Late roster moves mock season, and other notes.

Publication: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service)

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COPYRIGHT 2001 South Florida Sun-Sentinal

Byline: Ira Winderman

FORT LAUDERDALE _ By now, we're all in agreement that the NBA season begins in the playoffs, that the first 82 games are a mere prelude.

But shouldn't the regular season count for something when it comes to establishing playoff rosters?

The question is asked in light of last week's return of Alonzo Mourning, the impending return of Orlando's Dee Brown, the possible return of Phoenix's Penny Hardaway, and consideration by other contenders to add playoff-eligible players such as Dennis Scott and Scott Burrell.

Mourning missed the season's first 69 games. Brown has yet to play. Hardaway has played four games, none since Jan. 16. Scott and Burrell have yet to appear in the league in 2000-01.

This 11th-hour restructuring, this willingness of teams to redefine rotations so late in the calendar is only further evidence of how much players and teams value the playoffs _ and how little they regard the regular season.

With regular-season tickets a major expenditure, could it be time for the NBA to mandate a certain amount of pre-playoff appearances for postseason eligibility?

If necessary, couldn't there be an arbitration board to consider cases such as Mourning's, when it might otherwise be a health risk to return too soon?

Shouldn't a team's playoff roster and rotation be representative of how it played over six months?

Otherwise, big postseasons by Hardaway, Mourning and Brown could only further lessen the incentive of others to push through most of the 82-game regular-season grind.

Look, there is no doubting the absences of any of the aforementioned returning players. Hardaway has chronic knee troubles. Brown tore a muscle in his left leg.

Nonetheless, the playoffs should be a culmination of what teams have accomplished during the regular season, not a chance to succeed with an overhauled roster.

This is not the same Heat team the persevered for 69 games.

With Hardaway, it would not be the same...

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