In the grand scheme of things, three years doesn’t sound like a long time. It’s only 36 months, the span of a short car lease or a stint in the can for tax evasion.

Of course, if you’re doing said stint, it would no doubt feel like a lot longer than paying off a vehicle would.

As far as the Miami Heat are concerned, three years appears to be its window of opportunity to capture another title. That’s how long Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal are contractually obligated to stay, and how long Pat Riley has said he plans on hanging around. Still, it’s too early to tell if this upcoming period of the franchise’s history is going to feel brief and prosperous or agonizingly long and frustrating. Which way are things going to go? It all rides on Shaquille O’Neal’s shoulders. And his knees, back, quadriceps and hamstrings.

The Diesel is definitely in the last act of his career before he walks away to fight crime or join Billy Crystal in a 21st century remake of My Giant. Still, he’s got three years left on that five-year, $100 million extension he signed in 2005, just before leading the Heat to its only championship, and Miami is hoping he’ll earn his keep.

Even if he doesn’t, the banner that hangs from the rafters at American Airlines Arena fulfilled a promise he made on the day he arrived in Miami and validated his acquisition from Los Angeles for talented young forwards Caron Butler and Lamar Odom. Although it seemed like a no-brainer to deal for O’Neal, some naysayers felt the Heat were giving up too much for an injury-prone center with a lot of mileage.

Those predictions are coming to pass, but the Heat still wouldn’t change a thing. Although Dwyane Wade was the MVP of the 2006 Finals, he progressed as quickly as he did because of O’Neal’s influence. He taught him how to handle being a superstar. He showed him how to be a winner; taking pressure off him and stepping aside to yield him the spotlight at the same time.

Now, he has to be Wade’s crutch again, and not just for the first few weeks the Heat expect to be without their All-Star shooting guard. When Wade returns from offseason knee and shoulder surgeries, he’s going to need O’Neal to be there for the long haul, if only because there’s so little around the two.

Miami was unable to land Milwaukee guards Mo Williams or Charlie Bell despite putting in offer sheets for both, lost valuable reserve James Posey to free agency and opted not to bring back Gary Payton. In order to survive, the Heat are hoping for contributions from the thought-to-be extinct Penny Hardaway, undrafted wing Jeremy Richardson and unproven former first-rounders Dorrell Wright and Wayne Simien.

Riley has been fiddling with lineups to find anything that works throughout a difficult preseason riddled with injuries and ineffectiveness. O’Neal was one of the many banged up, catching a knee to his thigh that forced him to miss valuable preparation time.

The good news is he showed up in excellent shape, eager to carry the load and packing a chip on his shoulder fueled by talk that he’s washed up. No one is prouder than the self-proclaimed “Most Dominant Ever,” and Miami has to hope that inner fire burns bright enough to keep him from being unceremoniously put out to pasture.

Otherwise, three years will feel like an eternity.

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