As the Miami Heat swoon to a surprisingly disappointing 6-9 record, and the stark possibility remains that Alonzo Mourning may never return to play for Pat Riley, the question must be asked:

	Cedric Ceballos is now playing for Riley. Will he enjoy it?

What future plans do the Heat have to fix something if it is indeed broken?

This question was put to a free agent-to-be who wished to remain anonymous but who plays in the Western Conference. And this player speculated that Riley is in trouble, not only this season but in seasons to come.

The player said that Riley's my-way-or-the-highway act is wearing thin with not only his players, but players who are going to be or who have been recruited by the Heat.

The player said that word is starting to spread among free agents that Miami -- despite South Beach and its, uh, trappings -- is not the place to go, at least not as long as Riley is in charge.

"Obviously he got some good players," the player said. "But you still have to be a good person, and it's still a job. I've heard stories where he refuses to let wives go on trips, he doesn't respect you as a person, he doesn't want to treat you like an adult. We are not little kids anymore."

This is part of the reason that Joe Smith decided to stay away from the Heat and eventually signed with Detroit for their $2.25 million exception.

I wonder what Cedric Ceballos thinks so far.

MacLean's Macproblems
Speaking of the Heat, forward Don MacLean was suspended for five games by the league for violating its policy on steroids.

	MacLean

Believe me, this is no Mark McGwire case where MacLean is trying to bulk up on Andro.

MacLean has chronically bad knees. So bad, in fact, that oftentimes he is not able to take part in a full practice, and even then stays on the training table for two hours after practice. MacLean is a fanatic about keeping his body in shape, even as it deteriorates.

This time, MacLean was taking steroids because the anti-inflammatory pills he was using were upsetting his stomach.

Unfortunately for MacLean, this is not the first time MacLean has had a problem with medicine.

When I was covering MacLean when he played for the Washington Bullets, we showed up at practice on the road at Denver University one day and the Bullets said that MacLean had to leave the team due to tendinitis in his knees.

Turns out, MacLean had been getting anti-inflammatories from the team, then getting his own anti-inflammatories on the side. Essentially, his body had become addicted to Naprosin.

He was taking so many that they masked the natural pain that he was supposed to feel from the tendinitis.

Eventually, though, the Bullets -- and MacLean, in a much more painful way -- found out what was going on when he was unable to run anymore, and had to take more than a month off.

Sadly, he's never been the same.

Baker finds spot on bench
The first decision that Nate McMillan made as new coach of the Seattle SuperSonics was to bench Vin Baker. Not only only that, McMillan has decided that Baker is going to be Patrick Ewing's backup at center while Jelani McCoy starts.

	Baker

I don't mean to quibble with numbers, but that would be $25.1 million devoted to two guys who are platooning a position.

McMillan doesn't care. Worrying about salaries is what got Paul Westphal in trouble, and McMillan is staying away from that.

"I told the guys I'm not dealing with anybody's contracts, or their agents," McMillan said. "I don't want to hear how you want minutes or think you should get minutes. It's equal opportunity. If you play then you are in the rotation and you will stay in the rotations. If you don't, you come out."

Baker is averaging career lows in field goal percentage and rebounding, and it is obvious McMillan does not have confidence in him to compete against starting power forwards on the offensive end, or defend them, either.

In a huge statement, McMillan said he feels Baker will be more effective competing against other teams' bench players.

"There is no real reason for making the change except it is the right change," McMillan said. "No punishment. I think we are a much more effective team with one of those guys starting and the other coming off the bench. That is a good lineup for us."

Poly doesn't play nice
This is an old item, but I didn't have a bat in my hands when the softball was lobbed.

I do now.

	Polynice

Utah's Olden Polynice was arrested for impersonating a police officer?

My first thought was that Polynice should have been arrested for impersonating an NBA player, but that would be a cheap shot.

Apparently, Polynice felt like a Salt Lake couple cut him off in traffic, so he followed them home, flashing his badge, or I guess more accurately, A badge, and then scared the living bejesus out of them when he emerged from his car to verbally abuse them.

I bet Jerry Sloan loved that one. I bet Jazz owner Larry Miller, a Mormon, loved it even more.

I heard rumors that Polynice was going to go to court and say that he was dressing up as one of the members of the Village People, and things got a little out of hand.

Could you imagine Olden if he really was a police officer? He'd probably have Polynice stitched across the back of his police uniform. Every criminal in Salt Lake -- all three of them -- would get away because, as he has proven at the free throw line, he can't shoot straight.

But here's the big question: Is he going to the policemen's ball?

Around The League
Here we go with Isaiah Rider.

	Rider

All of you who sent me e-mails chastising me for not giving the guy a chance, I have one thing to say: ITYS.

Rider went off on Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak recently because Rider was fined by coach Phil Jackson for being late this past Tuesday -- again.

Rider caught Kupchak in the hallway outside the Lakers' locker room and told him: "I don't give a (darn) how many championships (Jackson) has won."

Rider then told Kupchak that Jackson employs a double standard: "The next man late here, nothing will happen. I don't appreciate that."

I can't believe Jackson has a double standard. He never did with with Michael, did he?

Frank Hughes covers the NBA for the Tacoma (Wash.) News-Tribune. He is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.