While soaking up the rays in Hawaii and the Mediterranean this summer, Heat coach Pat Riley reached an epiphany.

"I want to change things as to how we play the game over the years because we don't have, nor do too many other teams, have the dominating low-post presence that we had with [Alonzo Mourning] or San Antonio has with [Tim] Duncan, or Los Angeles has with [Shaquille O'Neal]," Riley said. "We're attacking this thing differently."

Riley is planning on starting an athletic corps of rookie Dwyane Wade, Eddie Jones, Caron Butler, Lamar Odom and Brian Grant.

"I'm not worried about what position anybody plays," Riley said. "We're going to devise an offense to let these guys play."

The Heat tendered second-round pick Jerome Beasley a required (non-guaranteed) offer so it could maintain the rights to the 6-10 Division II forward.

Beasley's agent, Michael Naiditch, is optimistic that the procedural non-guaranteed tender will soon be followed by a more permanent deal.

"I expect Jerome will be signed within 7-10 days and be with the Miami Heat this season," said Naiditch, who is seeking at least a one-year guaranteed deal with a second-year team option.

The last two Heat second-round picks, centers Ken Johnson and Ernest Brown, spent a season in Europe before landing guaranteed one-year deals. Both were eventually let go.

Though no activity is expected until after Labor Day, the Heat is considering a trio of point guards to add through free agency.

The team is considering Jacque Vaughn, who played with the Magic last season, and Rafer Alston, who spent part of last season with the Raptors. And Miami remains interested in former Heat point guard Bimbo Coles.

Vaughn played 80 games -- starting 48 -- for the Magic, averaging 5.9 points, 2.9 assists and 1.2 turnovers.

Alston averaged 7.8 points, 4.1 assists and 1.1 turnovers in 47 games for the injury-riddled Raptors last season. Alston, a good passer and ball-handler, is just a .372 career shooter.

With Dwyane Wade expected to start at point guard and Lamar Odom and Caron Butler also sharing ball-handling duties, the Heat still wants a pair of traditional point guards for depth.

Pat Riley spent part of his summer vacation traveling with Heat owner Micky Arison. Riley said the two had good conversations while overseas, but he said he has not made a decision about his future once his contract expires in 2005.

Riley did offer a hint Wednesday, the same day he announced the signing of Odom to a six-year contract.

''I know this much: If I'm going to build, I'm going to want to coach it,'' Riley said. ``At least that's how I look at it.''

Heat head coach Pat Riley said he intends to benefit from -- rather than trade -- Brian Grant and Eddie Jones now that they will be surrounded by better players.

''These guys are productive players,'' he said. ``Because we were strapped [in years past], all we could do was put minimum-[salary] players around them. Last year we had seven guys who were never in an NBA rotation playing.''

Further proving Riley's intention to keep Grant and Jones was this quote from Donnie Nelson, Mavericks president of basketball operations: ''The minute they got Lamar Odom, Grant became off limits,'' Nelson told The Dallas Morning News.

Heat head coach Pat Riley said he still wants to sign a center and at least one more traditional point guard. He said there are at least three free agents at each position he would sign and will sign the first players that accept the league minimum ``because we can't wait any longer.''

Bimbo Coles met with Riley on Wednesday morning, and Riley said he remains a possibility. Coles visited with Orlando last week and is also drawing interest from Indiana. There is room on the roster for two more point guards, and other possibilities include Jacque Vaughn, Robert Pack and Mateen Cleaves.

As for possible centers, the free agent list includes Jason Collier, Mamadou N'Diaye and Jelani McCoy.

Despite the addition of 7-1 Loren Woods, Heat head coach Pat Riley still wants to re-sign 7-1 center Vladimir Stepania, who turned down his initial offer last month.

"We made him a very good offer a month ago because we value him," Riley said. "I want Vladi and hopes he will consider taking what we have to be part of this team. I think he had his best season in the NBA with us and I wanted to sign Vladi right out of the box but we had to move on."

Riley said he has earmarked three big men and will sign the first one that takes his offer. Although Tyrone Hill is 35 and 6-9, he plays a lot taller. His agent Mark Bartelstein said he has spoken to the Heat about Hill, but nothing's imminent.

Other big men free agents still available are Shawn Kemp, Jelani McCoy, Mikki Moore and Mamadou N'Diaye.

So much for bringing Lamar Odom along slowly.

Odom, the gifted 6-10 forward whose reputation has been tainted by a number of well-chronicled incidents, is embarking on a three-day whirlwind love-in to forge a new image with Miami Heat fans.

"A lot has happened to me really fast, and we all make mistakes," the former Los Angeles Clipper said at Wednesday's introductory news conference.

"I'm just ready to put my mistakes behind me... and make the best happen for myself and this organization. I feel like I owe this organization a lot and I'm ready to give back."

Six minutes into the news conference, coach Pat Riley invoked the name of Odom's idol, guard Magic Johnson.

"I'm not saying that (Odom) is that because he's going to have to prove that," Riley said. "I don't think anybody can ever be that way. But from a standpoint of the talent, he has those kinds of skills and we hope we can try to find those here for him to be able to show that."

That wasn't all the Heat did for Odom, 23, who expects to play power forward, small forward, shooting guard and point guard.

Miami's core players -- center Brian Grant, guard Eddie Jones, forward Caron Butler and rookie guard Dwyane Wade -- were at the team's practice facility to welcome Odom.

And it doesn't stop there.

At noon Friday, Odom will have an online chat with fans on the team's Web site, Heat.com. Friday night, he will throw out the first pitch at the Marlins-Expos game.

This is the kind of unprecedented, over-the-top welcome the Heat has chosen to give Odom, who signed a six-year, $65 million contract.

Odom, whose four-year NBA career has been married by injuries and two substance-abuse suspensions, appreciates the warm gesture from his new team.

"Even more for my mental (approach), just to gain come confidence back in myself," Odom said. "With everything I've been through, I'd be lying to say my confidence wasn't shaken in myself. It might carry over to the court. But to be here in this atmosphere, to be treated the way I'm treated is awesome."

The scene was clearly staged and considerably corny, but there was a reason for it.

There stood Lamar Odom, fidgeting and looking uncomfortable as he leaned over a podium answering questions inside AmericanAirlines Arena, when a set of double doors opened to his right.

Bunched together in the doorway were Eddie Jones, Brian Grant, Caron Butler, Dwyane Wade and Rasual Butler, all dressed in practice gear and calling for Odom.

''Young fella,'' Jones said to Odom. ``You ready?''

Jones tossed Odom a basketball and the group walked together to the Heat's practice court for a casual shootaround and some additional photo opportunities.

The idea was to show their support for Odom, who so far has made somewhat of a mess of his short career and is widely considered a risky signing for the Heat. Odom, 23, officially became a member of the Heat late Tuesday when the deadline for the Los Angeles Clippers to match Miami's six-year, $65 million offer sheet expired.

That might have marked the end of Miami's wait for Odom, but the official ''Lamar Odom watch'' begins now.

Grant had two ''marble-sized calcifications'' surgically removed from his right knee this spring, and he said his usually bothersome right knee is feeling good.

''I'm still gradually working myself up as far as my conditioning and my on-the-court work, but I'll be ready by training camp,'' Grant said.