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Only one starter sees action in Heat's loss

The Heat entered Monday's exhibition opener against the Detroit Pistons with three goals: Play hard. Gain experience. And get home healthy.

Judging by that criteria, the trip could be classified a relative success.

Otherwise, there seemed little else to salvage. On a night when the Pistons opened with all of their regular starters against a Heat team missing Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem and Alonzo Mourning to injuries, the result was predictable: Pistons 103, Heat 86.

So anonymous was Miami's lineup, a Pistons fan sitting five rows from the court behind Heat coach Pat Riley clearly could be heard throughout the arena complaining that he had been shortchanged.

NOT THE HEAT

''That ain't the Heat,'' the fan shouted. ``It ain't even close to the Heat. Where's Shaquille O'Neal? Where's Dwyane Wade? Pat Riley, you need Shaq and Dwyane Wade.''

Riley heard the taunt and playfully turned and said, ``I know.''

Heat rookie Marcus Slaughter led the replacements with 17 points -- on 7-of-10 shooting from the field -- and added five rebounds in 19 minutes.

Slaughter started at power forward for Haslem, who was held out as a precaution after he became the team's third key player to sustain a quadriceps injury in practice -- joining guard Penny Hardaway and Mourning. Wade, Mourning, O'Neal and Hardaway did not make the trip and remained in Miami to treat their injuries.

Veteran guard Smush Parker and forward Antoine Walker were also held out. But Riley said it was not a result of the two failing to meet team conditioning standards last week.

''I decided I wanted to go with all of these young guys,'' Riley said.

That decision led to center Michael Doleac, forward Dorell Wright and guards Jason Williams and Jeremy Richardson joining Slaughter in the starting group. It also created plenty of court time for young players Devin Green, Brian Chase, Alexander Johnson, Daequan Cook and Earl Barron.

That group included many of the seven players in competition for what likely are two roster spots.

''I was as surprised as everybody else to be out there in the starting lineup,'' said Slaughter, who spent last season in Turkey.

Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince combined for 18 points in the first quarter, and the Pistons led 32-16 before the bench took over. Rookie guard Rodney Stuckey scored 15 to lead the Pistons, who extended the lead to as many as 26 points in the second half.

Of greater concern to the Heat than Monday's outcome might be the nagging injuries mounting in camp.

STATUS UPDATE

Riley addressed the status of each ailing player.

O'Neal, who has tendinitis in his surgically repaired left knee, was left behind to continue his twice-daily treatment sessions. Riley said O'Neal's knee isn't a major concern.

Hardaway also stayed behind to rest the strained quadriceps.

Mourning has been out with a similar quad injury and has yet to practice at full speed. Riley said muscle pain often is ''one of the side effects'' of the kidney medication he has had to take since his 2003 transplant.

See more at www.miamiherald.com