Miami Heat 1997-98 Roster and Statistics

Last Updated on September 16, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

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The Miami Heat 1997–98 were led by Alonzo Mourning’s interior scoring, rebounding, and rim protection, while Tim Hardaway controlled the offense as the primary playmaker and a consistent scoring threat. Jamal Mashburn added versatile wing production, and the supporting cast contributed perimeter shooting and defensive depth. The statistical profile reflected a balanced team built on elite defense, strong rebounding, disciplined ball movement, and efficient scoring from its veteran core.

Roster

NO.	PLAYER NAME	POS	HT	WT	DATE OF BIRTH	COLLEGE
2	Keith Askins	SF	6-7	197	December 15, 1967	Alabama
3	Charles Smith	SG	6-4	194	August 22, 1975	New Mexico
5	Eric Murdock	PG	6-1	190	June 14, 1968	Providence
6	Terry Mills	PF	6-10	230	December 21, 1967	Michigan
8	Isaac Austin	C	6-10	255	August 18, 1969	Arizona State
9	Dan Majerle	SG	6-6	215	September 9, 1965	Central Michigan University
10	Tim Hardaway	PG	6-0	175	September 1, 1966	Texas-El Paso
11	Todd Day	SG	6-6	188	January 7, 1970	Arkansas
17	Brent Barry	SG	6-6	185	December 31, 1971	Oregon State
21	Voshon Lenard	SG	6-4	205	May 14, 1973	Minnesota
22	Antonio Lang	SF	6-8	205	May 15, 1972	Duke
23	Rex Walters	SG	6-4	190	March 12, 1970	Northwestern, Kansas
24	Jamal Mashburn	SF	6-8	240	November 29, 1972	Kentucky
30	Mark Strickland	PF	6-9	210	July 14, 1970	Temple
31	Duane Causwell	C	7-0	240	May 31, 1968	Temple
33	Alonzo Mourning	C	6-10	240	February 8, 1970	Georgetown
40	Marty Conlon	C	6-10	224	January 19, 1968	Providence
42	P.J. Brown	PF	6-11	225	October 14, 1969	Louisiana Tech

Regular Season Per Game

Player	Pos	Age	GP	GS	MP	PTS	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	FGA	FGM	FG%	3PA	3PM	3P%	FTA	FTM	FT%
Tim Hardaway	PG	31	81	81	37.4	18.9	3.7	8.3	1.7	0.2	2.8	16.0	6.9	.431	5.5	1.9	.351	4.1	3.2	.781
Alonzo Mourning	C	27	58	56	33.4	19.2	9.6	0.9	0.7	2.2	3.1	12.6	6.9	.551	0.0	0.0	—	8.0	5.3	.665
Voshon Lenard	SG	24	81	81	32.4	12.6	3.6	2.2	0.7	0.2	1.2	10.5	4.5	.425	4.7	1.9	.405	2.2	1.7	.788
Jamal Mashburn	SF	25	48	48	36.0	15.1	4.9	2.8	0.9	0.3	2.3	12.0	5.2	.435	2.5	0.8	.303	4.8	3.8	.797
P.J. Brown	PF	28	74	74	31.9	9.6	8.6	1.4	0.9	1.3	1.3	8.0	3.8	.471	0.0	0.0	—	2.7	2.0	.766
Isaac Austin	C	28	52	25	26.4	12.7	6.3	1.7	0.8	0.7	2.3	10.2	4.8	.474	0.1	0.0	.000	4.4	3.0	.680
Dan Majerle	SG	32	72	22	26.8	7.2	3.7	2.2	0.9	0.2	0.9	6.1	2.6	.419	4.1	1.5	.376	0.7	0.6	.784
Eric Murdock	PG	29	82	1	17.0	6.2	1.9	2.7	1.3	0.2	1.3	5.1	2.2	.422	1.1	0.3	.308	1.9	1.5	.801
Mark Strickland	PF	27	51	8	16.6	6.8	4.2	0.5	0.4	0.7	0.9	5.3	2.8	.539	0.0	0.0	.000	1.6	1.2	.720
Terry Mills	PF	30	50	0	15.6	4.2	3.0	0.8	0.4	0.2	0.9	4.1	1.6	.393	1.6	0.5	.309	0.7	0.5	.758
Keith Askins	SF	30	46	12	14.8	2.4	2.2	0.6	0.6	0.3	0.6	2.7	0.8	.320	1.6	0.5	.284	0.4	0.3	.632
Duane Causwell	C	29	37	2	9.8	2.4	2.7	0.1	0.2	0.7	0.5	2.4	1.0	.416	0.0	0.0	—	0.7	0.4	.577
Marty Conlon	C	30	18	0	11.6	4.9	2.6	0.7	0.5	0.3	0.6	3.4	1.6	.452	0.0	0.0	—	2.4	1.8	.727
Brent Barry	SG	26	17	0	15.2	4.1	1.6	1.2	0.8	0.2	0.5	3.6	1.4	.371	2.0	0.7	.353	0.7	0.7	1.000
Rex Walters	SG	27	19	0	5.7	2.0	0.8	0.7	0.2	0.1	0.5	1.3	0.7	.542	0.4	0.2	.375	0.6	0.5	.818
Todd Day	SG	28	5	0	13.8	6.0	1.2	1.4	1.4	0.0	0.6	6.2	2.2	.355	2.4	0.4	.167	1.8	1.2	.667
Antonio Lang	SF	25	6	0	4.8	2.0	0.8	0.2	0.3	0.0	0.7	0.8	0.5	.600	0.0	0.0	—	1.3	1.0	.750
Charles Smith	SG	22	11	0	2.9	0.9	0.7	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.5	1.6	0.4	.222	0.3	0.1	.333	0.2	0.1	.500
Team Totals			82	82	240.9	95.0	42.0	21.4	8.1	5.2	15.0	77.2	34.8	.450	18.8	6.7	.355	25.4	18.8	.739

