With Mourning back, Heat must make space for Mase.(Alonzo Mourning, Anthony Mason; Miami Heat)

Alonzo Mourning's return to the court has all the makings of a compelling story of the competitive spirit and its triumph over a devastating affliction, and it is a pursuit that is applauded from every corner of the NBA universe excluding possibly midtown Manhattan.

But before anyone in Miami or anywhere else gets carried away with the possibilities, ask yourself this: How can a still-ailing Zo be asked to do what a healthy Michael Jordan could not?

It also was late in a season--specifically, 1994-95--when Jordan made his stunning return to the game. The postseason that year was a revelation. Even the best of the best couldn't recapture what he once had--not in such a short time, anyway--and it didn't help that Shaquille O'Neal ultimately was standing in his way.

Now it is widely assumed that this recent development changes everything, that the East is suddenly a one-horse race, and that the Heat--Zo and behold--has become the favorite to make it to June.

Nobody would like to see that more than those who picked Miami to win the conference (hello), but those predictions were based on what Mourning was, not what he might be. There's a vast difference. A year ago, he was by far the best player in the East, the best defender in the league, the most indomitable competitor in the sport and the game's second-best center

If he is able to regain his rightful place in all those areas inside of three weeks, Miami is on its way. Just don't expect it because that would be unfair for anyone who doesn't understand his illness, much less anyone who is unable to pronounce it. And the great unanswerable question that lingers beside Zo's ability is how the rest of the team will handle his assimilation.

Of course, this is a better team with him, especially in the areas that matter most-defensively and on the glass. But that doesn't change the fact that coach Pat Riley must do one heck of a juggling act right now. Zo's return changes the rotation dramatically, and at virtually every position. The Heat's season is riding on how quickly it all shakes out.