Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat failed to execute in crunch time against the 76ers

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Haywood Highsmith and Terry Rozier saved the crew from shame in the first half, and as they were up eight points in the last six minutes, the Heatles muddied their shorts.

The Heat was absent Tyler Herro (foot). 

Coach Erik Spoelstra called a timeout as the 76ers seized a 10-0 lead in the opening possessions. Tyrese Maxey, the one the Heat passed on in the 2020 Draft for Precious Achiuwa, burned defenses with a swarm of jumpers and drive-bys. And reigning MVP Joel Embiid wiped out coverages, shooting from long and mid-distance, plus broke into the paint for two layups off the catch.

In a delayed response, Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier, and Nikola Jović clapped back, gashing the 76ers transition defense for a dozen points. In the half court, Butler maneuvered into the paint off a pick-and-roll set with Bam Adebayo for a floater, and Rozier made a step-back triple over Nicolas Batum in the left corner.

Haywood Highsmith checked in for Duncan Robinson eight minutes in. Before the sequence ended, he came in as a help defender from the top, rejecting Kenyon Martin Jr.’s layup and stealing Philadelphia’s inbound pass under its basket, resulting in Jaime Jaquez Jr. scoring at the rim through contact.

Through 12 minutes, the Heat was down 29-39, shooting 42.9% to the 76ers 57.1%.

Next, Highsmith took charge as the only Heat player recording multiple field goals (5) in the period. He nailed two catch-and-shoot triples, slashed into the paint to make a reverse layup, carved up the baseline for a dunk and dropped one putback. And apart from contesting deep shots, he poked the ball loose from Kelly Oubre Jr. on a left-side drive.

Additionally, Caleb Martin claimed the Heat’s first lead on a transition pull-up banger. But the 76ers finished the half on a 20-9 burst. Maxey got the cup easily in the open court and sped past the zone. Embiid contributed six more points. Cameron Payne swished a 3-pointer. And Paul Reed made a layup driving left after catching in the middle against the zone.

Notably, the Heat’s last basket of the half sprung off Rozier intercepting Embiid’s bad pass and nailing 28-foot fastbreak triple as the horn buzzed through Kaseya Center.

At halftime, the Heat was down 55-63 and above on the glass by two. The Heat had 24 paint points, 15 on the break, two via second chances, 11 after turnovers and 26 from the bench.

Highsmith recorded 12 points on five of seven looks, with three rebounds, one assist, two steals and a block. Rozier had 11 on his scorecard on 33.3% shooting, with one steal and two turnovers. And Butler had nine points on six attempts and picked up two boards and three dimes.

The 76ers had 28 interior points, 11 in the open court, four on extra tries, 15 after turnovers and nine from the reserves.

Maxey, channeling The Answer, Allen Iverson, tallied 24 points on 10 of 15 attempts, with five rebounds and seven assists. Embiid notched 21 marks on 61.5% accuracy, with three rebounds, an assist and a block. And Oubre supplied six points on six tries and recovered five boards.

Past the halfway mark of the third, the Heat was still down 10 points. Subsequently, the home squad finished the interval on a 17-6 run- Adebayo cashed a left-side fadeaway over Reed; Butler scored twice at close range; Jović splashed a tray; JJJ canned a seven-footer in the lane; and Rozier raced from coast to coast for a reverse layup and made a transition three.

The fourth quarter started with the Heat up 88-87. Butler dribbled left past Batum for a layup and converted a lob on the other side. Kevin Love added seven of his 11 points early in the frame. But after Butler made two freebies, putting the Heat ahead by eight with 6:28 left, the unit got sloppy.

The hosts settled for jumpers and registered one of its last 11 ventures. As they were falling apart, the 76ers got stronger, rattling off 13 unanswered points to snatch control- Maxey killed the zone with a step-back jumper on the right side over JJJ and Highsmith then connected on another on the opposite baseline facing Rozier; KJ Martin got inside for a deuce; Oubre dashed into the lane for a basket and made a three on consecutive possessions and later downed a one more trifecta.