Playoff Per Game

Player	Pos	Age	GP	GS	MP	PTS	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	FGA	FGM	FG%	3PA	3PM	3P%	FTA	FTM	FT%
Tim Hardaway	PG	31	5	5	44.4	26.0	3.4	6.6	1.2	0.0	3.6	18.8	8.4	.447	7.8	3.4	.436	7.4	5.8	.784
Alonzo Mourning	C	27	4	4	34.5	19.3	8.5	1.3	0.8	2.5	2.0	14.0	7.3	.518	0.0	0.0	—	7.3	4.8	.655
Voshon Lenard	SG	24	5	5	37.2	14.4	3.8	1.4	0.2	0.4	2.2	10.4	4.8	.462	5.2	1.8	.346	4.0	3.0	.750
Eric Murdock	PG	29	5	0	25.0	9.4	4.0	3.0	1.4	0.0	0.8	6.4	2.2	.344	1.8	0.4	.222	5.6	4.6	.821
P.J. Brown	PF	28	5	5	38.0	9.2	8.8	0.8	1.4	0.6	1.2	7.4	3.8	.514	0.0	0.0	—	4.4	1.6	.364
Jamal Mashburn	SF	25	5	3	25.8	6.2	4.4	1.8	0.6	0.2	1.8	9.0	2.4	.267	2.2	0.8	.364	0.8	0.6	.750
Dan Majerle	SG	32	2	2	31.0	4.5	2.5	2.5	2.0	0.5	0.5	4.0	1.5	.375	3.0	1.0	.333	1.0	0.5	.500
Mark Strickland	PF	27	3	0	9.3	3.0	2.3	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.0	1.7	1.3	.800	0.0	0.0	—	0.7	0.3	.500
Marty Conlon	C	30	3	0	15.3	2.3	1.3	1.0	0.3	0.3	2.0	2.3	1.0	.429	0.0	0.0	—	0.7	0.3	.500
Terry Mills	PF	30	2	0	5.5	2.0	1.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	2.5	0.5	.200	2.0	0.5	.250	1.0	0.5	.500
Keith Askins	SF	30	4	0	14.5	1.3	1.8	0.3	0.5	0.0	0.3	1.8	0.5	.286	1.3	0.3	.200	0.0	0.0	—
Duane Causwell	C	29	1	1	5.0	0.0	2.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	0.0	—	0.0	0.0	—	0.0	0.0	—
Team Totals			5	5	240.0	87.4	36.8	16.4	6.8	3.8	13.6	69.6	30.0	.431	20.0	7.2	.360	29.6	20.2	.682

