9. Eddie Jones
Eddie Jones was the leading man during the Heat’s “down period.”
Jones was brought in by Riley to add another impact player to a team burdened with championship expectations. After the Heat were eliminated in the first round of the 2000 NBA Playoffs by the New York Knicks for the third time in four tries, Jones was acquired through trade with Riley jettisoning P.J. Brown and Jamal Mashburn to the Charlotte Hornets.
Despite finishing with the third-best record during the 2001 season, the Heat were ironically eliminated by the sixth-seeded Hornets in the first round of the playoffs. The veteran shooting guard averaged 17.4 points per game in his first season in Miami.
Due to Mourning’s kidney disease and Hardaway’s deteriorating play, Miami would falter and miss the playoffs over the course of the next two seasons.
Jones stuck around until 2005, before making his return with the franchise during the 2006-07 season.
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