The changes were minimal, so the team spokesmen will tell you that hope for improvement comes from internal progression.

That normally means more of the same, because very rarely does a team make a significant jump without a significant upgrade.

This Heat team might be different, though. There's always a chance Dwyane Wade could be better, and no one should assume he won't. Michael Beasley is supposed to be better, and history tells us that talent usually shines with experience. Jermaine O'Neal is supposed to healthier, which should equal better. And Quentin Richardson and Carlos Arroyo are depth upgrades.

Then there's that sore spot where there were the most clamors for change, but none came.

That's Mario Chalmers' spot. The starting point guard spot he earned opening night as a rookie and never relinquished, partially because he showed signs of potential and partially because the team was committed to developing him.

UP AND DOWN

Chalmers had an atypical rookie season, in that he was the starting point guard for a playoff team and didn't miss a game and was top five in the league in steals. But it was rather typical in its inconsistency, with the former Kansas star losing his shot for long stretches, and losing his confidence during other spans.

The disconcerting part isn't that he was inconsistent. It was that he got worse in the postseason in every statistical area, except for steals, which didn't mean much because he kept getting blown past off the dribble.

And following a preseason that displayed much of the same inconsistencies, you're starting to wonder exactly when, if ever, Chalmers will develop into the quality starting point guard that a team on the climb needs to have. Ideally, when the Heat goes on its free agent shopping spree of 2010 and builds an immediate contender, point guard won't be a position it needs to spend for because Chalmers, a cheap option, will be that guy.

But what exactly do we expect Chalmers to be, then? Players and coaches hate to compare players, but from the outside that's all we can go by. So what mold would we most like to see Chalmers fit?

There aren't many point guards built like him, at 6-1 with all arms and legs. There's one, though, built just like him. That's Boston's Rajon Rondo.

Is that who Chalmers should aspire to be? It wouldn't be a bad option, given Rondo's play the past couple of years.

If Chalmers wants to get there, he needs to work on his aggressiveness offensively. He's not quite as explosive as Rondo, but he's plenty athletic and more of a threat to shoot from beyond 15 feet than Rondo.

The Celtics' point guard is pretty tricky with the rock, but supposedly the Heat spent a good portion of the offseason improving individual ball-handling skills, so if Chalmers can improve, we should see it soon.

Rondo, despite his inability to shoot from distance, had similar numbers to Chalmers in the first year he had full control of the Celtics offense. The difference being he shot 49 percent to Chalmers' 42. That should say one thing to Chalmers: Get to the basket and good things will happen.

Let's say Chalmers can't be as dynamic as Rondo. The next place you go is Los Angeles, figuring he can be something like a Derek Fisher, a defender first but also a floor leader who can make solid decisions and hit a good percentage from outside. Chalmers would prefer to compare himself to Chris Paul (not sure what to do with that), but if he wants to make a significant impact his entire career, Fisher's not a bad model to follow.

SPOTTING UP

Fisher has done his best work playing alongside the best shooting guard in the game. Chalmers has the heir apparent in Dwyane Wade. So maybe that's what we ask of him, to be the next Fisher.

It's not that hard, really. He has all the necessary attributes -- if he just cuts down on those shooting slumps -- and probably has the better body for defense.

The Heat helped that progression by bringing in a spot backup with some offensive savvy in Arroyo to balance the position just like the Lakers did with Jordan Farmar.

If Chalmers ends up more like either of those players this year, it will be a welcome sight.

If he doesn't, you can expect the Heat to look elsewhere next season, when they have the money to do so.

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