Regular Season Per 36 Mins

Player	Pos	Age	GP	GS	Min	PTS	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	FGA	FGM	FG%	3PA	3PM	3P%	FTA	FTM	FT%
Tim Hardaway	PG	31	81	81	3031	18.1	3.6	8.0	1.6	0.2	2.7	15.4	6.6	.431	5.2	1.8	.351	3.9	3.1	.781
Alonzo Mourning	C	27	58	56	1939	20.7	10.4	1.0	0.7	2.4	3.3	13.6	7.5	.551	0.0	0.0	—	8.6	5.7	.665
Voshon Lenard	SG	24	81	81	2621	14.0	4.0	2.5	0.8	0.2	1.4	11.7	5.0	.425	5.2	2.1	.405	2.5	1.9	.788
Eric Murdock	PG	29	82	1	1395	13.1	4.0	5.7	2.7	0.3	2.7	10.8	4.6	.422	2.3	0.7	.308	4.0	3.2	.801
Isaac Austin	C	28	52	25	1371	17.3	8.7	2.3	1.1	0.9	3.1	14.0	6.6	.474	0.1	0.0	.000	6.0	4.1	.680
P.J. Brown	PF	28	74	74	2362	10.8	9.7	1.6	1.0	1.5	1.5	9.0	4.2	.471	0.0	0.0	—	3.0	2.3	.766
Mark Strickland	PF	27	51	8	847	14.8	9.1	1.1	0.8	1.4	2.0	11.4	6.2	.539	0.0	0.0	.000	3.5	2.5	.720
Jamal Mashburn	SF	25	48	48	1729	15.1	4.9	2.7	0.9	0.3	2.2	12.0	5.2	.435	2.5	0.8	.303	4.8	3.8	.797
Dan Majerle	SG	32	72	22	1928	9.7	5.0	2.9	1.3	0.3	1.2	8.2	3.4	.419	5.5	2.1	.376	1.0	0.7	.784
Terry Mills	PF	30	50	0	782	9.8	7.0	1.8	0.9	0.4	2.1	9.5	3.7	.393	3.7	1.2	.309	1.5	1.2	.758
Duane Causwell	C	29	37	2	363	8.8	9.8	0.5	0.7	2.7	1.8	8.8	3.7	.416	0.0	0.0	—	2.6	1.5	.577
Marty Conlon	C	30	18	0	209	15.2	7.9	2.1	1.6	0.9	1.9	10.7	4.8	.452	0.0	0.0	—	7.6	5.5	.727
Keith Askins	SF	30	46	12	681	5.9	5.3	1.5	1.4	0.6	1.4	6.4	2.1	.320	3.9	1.1	.284	1.0	0.6	.632
Rex Walters	SG	27	19	0	108	12.7	5.0	4.7	1.0	0.3	3.3	8.0	4.3	.542	2.7	1.0	.375	3.7	3.0	.818
Brent Barry	SG	26	17	0	259	9.7	3.9	2.9	1.9	0.6	1.3	8.6	3.2	.371	4.7	1.7	.353	1.7	1.7	1.000
Charles Smith	SG	22	11	0	32	11.3	9.0	2.3	2.3	1.1	6.8	20.3	4.5	.222	3.4	1.1	.333	2.3	1.1	.500
Antonio Lang	SF	25	6	0	29	14.9	6.2	1.2	2.5	0.0	5.0	6.2	3.7	.600	0.0	0.0	—	9.9	7.4	.750
Todd Day	SG	28	5	0	69	15.7	3.1	3.7	3.7	0.0	1.6	16.2	5.7	.355	6.3	1.0	.167	4.7	3.1	.667