At that point, the Heat’s confidence was fractured. The group followed up with two turnovers by Butler and Highsmith and a miss by the former, trying to go for the win with a three while down two.

The Heat lost 105-109. The squad accumulated 44 paint points, 24 on the break, 14 via second chances, 20 after turnovers and 36 from the bench.

Rozier scored 22 points on seven of 20 attempts, with two rebounds, two assists, one steal and three turnovers. Butler produced 20 on his ledger, accurate on 41.2% of his tries and picked up four rebounds and five dimes. And Highsmith had 12 points on five of seven looks, with nine rebounds, two assists, four steals and a block.

The 76ers amassed 38 interior points, 17 in the open court, 10 on extra tries, 23 after turnovers and 17 from the reserves.

Maxey generated 37 points, filing 15 of 26 shots and recovering nine rebounds, 11 assists, one steal and a block. Embiid had 29 on his scorecard on 44% accuracy, with four rebounds, three dimes, one steal and a block. And Oubre distributed 18 points on 14 attempts and had eight rebounds, two steals and a block.

At the postgame presser, Adebayo said, “[The 76ers] got us out of routine offense, and also, I feel like we [were] careless with the ball. [We] weren’t really detailed at the end of the day.”

Butler spoke on what the Heat need to do. He said, “Win, and everything will take care of itself. Win and we don’t need to worry about anyone else.”

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: “We didn’t have enough,” says LeBron James about 2011 Heat

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LeBron James and JJ Redick continue to do the public service of teaching schematics in episode 3 of Mind the Game. They went over the intricacies of the deadly Steph Curry and Draymond Green pick & roll, coach Erik Spoelstra’s improvement methods, sets that James has thrived in at different spots in his career and more noteworthy dialogue.
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Then, the criteria for super teams came up about 85% through the episode. Redick correctly stated that a big three alone doesn’t fill the requirements. But the surprising revelation is that the 2011 Heatles didn’t make the cut. James said, “We didn’t have enough,” referring to the role players.

Such a misconstruction of history reduces the accomplishment of the Dallas Mavericks.

That first year Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and James teamed up, the squad didn’t break 60 wins as many expected. In fact, they were mediocre through 18 outings. Yet, that group figured it out, finishing the regular season third in overall offense and fifth in defense on a 49-16 tear.

The group included 2011 3-point contest champion James Jones, who also converted 45.9% of his triples during the Playoffs. Who could forget 25 marks in Game 1 against the Celtics, but specifically, his 14-point second-quarter eruption?

Udonis Haslem, who had missed 69 games with a torn Lisfranc ligament, juiced the Heat up with 13 points on five of 10 attempts, with five rebounds, two dimes, one steal and a block in Game 2 in Chicago to help the club tie the series it eventually won in five.

And Mario Chalmers was on that team. He finished nine Playoff games logging 50% of his 3-point tries, and the squad was 6-3 in those matches. To boot, he came out blasting in the closeout Game 5 against Philadelphia with 11 first-quarter points. And his four trifectas off the bench in Game 3 in Dallas helped give the Heat its last lead in the series.

This crew was not as deep as the eventual back-to-back champs, but James, Wade and Bosh’s take-over potency, especially this early in their union, was so incomparable in the NBA that they sawed through East with a 12-3 record en route to the championship round.

LeRevisionist can’t get away with this one. The team had plenty when it won the East. They lost because Dallas’ defensive schemes caused him to play scared- not attacking openings in the lane, settling for jumpers and atypically making wrong reads.

There is no excuse for one of top five most dominating players in history getting outplayed by Jason Terry.

Anyways, their program has the potential for greatness. Maybe there needs to be a credible reporter- someone who was around for both of their careers, in the corner that draws a red card whenever the facts are misconstrued and demands clarification or fact check.

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Terry Rozier powered the Heat past the Knicks

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The depleted Knicks nearly dug themselves out of a 16-point hole, but the Heat pulled away in crunch time.

