<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">CORAL GABLES ? Alonzo Mourning said Wednesday he wants to be more of a factor for the Heat next season. If not, he might retire. Mourning, a reserve this season after joining the Heat in March, said not being on the court during the final moments of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals against Detroit was frustrating. "I just don't want to go through a whole year again and get into that situation where we were in Game 7 and not be on the court and helping out," said Mourning, who was hosting an event Wednesday to promote the ninth annual Zo's Summer Groove, which will be July 14-17. "I worked my butt off to try to be a part of something special and try to make a difference in the outcome of something. I felt helpless just sitting on the sideline and not being able to do anything. That's just the competitor in me." The Heat recently picked up its option on Mourning's contract, which would pay him the veteran's minimum of at least $1.1 million next season. Mourning, 35, said he has no plans to force his way out to play for another team. "I wouldn't want to go play anywhere else," Mourning said. "If somebody offered me $20 million to go play next year, I wouldn't go anywhere else. It's the Heat or I'm going to retire."</div> Source
Interesting. He wants to have a bigger role on the team, and he will next year. However, with Haslem on the team and possibly a PF coming via draft and possibly a FA PF (Marshall) coming in, his role won't be that much bigger from last season. He'll be the backup center most likely, and play the 7th man role, which is a role I doubt he could get from any other team. He wants to play in the big minutes in the big games, which he deserves, however, he has to be effective throughout the game to show that he can be able to play effective down the stretch. If he does show himself to be effective in the early part of the game, then you'll start to see him late in the games on the court with Shaq instead Haslem.
I think Mourning has a point I mean I understand he has a disease and you dont want him to play to much but if hes in nba and wants to play THEN PLAY HIM. I hope that next year Mourning gets alot more minutes and is a big part of the Heat winning their first championship, i hope.
I think he's going to get more minutes. Now that they know that he can play for long stretches he could start some game vs. teams like Atlanta or Charlotte so Shaq could rest.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting playmaker31:</div><div class="quote_post">I think he's going to get more minutes. Now that they know that he can play for long stretches he could start some game vs. teams like Atlanta or Charlotte so Shaq could rest.</div> Not against charlotte lol remember what they did to us last year. But anyways that would be a pretty good idea.
It's a tough predicament for the Heat. I'm sure they would love to play Alonzo Mourning more, but they don't want him to break down in the regular season. The Heat need Alonzo at 100% come playoff time.
That is kind of weird in my eyes. If Zo doesn't receive a bigger role from the Heat he retires? I guess that?s a good thing, meaning he just doesn't want to sit the bench and watch the whole time while his team competes for a championship, that would be taking the easy way out. In Zo's case he basically still wants to keep working towards a title be playing a bigger role. That is definitely a sign that Mourning has love for the game and still wants to compete.
Some poeple would call this a selfish thing by Zo, but I think it means that we wants to help the team win a title because he has such passion for the game and he wats to play as long and as much as possible.