Playoff Per 36 Mins

Player	Pos	Age	GP	GS	Min	PTS	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	FGA	FGM	FG%	3PA	3PM	3P%	FTA	FTM	FT%
Tim Hardaway	PG	31	5	5	222	21.1	2.8	5.4	1.0	0.0	2.9	15.2	6.8	.447	6.3	2.8	.436	6.0	4.7	.784
Alonzo Mourning	C	27	4	4	138	20.1	8.9	1.3	0.8	2.6	2.1	14.6	7.6	.518	0.0	0.0	—	7.6	5.0	.655
Eric Murdock	PG	29	5	0	125	13.5	5.8	4.3	2.0	0.0	1.2	6.6	3.2	.344	2.6	0.6	.222	8.1	6.6	.821
Voshon Lenard	SG	24	5	5	186	13.9	3.7	1.4	0.2	0.4	2.1	10.1	4.6	.462	5.0	1.7	.346	3.9	2.9	.750
Terry Mills	PF	30	2	0	11	13.1	9.8	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	16.4	3.3	.200	13.1	3.3	.250	6.5	3.3	.500
Mark Strickland	PF	27	3	0	28	11.6	9.0	0.0	0.0	1.3	0.0	6.4	5.1	.800	0.0	0.0	—	2.6	1.3	.500
P.J. Brown	PF	28	5	5	190	8.7	8.3	0.8	1.3	0.6	1.1	7.0	3.6	.514	0.0	0.0	—	4.2	1.5	.364
Jamal Mashburn	SF	25	5	3	129	8.7	6.1	2.5	0.8	0.3	2.5	12.6	3.3	.267	3.1	1.1	.364	1.1	0.8	.750
Marty Conlon	C	30	3	0	46	5.5	3.1	2.3	0.8	0.8	4.7	5.5	2.3	.429	0.0	0.0	—	1.6	0.8	.500
Dan Majerle	SG	32	2	2	62	5.2	2.9	2.9	2.3	0.6	0.6	4.6	1.7	.375	3.5	1.2	.333	1.2	0.6	.500
Keith Askins	SF	30	4	0	58	3.1	4.3	0.6	1.2	0.0	0.6	4.3	1.2	.286	3.1	0.6	.200	0.0	0.0	—
Duane Causwell	C	29	1	1	5	0.0	14.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	7.2	0.0	0.0	—	0.0	0.0	—	0.0	0.0	—

Regular Season Totals

Player	Pos	Age	GP	GS	Min	PTS	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	FGA	FGM	FG%	3PA	3PM	3P%	FTA	FTM	FT%
Tim Hardaway	PG	31	81	81	3031	1528	299	672	136	16	224	1296	558	.431	442	155	.351	329	257	.781
Alonzo Mourning	C	27	58	56	1939	1115	558	52	40	130	179	732	403	.551	0	0	—	465	309	.665
Voshon Lenard	SG	24	81	81	2621	1020	292	180	58	16	99	854	363	.425	378	153	.405	179	141	.788
Jamal Mashburn	SF	25	48	48	1729	723	236	132	43	14	108	577	251	.435	122	37	.303	231	184	.797
P.J. Brown	PF	28	74	74	2362	707	635	103	66	98	97	590	278	.471	0	0	—	197	151	.766
Isaac Austin	C	28	52	25	1371	659	330	87	43	34	117	532	252	.474	3	0	.000	228	155	.680
Dan Majerle	SG	32	72	22	1928	519	268	157	68	15	65	439	184	.419	295	111	.376	51	40	.784
Eric Murdock	PG	29	82	1	1395	507	156	219	103	13	104	419	177	.422	91	28	.308	156	125	.801
Mark Strickland	PF	27	51	8	847	349	213	26	18	34	47	269	145	.539	1	0	.000	82	59	.720
Terry Mills	PF	30	50	0	782	212	152	39	19	9	45	206	81	.393	81	25	.309	33	25	.758
Keith Askins	SF	30	46	12	681	111	101	29	27	12	26	122	39	.320	74	21	.284	19	12	.632
Duane Causwell	C	29	37	2	363	89	99	5	7	27	18	89	37	.416	0	0	—	26	15	.577
Marty Conlon	C	30	18	0	209	88	46	12	9	5	11	62	28	.452	0	0	—	44	32	.727
Brent Barry	SG	26	17	0	259	70	28	21	14	4	9	62	23	.371	34	12	.353	12	12	1.000
Rex Walters	SG	27	19	0	108	38	15	14	3	1	10	24	13	.542	8	3	.375	11	9	.818
Todd Day	SG	28	5	0	69	30	6	7	7	0	3	31	11	.355	12	2	.167	9	6	.667
Antonio Lang	SF	25	6	0	29	12	5	1	2	0	4	5	3	.600	0	0	—	8	6	.750
Charles Smith	SG	22	11	0	32	10	8	2	2	1	6	18	4	.222	3	1	.333	2	1	.500
Team Totals			82	82	19755	7787	3447	1758	665	429	1172	6327	2850	.450	1544	548	.355	2082	1539	.739