Tyler Herro (foot) was out for the Heat. OG Anunoby (elbow) and Julius Randle (shoulder) were absent for the Knicks. 

Early, the Heat’s defense forced three turnovers, locking up the passing lanes and pressuring the ball handler, plus paid close attention to Jalen Brunson. But Miles McBride and Donte DiVincenzo maneuvered through openings and converted deep looks.

On offense, Terry Rozier sprayed 12 points, reaching the rim through pick and roll, swishing a corner tray off an under-the-basket inbound, and making two catch-and-shoot transition threes plus a freebie. No other Heatle dropped multiple field goals in the first, but Butler drew fouls, posting up Josh Hart and dribbling past DiVincenzo for two trips to the line.

The Heat closed the first quarter on a 15-2 run and led 34-22, shooting 52.9% to the Knicks’ 36.8%.

Next, Brunson was contained to zero of three baskets, but Bojan Bogdanović poured in seven points off New York’s bench, hitting a putback jumper, two freebies and a wing triple behind Precious Achiuwa’s flare screen.

Countering, Rozier connected on two more trifectas, and Butler broke inside the paint for three finishes. The rest of the team made 29% of its ventures in the period.

At halftime, the Heat was up 58-43 and ahead on the glass by seven. The crew had 14 paint points, four on the break, seven via second chances, two after turnovers and 14 from the bench.

Rozier scored 20 on six of eight attempts, with three rebounds and a block. Butler filed 13 points on 44.4% shooting, with three rebounds and five assists. And Love tallied six points on four attempts and picked up two boards.

The Knicks had 14 interior points, nine in the open court, two on extra tries, six after turnovers and nine from the reserves.

McBride and DiVincenzo each had a dozen points on four of nine looks. Bogdanovic added nine points on six tries and recovered three rebounds.

But out of the break, the Knicks came out a sharper squad behind McBride and DiVincenzo. The former got to the cup for two on a left-side give-and-go with Isaiah Hartenstein, dribbled into the paint, logging a finger roll in front of Butler, cut up the baseline for a dunk and downed an open three at the top. The latter buried three triples and finished a mean lob, assisted by Brunson on the break.

Despite the Heat’s defense not having answers, the attack mostly did. Rozier and Adebayo combined for six of eight buckets in the frame, totaling 16 of the club’s 25 points. Yet, the Knicks’ backline pressured four extra turnovers

In the fourth, Brunson broke the zone twice with two floaters in the paint. DiVincenzo made another tray and two cut-and-scores on the baseline and through the middle. And with four minutes left, the Knicks tied the match, courtesy of Achiuwa’s putback.

In crunch time, the Heat responded with Haywood Highsmith’s banger over Brunson, three freebies from Rozier after getting fouled by Achiuwa on a deep shot, two baskets from Adebayo, and Butler’s five-foot floater over McBride.

The Heat won 109-99. The hosts picked up 34 paint points, nine on the break, 11 via second chances, 14 after turnovers and 32 from the bench.

Rozier provided 34 points on 10 of 15 attempts, with five rebounds, three assists, a block and three turnovers. Butler had 17 points on 41.7% shooting, with five rebounds, six assists and four turnovers. And Adebayo recorded 15 points on nine attempts, with nine rebounds, one assist and a steal.

The Knicks had 38 interior points, 14 in the open court, seven on extra tries, 21 after turnovers and 18 from the reserves.

DiVincenzo recorded 31 points on 11 of 21 attempts, with four rebounds, four assists and four steals. McBride scored 24 on 56.3% accuracy and picked up two rebounds plus two assists. And Brunson had 20 points, making five of 18 looks, with two rebounds, 10 assists and five turnovers.

Rozier handled the on-court interview. He said, “The Knicks [are] a great basketball team, and this league is all about runs. They went on a run, we stayed poised, we figured out what we needed to do on offense down the stretch, and we did it. We executed.”

