Miami Heat news

It isn't good.

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Miami Heat All-Star guard Dwyane Wade is out of action indefinitely after suffering a shoulder injury during Wednesday night's loss to the Houston Rockets.

The game, won by the Rockets 112-102, marked an ominous return to the bench for Heat coach Pat Riley, who missed the team's last 22 games to address his own knee and hip injuries.

He said the "other guys will have to step up" following Wade's injury, initially diagnosed as a separated shoulder.

"We will have to emphasize a whole different game because he means so much to us," Riley told reporters. "Over the next couple of days we'll find out the extent of his injury and then we'll go to the drawing board on what we'll have to do."

Wade scored 27 points and had nine assists before being forced from the game. The twice All-Star is averaging nearly 29 points and eight assists a game for the defending NBA champions.

With Wade out, Shaq barely back from his injuries, and the Heat standing at 26-27, is Pat Riley already reconsidering his return to coaching the team? Maybe he'll give the job back to Stan Van Gundy, who made a rare appearance recently but with the wrong South Florida sports team. Yes Van Gundy will replace Riley as Heat coach the same day The Palm Beach Post hires me to write a sports column.

I'm sticking by my New Year's prediction- The Heat will not make the postseason this year.

Linked to- Basil, Cao,