Playoff Totals

Player	Pos	Age	GP	GS	Min	PTS	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	FGA	FGM	FG%	3PA	3PM	3P%	FTA	FTM	FT%
Tim Hardaway	PG	31	5	5	222	130	17	33	6	0	18	94	42	.447	39	17	.436	37	29	.784
Alonzo Mourning	C	27	4	4	138	77	34	5	3	10	8	56	29	.518	0	0	—	29	19	.655
Voshon Lenard	SG	24	5	5	186	72	19	7	1	2	11	52	24	.462	26	9	.346	20	15	.750
Eric Murdock	PG	29	5	0	125	47	20	15	7	0	4	32	11	.344	9	2	.222	28	23	.821
P.J. Brown	PF	28	5	5	190	46	44	4	7	3	6	37	19	.514	0	0	—	22	8	.364
Jamal Mashburn	SF	25	5	3	129	31	22	9	3	1	9	45	12	.267	11	4	.364	4	3	.750
Dan Majerle	SG	32	2	2	62	9	5	5	4	1	1	8	3	.375	6	2	.333	2	1	.500
Mark Strickland	PF	27	3	0	28	9	7	0	0	1	0	5	4	.800	0	0	—	2	1	.500
Marty Conlon	C	30	3	0	46	7	4	3	1	1	6	7	3	.429	0	0	—	2	1	.500
Keith Askins	SF	30	4	0	58	5	7	1	2	0	1	7	2	.286	5	1	.200	0	0	—
Terry Mills	PF	30	2	0	11	4	3	0	0	0	0	5	1	.200	4	1	.250	2	1	.500
Duane Causwell	C	29	1	1	5	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	—	0	0	—	0	0	—
Team Totals			5	5	1200	437	184	82	34	19	65	348	150	.431	100	36	.360	148	101	.682