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra was asked about how the team guarded Brunson. He said, “Great players force you to bring a second defender, and sometimes, a third defender… he’s that good right now.”

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Heat handled the Wizards in Washington

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Following a tense first half for the visiting Heat, carried in large part by Terry Rozier, the crew separated from the Wizards the rest of the way with an abundance of trays and strikes in the lane in Duncan Robinson’s comeback. The visitors also prevented any lead change post intermission following 12 prior.

The Heat was missing Tyler Herro (foot) and Caleb Martin (ankle). The Wizards were absent Bilal Coulibaly (wrist), Kyle Kuzma (heel), Tyus Jones (back) and Landry Shamet (calf).

Early, the Wizards contested the Heat’s long-range attack cleanly, forcing eight consecutive deep misses in the half-court and in transition. On offense, Jordan Poole swished two triples. Anthony Gill nailed a pick-and-pop jumper at the top of the key and broke into the paint for two buckets. And Marvin Bagley III rim rolled, dunking twice off a putback and a direct feed through the middle.

On the other side, Rozier lit the Heat’s fuse to start. He hit a left-side jumper facing drop coverage, dusted Poole from the top to the cup for a layup, left Bagley stumbling after a crossover in transition plus the basket and made one catch-and-release banger.

On top of that, Jimmy Butler scored by driving through Patrick Baldwin Jr. on the right side and cutting through the center for a catch and score helped by Nikola Jović. And Haywood Highsmith contributed five points.

Through 12 minutes, the match was tied at 29, with the Heat shooting 47.8% to the Wizards’ 42.3%.

Next, the visitors stuck closely to the snipers, permitting two of seven 3-point makes, but gave up the square on a surplus of drive-byes. Poole did the most damage, dropping nine of the hosts’ 30 marks in the frame.

Yet the Heatles attack erupted like a stack of TNT behind Adebayo splintering the paint four times and Rozier cashing three triples and one step-back jumper at the elbow after isolating Poole.

At halftime, the Heat was ahead 66-59 and up on the boards by three. The squad had 28 paint points, 15 on the break, six via second chances, eight after turnovers and 18 from the bench.

Rozier dispensed 20 points on eight of 13 shots, two rebounds, two dimes and two steals. Adebayo scored 13 on seven attempts and recovered five boards. And Jović filed nine points, six rebounds and two assists.

The Wizards picked up 30 interior points, six in the open court, nine on extra tries, eight after turnovers and 23 from the bench.

Poole registered 15 points on five of 12 attempts, with five assists. Gill scored a dozen on eight tries and claimed four boards. And Bagley had eight points and four rebounds.

Out of the break, the Heat’s defense forced unsuccessful outside jumpers and, midway through the quarter, was up by 16 points. Then, over 69 seconds, the protections loosened up, conceding a baseline cut and dunk to Corey Kispet, a rim roll to Gill and a corner triple to Jared Butler for seven unanswered points.

The Heat’s counter was a three by Highsmith and Delon Wright, plus Butler’s turnaround jumper on the left side over Gill.

The fourth quarter started with the Heat above 95-80. Despite the Wizards having its most effective sequence of the game, pouring in 27 points on 55% accuracy, it was too late. Before Butler subbed out, he cut into the paint for a layup and spun past Jared Butler, recording a basket through contact. Rozier was the only other Heatle late to record multiple field goals. And the rest of the unit made five of 11 shots.

The Heat won 119-107. The squad had 46 paint points, 21 on the break, 10 via second chances, 18 after turnovers and 35 from the bench.

Rozier logged 27 points on 11 of 19 looks, with four rebounds, two assists, four steals and a block. Adebayo had 22 on his scorecard on 50% accuracy, with nine rebounds, five assists, two steals, a block and five turnovers. And Butler had 17 points on five of 11 ventures, with eight rebounds and four assists.

The Wizards picked up 56 interior points, 15 in the open court, 11 on extra tries, 18 after turnovers and 45 from the reserves.

