offensive boards very well because he's so big and has great touch on putbacks.

Spoelstra talked about this being a "process" and is preaching patience, and yet he played LeBron 44 minutes and Wade 40 minutes in regular season game No. 9. That tells me he was very desperate to win that game. Not that I blame him, but it was a bit of over usage, even LeBron said as much after the game.

Watching the Celtics offense, you wonder if this Heat team will ever be as fluid as that one. Rondo is amazing at penetrating and finding the right guy, whereas the Heat's best penetrator, Dwyane Wade, is looking to score first and pass second. Kevin Garnett is a great passer for a big guy, and you wonder if Chris Bosh has that skill or can gain that skill.

LeBron went all Cleveland Cavaliers in this game, particularly late, and basically started every play and looked to take over. That was good to see it's still in him, but it also never allowed Wade to get out of his funk. When he has a bad first half, like he did with his 0 for 6 Thursday, Wade usually shoots himself out of it. That can't happen when he's not shooting. Still, LeBron was very good, and was so close to another triple double.

Not much to say at this point, other than 5-4 is not exactly what was expected from these guys. LeBron talked about the frustration after the game. If this continues much longer, that built up frustration won't be healthy. Not to say they're questioning themselves as a unit yet, but it could get to that point if this "process" doesn't include steady improvement.

At least Udonis Haslem is on his game.

Tuesday night's game was probably the most difficult regular season test the Heat might face all season, it doesn't mean the game can't inspire changes.

Now, it would probably be considered an overreaction to make any significant lineup changes after one game, especially when that game was against the Celtics, a team that offers mathcup problems because of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, and now Shaq.

But there were a few things that appeared evident during that game (and besides, the goal is to beat the Celtics down the road anyway, so why not adjust your lineup so you're best suited to beat them).

First, it doesn't appear that Carlos Arroyo is the best option for this lineup. If there's anything that is apparent after just one game it's that a traditional point guard doesn't necessarily fit in with this group. The "point guard" that plays alongside Dwyane and LeBron either has to be a great three-point shooter or an excellent defender. While Arroyo has his strong points, he isn't either of those things.

It might make more sense, with the current options, to play Eddie House more often, or even start him, because he complements Wade and LeBron better. Granted, that might cause defensive issues against some of the league's better point guards, but House is a solid system defender, and if the point guard is that much trouble, then LeBron or Wade might want to handle him anyway.

And that's where the next thought comes in. I've been a proponent of this since the Heat signed LeBron: Why not play LeBron and Wade together in the starting backcourt, with Jones starting at the small forward, and either Stackhouse or MIller taking over when they're ready.

The two of them will be doing all the ball handling anyway, and defensively each of them can handle defending a point guard. They probably don't want to deal with Chris Paul and Deron Williams and Derrick Rose, but if this team is going to be as great as it can be, shouldn't one or both of them simply commit to the challenge of defending point guards. It seems like LeBron can do it rather easily because of his size and quickness, and we've seen Dwyane do it plenty of times over the past seven seasons. So why not turn to that option? It would be a lot more difficult for other teams to defend a backcourt of Wade and LeBron than it would be for the Heat to match up with anyone else. It just seems like the best option, especially when you consider the Heat's options at point guard.

Now, the Heat will be able to get away with starting Arroyo all season long and still win better than 60 games. But if it wants to maximize potential -- especially if Miller comes back at full strength in January -- it just seems the best option.

As for the center spot, Spoelstra might want to turn to Ilgauskas a little earlier, especially in games against traditional centers. He just gives you a better offensive option, and he has the size to mix it up inside. Of course, Udonis and Bosh up front works well, but not against the bigger centers.

The Stackhosue signing makes perfect sense. He's a veteran who can still play some defense and hit open shots, and even at this point in his career might be a tad more versatile than James Jones, who doesn't work much off the dribble and rarely handles the ball.

But still, the Heat will probably ease Stackhouse into any playing time. There are too many new parts to this team to add another brand new contributor just before the first game. The rotation will probably include James Jones and Eddie House, and if for some reason that's not working, then Spoelstra will probably start to incorporate Stackhouse.

The problem now is there will have to be two cuts made. It still seems pretty simple to me. You cut Patrick Beverley and Da'Sean Butler. Butler can stick around Miami and re-sign when he's actually healthy, which is probably next season. Jamaal Magloire still feels like he's more important to the team as an emergency center option. Zydrunas Ilgauskas isn't exactly injury prone anymore, but he is still 35 years old. And Dexter Pittman is probably too young to contribute. So Big Cat must remain.

On a random note, just saw where the Hornets got a hold of Jerryd Bayless from the Blazers for a 2011 first-round draft pick. I know the Heat is just about fresh out of draft picks to trade, but it would've been nice to get Bayless. I've always liked him and thought he was buried in Portland. Plus, is anybody sold on Mario Chalmers? I'm pretty sure I know that answer.

A few thoughts about the roster and the potential rotation...

Before his 1 for 11 and five turnover night against the Hornets, Kenny Hasbrouck looked like he recovered and possibly had outplayed Patrick Beverley for that last spot on the roster that appeared to be going to one of them. Now, who knows. The Heat don't only use the actual preseason games to make these types of decisions, but that couldn't have helped.