HeatingUp Impact Index: Regular Season Team Impact Spotlight

Player Name	Role Tier	MPG	Usage Tier	PPG	RPG	APG	STK (SPG + BPG)	Impact Index	Notes	Awards
Tim Hardaway	Franchise Floor General (1.1)	37.4	High (1.2)	18.9	3.7	8.3	1.9	86.59	The offense ran through Hardaway’s veteran shot creation and pick-and-roll command, with his ability to manufacture separation off the crossover still central to Miami’s half-court attack. He also carried a heavy 37.4-minute workload while finishing second in All-NBA voting among guards behind Michael Jordan and Gary Payton. (Los Angeles Times)	MVP voting (6th, 1998); All-Star (1998); All-NBA Second Team (1998); Atlantic Division Champion (1998)
Alonzo Mourning	Defensive Anchor (1.1)	33.4	High (1.2)	19.2	9.6	0.9	2.9	86.06	Miami’s interior identity still revolved around Mourning’s physical presence, especially as a back-line deterrent who could erase mistakes at the rim and punish teams inside. His season was interrupted by injury, yet contemporary coverage continued to portray him as the Heat’s intimidating centerpiece rather than simply a high-volume scorer. (Los Angeles Times)	All-Star (1998); Atlantic Division Champion (1998)
Isaac Austin	Emergency Starting Centerpiece (1.05)	26.4	Medium (1.1)	12.7	6.3	1.7	1.5	55.94	Austin became much more than a reserve when Mourning was unavailable, stepping into a starting role and giving Riley a scoring option from the interior without completely abandoning his physical rebounding responsibilities. His 52-game season ended with the trade to the Clippers for Brent Barry, reflecting how his value had grown within Miami’s rotation. (Los Angeles Times)	Atlantic Division Champion (1998)
Jamal Mashburn	Secondary Wing Creator (1.05)	36.0	High (1.2)	15.1	4.9	2.8	1.2	55.44	Mashburn functioned as Miami’s secondary shot creator alongside Hardaway, comfortable attacking from the wing rather than merely spacing the floor. The thumb injury that ended his season after 48 games was significant because he had started every game he played and was carrying a substantial offensive workload in a veteran-heavy lineup. (Sporting News)	Atlantic Division Champion (1998)
P.J. Brown	Starting Two-Way Forward (1.05)	31.9	Medium (1.1)	9.6	8.6	1.4	2.2	50.36	Brown supplied the kind of physical frontcourt work Riley’s system demanded: screening, rebounding, interior defense and the willingness to absorb difficult assignments without needing plays called for him. His value was particularly visible in the Heat’s bruising style, where his physicality complemented Mourning rather than competing with him for touches. (Basketball Reference)	Atlantic Division Champion (1998)
Voshon Lenard	Starting Three-and-D Guard (1.05)	32.4	Medium (1.1)	12.6	3.6	2.2	0.9	44.58	Lenard settled into a full-time starting role and gave Miami a dependable perimeter release valve next to Hardaway, with his quick-trigger three-point shooting forcing defenses to respect the weak side. He played all 81 games and remained one of the Heat’s most important floor-spacing pieces. (Sporting News)	Atlantic Division Champion (1998)
Dan Majerle	Veteran Perimeter Specialist (1.0)	26.8	Low (1.0)	7.2	3.7	2.2	1.1	28.40	Majerle’s role had shifted decisively toward veteran spacing, perimeter defense and situational playmaking rather than the larger offensive responsibility he carried earlier in his career. His value came from fitting cleanly around Miami’s primary creators and providing another credible three-point threat from the second unit. (Basketball Network)	Atlantic Division Champion (1998)
Mark Strickland	Interior Energy Reserve (1.0)	16.6	Low (1.0)	6.8	4.2	0.5	1.1	25.20	Strickland gave Miami an athletic frontcourt option who could attack the glass and finish around the basket without demanding touches. His limited starting workload reflected a reserve role, but his minutes supplied physicality behind Brown and Mourning when Riley needed another active body around the paint. (Basketball Reference)	Atlantic Division Champion (1998)