Poole had 22 points, making eight of 20 shots, and added four rebounds, eight assists, one steal and four turnovers. Gill put up 18 points on 58.3% shootings, with four rebounds. And Deni Avdija tallied 15 to his ledger with nine rebounds and six dimes.

Rozier handled the on-court interview. He gave credit to teammates and coaches for his output.

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra was asked if he feels his team is prepared for the upcoming challenges. He said, “Yeah. All I’m thinking about is getting ready for Tuesday… we’ll rest up and get onto Miami and prepare for a big game against New York on Tuesday.”

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Heat reduced the Trail Blazers to a pile of ash in the most lopsided win in franchise history

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Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin sat somewhere, likely with a scowl that can kill roses, witnessing the Heat mow down his G-League Trail Blazers in Miami. The visitors were so inept that they lost by 60 points and made a clumsy transition team look like greyhounds. The NBA’s old slogan reads “where amazing happens,” but the reality is that it’s where degradation occurs and there’s no mercy rule.

The Heat were without Tyler Herro (foot) and Duncan Robinson (back). The Trail Blazers were missing Jerami Grant (hamstring), Toumani Camara (rib contusion) and Malcolm Brogdon (elbow).

After the game, Portland’s coach Chauncy Billups spoke to the press. He said, “It was unfortunate because [in the] first four or five minutes, we started the game off playing really clean, and it didn’t last long.”

Following that decent start by the Blazers, which featured brief two-man actions with Kris Murray and Deandre Ayton, the hosts cracked its code, shattering backline protections and smothering rival attacks on a 25-10 run to close the frame. Jimmy Butler finished a lob on the right side and made two freebies. Bam Adebayo converted a left elbow jumper and three baskets in the lane. And the rest of the squad contributed five 12 shots in the quarter.

After one period, the Heat was ahead 29-19, shooting 52.6% to the Trail Blazers’ 45%.

Then the guests yielded following a flurry by backup big Thomas Bryant, Caleb Martin, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Haywood Highsmith. On top of that, Adebayo supplied four of five more buckets and Terry Rozier provided eight points as the Heat outscored the Trail Blazers by 24 in the quarter.

At halftime, the Heat was up 74-40. The group had 30 paint points, 23 on the break, none via second chances, 15 after turnovers and 29 from the bench.

Adebayo scored 18 points on eight of 10 attempts, with six rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block. Rozier had 14 points on 41.7% shooting, with two rebounds and four assists. Bryant logged 10 on his ledger, making five of seven looks, and recovered two rebounds and two blocks. And Highsmith recorded a dozen points on five attempts, with three rebounds.

The Blazers had 30 interior points, five in the open court, five on extra tries, seven after turnovers and seven from the reserves.

Deandre Ayton scored 13 points on eight of 13 ventures, with six boards. Dalano Banton put up seven marks on 37.5% accuracy and picked up four rebounds. And Scoot Henderson produced six points on three of eight shots, with three rebounds and two dimes.

Next, the Heat kept firing in target practice, making seven of 13 trifectas. Furthermore, its lead grew to 45 points near the midway mark of the quarter. The rest of the way was garbage time.

Only one Heat starter played in the fourth quarter: Patty Mills. The team had more than enough with JJJ, Bryant, Highsmith, Delon Wright and Jamal Cain. The advantage peaked at 60 with Cain’s step-back triple with 21 seconds left.

What more proof does the public need that this was a tune-up game that Cain got some action and Adebayo attempted three triples, making two? The latter has attempted at least three 3-pointers once in his career.

The Heat won 142-82; it’s the largest win in franchise history. The unit had 56 paint points, 32 on the break, six via second chances, 36 after turnovers and 69 from the bench.

The Heat’s six double-figure scorers were Bryant (26), Rozier (22), Adebayo (21), Highsmith (20), Mills (17) and Jaquez (12).

The Trail Blazers picked up 52 interior points, seven in the open court, 14 on extra tries, 11 after turnovers and 23 from the reserves.