Some are of the opinion that Juwan Howard might not be a lock to make the roster because he has only played in two games and doesn't exactly match the style this team wants to play. But just look at the depth chart. There are no power forwards behind Udonis and Bosh, unless you're considering Shavlik Randolph. Howard will be on this final roster. He's just a vet who doesn't need or probably even want the preseason minutes.

Love what Ilgauskas does for this team (last night's game wasn't exactly the best example), particularly with the second unit. Not only is he a very good shooter, but he still knows how to use that big body and just enough athleticism to get those easy putbacks. He used to kill the Heat with offensive rebounds, and now he'll be doing it for this team. I'm still not ready to say Joel shouldn't start for this team, but I certainly wouldn't have a problem if Big Z ended up taking that spot.

James Jones has played well, and as long as the team defense is good enough, he should be able to get some minutes that he couldn't last year. The problem is, though, will there really be many minutes available, if any, at the small forward? After Wade and LeBron are back, it'll be those two and Mike Miller taking up pretty much all the minutes at the shooting guard and small forward spots. And there's a chance Eddie House can be a contributor at the two spot. So it might be slim picking for Jones once everyone's healthy. Chances are, though, he'll get his chances throughout the season when guys get hurt, because that's inevitable. It's good to see he's prepared to contribute regardless of when his minutes come.

It's impossible to play an entire roster and still be productive in the preseason, so it's likely that Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Juwan Howard, Eddie House and other who didn't get in Tuesday's preseason opener will play in Friday night's game against the Thunder in Kansas City. There's always the chance that those particularly guys get held out Friday, though, and play Saturday instead in San Antonio.

With back-to-back games -- especially after watching Wade go down with the hamstring injury -- chances of key players playing significant minutes in back-to-back games are quite miniscule.

I'd like to see some of House alongside LeBron, because from what we saw in practices during the training camp in Hurlburt Field, they love kicking out to House, and House loves knocking down open shots (on a side note, it would be interesting to catch up with Elizabeth Riley, daughter of Pat and creator of the "Free Eddie House" campaign back in his first go-around with the Heat, now that House has had a healthy career that includes a championship ring).

I think folks are especially intrigued by Dexter Pittman, who looks like he's about 15-20 pounds away from being a real force in the league. I'm going to go out on an early limb here and say he can be a starting center in the league in two years.

Random end note: Saw where David Stern said the league is anticipating its most successful year ever. It would be something of an awkward position for owners if that happens, wouldn't it? If the league has its best season ever, which would have to mean fiscally, wouldn't that give the players tons of leverage in collective bargaining negotiations next offseason? They'd be able to say that the system is perfect as is, including free agency. Maybe contract lengths could still be an issue, but if you start implementing hard caps and discouraging star player movement, then something like what Miami has just done might never happen again. And it clearly excites people, even if it's in the short term.
 Just a thought.

Funny how people originally thought the Heat's supporting cast around the Big Three would be made up of scrubs, and at this point the roster's deep enough to make the final choice on the 15-man roster rather difficult.

The locks for the roster are obvious: LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Haslem, Miller, Ilgauskas, House, Anthony, Chalmers, Jones, Arroyo, Howard and Magloire.

That's 13, leaving two spots open with about five guys fighting for them.

Dexter Pittman is probably a lock, given that he's a big guy the Heat drafted and they love to develop big guys with potential. Pittman would be a fourth center, yes, but Pittman would likely be stashed on the inactive list every night. Then if Big Z has health issues, there's still depth to deal with the bigger teams like Boston.

Shavlik Randolph and Kenny Hasbrouck, though they were on the team at some point last year, are probably out when you consider that, a) the Heat has enough in the power rotation without Randolph and b) Hasbrouck hasn't even been the best defensive specialist in camp.

That distinction would go to Patrick Beverley, who played point with the red team that featured the Big Three in Friday's scrimmage.

If he makes the roster, though, that would mean Da'Sean Butler, another draft pick, wouldn't. Of course, Butler is working his way back from a torn ACL, but if he really was a coveted player, there's always the fear that if he's cut here, another team could sign him, work him back to health and have a significant contributor in the future. I'm sure with Wade and LeBron on the perimeter, it's not as if the Heat is very concerned about losing a potential role player, but why would the team have signed Butler at all if the plan wasn't to work him back to health themselves? The guess here is they signed him as a show of good faith, so when they do cut him, he'll work his way back to health in Miami then re-sign down the road.

So my guess is Pittman and Beverley get those final roster spots.

But back to the top of the roster... Should be interesting to see who Spoelstra starts against the Pistons on Tuesday. If it were my starting lineup, I'd go with Bron, Wade, Miller, Bosh and Anthony. But based on how LeBron talks about playing the point, I doubt he wants to start there. So it'll likely be Chalmers (or healthiest available point guard), Bron, Wade, Bosh and Anthony. Not a ton of shooting there, especially if it's Arroyo or Beverley starting, and even with Chalmers it's not as if he's threatening enough an outside shooter to keep teams from just packing in the defense. To me, either Miller, House or Jones should be on the floor whenever the combo of Wade and Bron are on the floor. But I guess we'll see where that goes.