Eric Murdock	Backup Point Guard (1.0)	17.0	Low (1.0)	6.2	1.9	2.7	1.5	24.60	Murdock was essentially the stabilizing second-unit ballhandler, giving Miami another experienced guard capable of organizing possessions when Hardaway rested. His 2.7 assists against a relatively modest scoring burden fit a roster in which his first responsibility was keeping the offense functional rather than creating shots for himself.	Atlantic Division Champion (1998)
Todd Day	Short-Term Scoring Reserve (1.0)	13.8	Low (1.0)	6.0	1.2	1.4	1.4	20.00	Day’s Miami stint never developed into a stable rotation role; he appeared in only five games before being released. His brief usage and departure made him more of a short-term scoring experiment than a genuine part of Riley’s established rotation. (Wikipedia)	Atlantic Division Champion (1998)
Marty Conlon	Deep Frontcourt Reserve (1.0)	11.6	Low (1.0)	4.9	2.6	0.7	0.8	18.00	Conlon was used primarily as frontcourt depth, providing another large body for specific matchup or foul situations rather than a regular offensive role. Contemporary independent coverage of his Miami season is limited, so the clearest context comes from his sporadic minutes and reserve usage. (Land of Basketball)	Atlantic Division Champion (1998)
Terry Mills	Stretch-Four Reserve (1.0)	15.6	Low (1.0)	4.2	3.0	0.8	0.6	17.20	Mills arrived specifically as a veteran shooting big, giving Riley a way to pull opposing interior defenders away from the basket. The role never became a major offensive one, but his perimeter orientation offered a different frontcourt look from the more physical Brown-Strickland combination. (Wikipedia)	Atlantic Division Champion (1998)
Brent Barry	Instant-Offense Reserve (1.0)	15.2	Low (1.0)	4.1	1.6	1.2	1.0	15.80	Barry’s Miami season was almost entirely about fitting into an established team after arriving at the trade deadline. The former dunk champion brought perimeter shooting and secondary ballhandling, but his late arrival and only 17 games meant he never had time to become a major part of Riley’s rotation. (ESPN.com)	Atlantic Division Champion (1998)
Keith Askins	Defensive Utility Wing (1.0)	14.8	Low (1.0)	2.4	2.2	0.6	0.9	12.20	Askins was a classic low-usage defensive specialist, valued more for toughness, positioning and willingness to handle difficult wing assignments than for offensive production. His long association with Miami and Riley’s system made him a trusted situational piece even when his offensive involvement was minimal. (Miami Herald)	Atlantic Division Champion (1998)
Duane Causwell	Rim-Protection Reserve (1.0)	9.8	Low (1.0)	2.4	2.7	0.1	0.9	12.20	Causwell supplied size behind Miami’s primary centers and was used mainly to absorb interior minutes, protect the paint and keep the frontcourt physically imposing. His limited offensive responsibility was consistent with a reserve role built around size rather than touches. (Basketball Reference)	Atlantic Division Champion (1998)
Rex Walters	Spot-Shooting Guard (1.0)	5.7	Low (1.0)	2.0	0.8	0.7	0.3	7.60	Walters joined Miami after being waived by Philadelphia and was used sparingly, essentially as emergency backcourt depth. His prior reputation as a capable perimeter shooter gave him a defined skill, but Miami’s established Hardaway-Murdock rotation left little room for a larger role. (Wikipedia)	Atlantic Division Champion (1998)
Antonio Lang	Energy Wing Reserve (1.0)	4.8	Low (1.0)	2.0	0.8	0.2	0.3	6.60	Lang saw only brief action and functioned as deep wing depth rather than a regular rotation player. Independent season-specific reporting is limited, so his role is best characterized by his short bursts of floor time and lack of offensive responsibility.	Atlantic Division Champion (1998)
Charles Smith	Rookie Development Guard (1.0)	2.9	Low (1.0)	0.9	0.7	0.2	0.3	4.20	Smith was a developmental rookie buried behind Miami’s experienced perimeter rotation, receiving only short opportunities to adjust to the NBA game. His limited minutes meant the Heat could evaluate his scoring instincts without placing meaningful creation responsibility on him.	Atlantic Division Champion (1998)
Team Totals	—	240.9	—	95.0	42.0	21.4	13.3	—	Miami finished first in the Atlantic Division at 55–27, with the roster built around Hardaway’s perimeter orchestration, Mourning’s interior defense and a deep collection of physical role players.	Atlantic Division Champion (1998)