Portland’s double-digit scorers were Henderson (20), Ayton (18), Banton (12) and Murray (11).

Bryant handled the on-court interview. He said, “I try to come out with the same energy every time out and just try to give us some relief for our guys out there.”

At the postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra was asked how coverages could shift if the three-point shot became a more significant part of Adebayo’s game. He said, “I think it would be a cool thing to explore, for sure. It will take some time before schemes change from other teams… We’re probably going to look back on this, four or five years from now, and not even remember these kinds of discussions.”

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Miami Marlins 2024 Season Predictions

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The Miami Marlins open their 2024 season on Thursday, after another major change: Peter Bendix has replaced Kim Ng as the team’s lead decision-maker.

How will they do?

We asked some of our Marlins contributors at the Five Reasons Sports Network.

(Make sure you check out the Flip the M podcast).

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Aidan Gallardo

Record Prediction: 82-80

The Marlins enter the 2024 season with a lot of question marks. Their starting rotation took a hit due to injuries to Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez. Alcantara (UCL sprain) is most likely going to miss the season while there’s optimism that Perez (elbow inflammation) will be able to see some game action at some point this season. But, with arguably two of Miami’s best starting pitchers out to start the season, the rotation will feature four left-handed pitchers. Yes, you read that right. The lefties will be Jesus Luzardo, AJ Puk, Ryan Weathers and Trevor Rogers. Right-hander Max Meyer will round out the rotation for the Fish. A very, very interesting rotation for the Marlins that might have success. Luzardo had a great season a year ago and will look to build upon that, Puk has been coming out of the bullpen for most of his MLB career and finds himself in a starting role like he did when he was pitching in college at the University of Florida, Weathers had a great Spring Training and fans are excited to see what he can bring to the table, Rogers is coming back from injury that had him out for most of last season and Meyer is a young player who’s also coming back from an injury that had him out for a lengthy period of time. Even with some of the blows, this starting rotation is still considered to be top 10 in baseball.

Looking at the offense, there is not a ton that jumps out at you. Sure, the Marlins have the National League batting champ in Luis Arraez but they lost a big contributor to their offense in Jorge Soler during free agency. I guess the main question is whether or not Josh Bell and Jake Burger can sustain their success that they had towards the latter portion of last season. Also, can Jazz Chisholm Jr. stay on the field? Because he has had trouble in the past staying healthy during injuries and Miami needs him in the lineup every day if they’re looking for that boost in offense. Miami added shortstop Tim Anderson, catcher Christian Bethancourt and utility player Nick Gordon during the offseason. These are some names that we can expect to see playing consistently for Miami. If the Marlins can stay healthy and be consistent, I don’t see why they can’t make a run for the playoffs. But the major point of emphasis is health. And if Miami can’t find ways to stay on the field, then it might be a long season for the Fish.

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Jonathan Andersen

The 2024 Miami Marlins season will be an interesting one to follow. They are arriving to this season fresh off their first postseason run in 20 years, and how do they follow it up? Well, they lose their biggest power bat, they lose their workhorse SP1 for the season, and then 3 other SP begin the season on the IL. Surely they made moves to replenish the lineup and rotation to ensure competitiveness, right? Well…. Not exactly. Their additions, as we stand presently, are Vidal Brujan (IF), Nick Gordon (UTIL), Tim Anderson (SS), and Christian Bethancourt (C). Yet, with the pitching wizard of Mel Stottlemyer Jr., they have replenished the rotation from within the organization, with Max Meyer, Ryan Weathers, and AJ Puk. The additions to the lineup aren’t extremely noteworthy, but do seemingly plug a lot of holes that the prior season’s team had. With a new President of Baseball Operations at the helm, the Marlins have begun a reconstruction season. They aren’t fully rebuilding, as they believe they can still compete with their additions, yet they are utilizing some players in trades to help build the farm for the future, as seen with the recent Jon Berti trade. All in all, I feel like this season is the most confident I’ve felt going into a season as I have in awhile, but I still feel as though, due to injuries, this team is very middle of the road. As we presently sit, I have the Marlins sitting around an 80-82 season, just missing the playoffs. But, this season will be extremely entertaining, and with Bendix in command, there just may be some interesting trades and plays made yet.

