It took more than a quarter of the season, but Heat coach Pat Riley says it's now obvious that implementing the new defensive rules was a mistake.

Riley's team has had trouble adjusting to zones and teams that play off his perimeter players. But after watching the New Jersey Nets, one of the most potent offensive teams in the league, get shut down by a zone Wednesday night, Riley is almost certain the league will revisit the rules this off-season.

"I watched a game last night where a zone was played against New Jersey (by Cleveland) for three quarters of the game and it took one of the great movement teams, offensive teams, and brought them absolutely to a standstill trying to break the zone in 24 seconds," Riley said. " I think it's the biggest mistake they've ever made is to allow a zone. You can deal with the defensive three-second (rule) because you can attack that. But when you allow people just to stand in areas in this game and bring great players to a stop and have to attack zones with the majority of them being jump shots, I think you're taking away a lot.

"I do believe that will probably be addressed in the off-season, because as much as they wanted more movement and more offense, what they've done is they've done what they've always done, just backed right up and allowed a zone defense and there's no movement."

Riley's own team is not a team that relies much on movement, but the new rules have still been a major problem for the Heat. Without point guards who can stretch the defenses with three-point range, opponents have been able to clog the paint against Miami.

Not only have Alonzo Mourning and Brian Grant been affected, but Rod Strickland, historically one of the best penetrating point guards in the league, has not been able to do what he does best.

While Strickland doesn't blame all his struggles (36 percent shooting) on the zone, he does acknowledge it has been a factor.

"It has probably taken its toll," Strickland said. "I think if I was hitting some of these jumpers it wouldn't be as much of a problem. In the past, I didn't shoot a whole lot but I was able to hit the jumpers decently. And I haven't been able to do that so far and I think that's been a problem."

n More threes, please: Only four teams average fewer made three-pointers a game than Miami, and Riley said the reason is simple.

"It's a mind-set," he said. "A lot of the three-pointers are coming in early offense for teams or they're coming in pick-and-roll situations or they come out of double teams, and we're not getting double-teamed that much this year."

Riley said his team has a drill in which it practices stepping into three-point shots. Not that it's helped.

"We've damaged a lot of rims with that drill," Riley said.