| 2002–03 Miami Heat season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Pat Riley | ||
| President | Pat Riley | ||
| General manager | Randy Pfund | ||
| Owner | Micky Arison | ||
| Arena | American Airlines Arena | ||
| Results | |||
| Record | 25–57 (.305) | ||
| Place | Division: 7th (Atlantic) Conference: 13th (Eastern) | ||
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify | ||
Stats atBasketball Reference | |||
| Local media | |||
| Television | |||
| Radio | WIOD | ||
| |||
The2002–03 Miami Heat season was the fifteenth season for the Miami Heat in theNational Basketball Association.[1] The Heat had the tenth pick in the2002 NBA draft, and selectedCaron Butler from theUniversity of Connecticut.[2][3][4] With the continued effects of his kidney ailment,Alonzo Mourning was forced to sit out the entire season.[5] Without their star center, the Heat struggled losing 17 of their first 22 games. They would win seven of their next nine games, but then lose six straight along the way. The Heat finished last place in the Atlantic Division with a 25–57 record, their worst since the1990–91 season.[6]
Scoring leaderEddie Jones was out for the remainder of the season with a groin injury after 47 games, and head coachPat Riley was fined several times for lashing out referees following games. The only bright spot on the team was Butler, who averaged 15.4 points per game while being selected to the All-Rookie First Team.[7] Following the season, Mourning would sign as a free agent with theNew Jersey Nets,[8] andLaPhonso Ellis retired.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Caron Butler | SF | United States | Connecticut |
| 2 | 52 | Rasual Butler | SG/SF | United States | La Salle |
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head coach Assistant(s) Legend
Roster |
| W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-New Jersey Nets | 49 | 33 | .598 | – | 33–8 | 16–25 | 16–8 |
| x-Philadelphia 76ers | 48 | 34 | .585 | 1 | 25–16 | 23–18 | 17–7 |
| x-Boston Celtics | 44 | 38 | .537 | 5 | 25–16 | 19–22 | 13–12 |
| x-Orlando Magic | 42 | 40 | .512 | 7 | 26–15 | 16–25 | 14–11 |
| e-Washington Wizards | 37 | 45 | .451 | 12 | 23–18 | 14–27 | 11–13 |
| e-New York Knicks | 37 | 45 | .451 | 12 | 24–17 | 13–28 | 9–15 |
| e-Miami Heat | 25 | 57 | .305 | 24 | 16–25 | 9–32 | 5–19 |
| # | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
| 1 | c-Detroit Pistons | 50 | 32 | .610 | – |
| 2 | y-New Jersey Nets | 49 | 33 | .598 | 1 |
| 3 | x-Indiana Pacers | 48 | 34 | .585 | 2 |
| 4 | x-Philadelphia 76ers | 48 | 34 | .585 | 2 |
| 5 | x-New Orleans Hornets | 47 | 35 | .573 | 3 |
| 6 | x-Boston Celtics | 44 | 38 | .537 | 6 |
| 7 | x-Milwaukee Bucks | 42 | 40 | .512 | 8 |
| 8 | x-Orlando Magic | 42 | 40 | .512 | 8 |
| 9 | e-New York Knicks | 37 | 45 | .451 | 13 |
| 10 | e-Washington Wizards | 37 | 45 | .451 | 13 |
| 11 | e-Atlanta Hawks | 35 | 47 | .427 | 15 |
| 12 | e-Chicago Bulls | 30 | 52 | .366 | 20 |
| 13 | e-Miami Heat | 25 | 57 | .305 | 25 |
| 14 | e-Toronto Raptors | 24 | 58 | .293 | 26 |
| 15 | e-Cleveland Cavaliers | 17 | 65 | .207 | 33 |
| Player | POS | GP | GS | MP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | MPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Grant | C | 82 | 82 | 2,641 | 837 | 104 | 63 | 47 | 846 | 32.2 | 10.2 | 1.3 | .8 | .6 | 10.3 |
| Malik Allen | PF | 80 | 73 | 2,318 | 425 | 54 | 37 | 78 | 767 | 29.0 | 5.3 | .7 | .5 | 1.0 | 9.6 |
| Vladimir Stepania | C | 79 | 6 | 1,594 | 554 | 24 | 45 | 40 | 441 | 20.2 | 7.0 | .3 | .6 | .5 | 5.6 |
| Caron Butler | SF | 78 | 78 | 2,858 | 397 | 213 | 137 | 31 | 1,201 | 36.6 | 5.1 | 2.7 | 1.8 | .4 | 15.4 |
| Mike James | PG | 78 | 8 | 1,722 | 149 | 246 | 64 | 5 | 607 | 22.1 | 1.9 | 3.2 | .8 | .1 | 7.8 |
| Travis Best | PG | 72 | 52 | 1,807 | 147 | 255 | 44 | 7 | 603 | 25.1 | 2.0 | 3.5 | .6 | .1 | 8.4 |
| Rasual Butler | SG | 72 | 28 | 1,514 | 186 | 93 | 21 | 43 | 540 | 21.0 | 2.6 | 1.3 | .3 | .6 | 7.5 |
| Eddie House | SG | 55 | 7 | 1,025 | 101 | 87 | 44 | 1 | 411 | 18.6 | 1.8 | 1.6 | .8 | .0 | 7.5 |
| LaPhonso Ellis | PF | 55 | 3 | 784 | 157 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 277 | 14.3 | 2.9 | .3 | .3 | .3 | 5.0 |
| Anthony Carter | PG | 49 | 26 | 912 | 83 | 203 | 45 | 5 | 199 | 18.6 | 1.7 | 4.1 | .9 | .1 | 4.1 |
| Eddie Jones | SG | 47 | 47 | 1,789 | 226 | 173 | 64 | 31 | 869 | 38.1 | 4.8 | 3.7 | 1.4 | .7 | 18.5 |
| Sean Lampley | SF | 35 | 0 | 487 | 83 | 31 | 7 | 3 | 169 | 13.9 | 2.4 | .9 | .2 | .1 | 4.8 |
| Sean Marks | PF | 23 | 0 | 223 | 35 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 54 | 9.7 | 1.5 | .1 | .2 | .3 | 2.3 |
| Ken Johnson | C | 16 | 0 | 156 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 32 | 9.8 | 2.0 | .0 | .1 | .8 | 2.0 |
Caron Butler,NBA All-Rookie Team 1st Team