HeatingUp Impact Index: Playoff Team Impact Spotlight

Player Name	Role Tier	MPG	Usage Tier	PPG	RPG	APG	STK (SPG + BPG)	Impact Index	Notes	Awards
Tim Hardaway	Franchise Floor General (1.1)	44.4	High (1.2)	26.0	3.4	6.6	1.2	98.21	The offensive engine was unmistakable: Hardaway handled the ball for huge stretches, created his own pull-up threes and repeatedly had to manufacture offense when Miami’s half-court possessions bogged down. He erupted for 33 points in Game 4 and was still attacking late, but the Knicks ultimately forced Miami to rely too heavily on him. CBS News playoff report	MVP voting (6th, 1998); All-Star (1998); All-NBA Second Team (1998)
Alonzo Mourning	Defensive Anchor (1.1)	34.5	High (1.2)	19.3	8.5	1.3	3.3	85.54	Mourning was Miami’s interior fulcrum on both ends, with his rim protection allowing Riley to play an aggressively physical style around him. He scored 29 in Game 4 despite playing through a facial injury, then his suspension after the late fight with Larry Johnson left Miami without its defensive centerpiece for the deciding game. Los Angeles Times playoff coverage	All-Star (1998)
P.J. Brown	Starting Two-Way Forward (1.05)	38.0	Medium (1.1)	9.2	8.8	0.8	2.0	48.05	Brown was the connective piece of Riley’s physical frontcourt, doing the dirty work as a rebounder, screener and defender while rarely needing the offense built around him. Retrospective reporting from people inside the rivalry went further, describing Brown as Miami’s best player in the 1997 series and emphasizing his defense, rebounding and developing perimeter touch; that same rugged identity carried into this matchup. The Ringer oral history of the Heat-Knicks rivalry	—
Voshon Lenard	Starting Perimeter Scorer (1.05)	37.2	Medium (1.1)	14.4	3.8	1.4	0.6	46.66	Lenard served as Miami’s key perimeter release valve, and his shooting became especially important whenever Mourning was in foul trouble. In Game 3 he scored 14 points in the opening quarter while Mourning sat, then finished with 28 as Miami reclaimed home-court advantage; his willingness to fire from deep gave Hardaway another way to bend the defense. CBS News coverage of Game 3	—
Eric Murdock	Secondary Ball-Handling Guard (1.05)	25.0	Medium (1.1)	9.4	4.0	3.0	1.4	41.12	Murdock became an important second-unit ballhandler as the series tightened, giving Riley another guard capable of initiating offense while Hardaway carried the primary load. He did not start, but 25 minutes a night shows how much Miami trusted his experience; his 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals reflected a broader role than simple scoring relief. CBS News coverage of the Heat-Knicks rivalry	—
Jamal Mashburn	Secondary Wing Creator (1.05)	25.8	Medium (1.1)	6.2	4.4	1.8	0.8	30.49	Mashburn entered the series as one of Miami’s principal offensive options but struggled to reproduce that role against New York’s physical wing defense. He started three games and still handled secondary creation duties, yet the Knicks crowded his driving lanes and his perimeter shot never settled; contemporary Game 5 coverage specifically highlighted his limited offensive production as Miami’s attack narrowed around Hardaway and Mourning. Washington Post Game 5 coverage	—
Dan Majerle	Veteran Three-and-D Reserve (1.0)	31.0	Low (1.0)	4.5	2.5	2.5	2.5	25.20	Majerle’s veteran role was built around perimeter defense, spacing and making the right connective play rather than creating shots. He actually started both games he played and contributed 2.0 steals plus 2.0 blocks per game, but a groin injury suffered in Game 2 removed one of Miami’s most experienced perimeter defenders from the rest of the series. Sporting News retrospective on the 1998 series	—
Mark Strickland	Frontcourt Energy Reserve (1.0)	9.3	Low (1.0)	3.0	2.3	0.0	0.3	11.20	Strickland was used as an athletic frontcourt change-up when Riley needed another body around the paint. His most meaningful opportunity came late in the series, when Miami’s depleted rotation required extra size and activity; the emphasis was on rebounding and physical presence rather than offensive creation. Washington Post Game 5 coverage	—
Marty Conlon	Deep Interior Reserve (1.0)	15.3	Low (1.0)	2.3	1.3	1.0	0.6	10.40	Conlon’s role was largely matchup-driven depth behind Miami’s established frontcourt. He could provide size and a little passing from the interior, but Riley did not ask him to carry an offensive burden; his minutes fluctuated sharply depending on the game’s physical demands and foul situation. Independent contemporary coverage of his specific playoff role is limited.	—
Keith Askins	Defensive Utility Wing (1.0)	14.5	Low (1.0)	1.3	1.8	0.3	0.5	7.80	Askins was the classic Riley specialist: low-usage offense, physical wing defense and willingness to absorb difficult minutes without disrupting the structure of the lineup. His playoff involvement was situational rather than offensive, and the broader reporting on Miami’s Riley-era teams consistently places that sort of defensive utility at the heart of the rotation. The Ringer oral history of the Heat-Knicks rivalry	—
Terry Mills	Stretch-Four Reserve (1.0)	5.5	Low (1.0)	2.0	1.5	0.0	0.0	7.00	Mills was brought in to give Miami a different frontcourt look through perimeter shooting, but the Knicks series offered almost no room for that skill to become a major factor. His minutes were strictly situational, reflecting Riley’s preference for the more physical Brown-Mourning frontcourt when the games became increasingly defensive. Sporting News retrospective on the 1998 Heat-Knicks series	—
Duane Causwell	Emergency Rim Protector (1.0)	5.0	Low (1.0)	0.0	2.0	0.0	0.0	4.00	Causwell’s role became relevant only when Miami suddenly lost Mourning for the deciding game. Riley started the seven-footer in Game 5, but New York immediately attacked the matchup and Causwell was replaced after a difficult opening stretch; the episode neatly showed how dependent Miami’s defensive structure was on Mourning’s presence. Washington Post Game 5 coverage	—