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Kevin Miller: 

It was a relatively quiet off-season for new Marlins’ Player of Baseball Operations (POBO), Peter Bendix and co. After making a plethora of under-the-radar and minor moves, this year’s roster is similar, but not quite the same as the 2023 playoff roster. First off, the Marlins’ pitching staff is going to have their hands full to start the season as ace Sandy Alcantara is going to miss the entirety of the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Additionally, starting pitchers Braxton Garrett, Edward Cabrera, and rookie sensation, Eury Perez, are slated to miss the first month of the season with their own slew of injuries. Until then, the rotation will rely on AJ Puk, Ryan Weathers, Trevor Rogers, and Max Meyer to eat some innings and keep the rotation afloat. Aside from Jesus Luzardo, the rotation is filled with question marks as Puk makes the transition from reliever to starter, Weathers looks to prove himself to be more than just a depth piece, Rogers looks to bounce back after missing nearly the entire 2023 season due to numerous injuries, and Marlins’ #3 overall prospect Max Meyer returns after missing the entire 2023 season due to Tommy John surgery.
On the offensive side, the Marlins’ lineup will surely miss 2023 All-Star DH/OF Jorge Soler who signed a 3-year deal with the San Francisco Giants earlier this off-season. After not making any moves to replace Soler’s power production, Bendix and the Marlins are counting on having Jake Burger and Josh Bell for a full season to do the heavy lifting. The “Dominican Brothers” Bryan De La Cruz and Jesus Sanchez are expected to take another step forward after strong 2023 seasons. Luis Arraez is coming off an incredible 2023 season which saw him hit .354 and start at 2B for the NL All-Star team. But of course, the X factor for the Marlins offense is Jazz Chisholm Jr. After playing in just 97 games in 2023, the Marlins hope their young star can stay healthy over the course of a full MLB season and finally breakout into a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate. If he can stay healthy, expect Jazz to be a major run producer in the middle of the lineup. Polarizing Shortstop Tim Anderson is taking over as the full-time starting shortstop for the Marlins and looks to bounce back after a brutal last couple of seasons with the Chicago White Sox. New additions such as Christian Bethancourt, Nick Gordon, and Vidal Brujan may not be the most exciting players to add to the roster, but provide a slight improvement over the players they are replacing from last year’s roster.
So, what are my predictions for the upcoming 2024 season? I think it’s going to be a very similar season to the 2023 season. I think despite the plethora of injuries to the starting rotation, the depth in the organization will be enough to keep the rotation afloat until the reinforcements arrive. Despite losing Soler and still clinging onto Avisail Garcia for unknown reasons, I think the Marlins lineup might actually be more dynamic than it was last year. Having Burger and Bell for a full year will be huge, Arraez is Arraez, De La Cruz and Sanchez are going to continue to improve, the depth pieces are better than they were last year, and most importantly, I think Anderson returns to form in a better environment here with the Marlins, and I think Jazz plays in over 130 games for the first time in his career and puts up a 30/30 season. Lofty expectations, I know, but I’m feeling confident in this group, especially under the leadership of 2023 NL Manager of the Year, Skip Schumaker.
In the end, will this team return to the playoffs? I think they could… but I ultimately don’t think they will. I think the Marlins will be right in the thick of things until the end, but unfortunately, I don’t think they’ll be playing in October. I think the magic of winning so many 1-run games in 2023 won’t be as common in 2024, I think breakout closer Tanner Scott is set for a regression in 2024, and ultimately, I think missing Sandy for the entirety of 2024 will seriously hurt them. My final record prediction: 82-80. Could this team go on a run and finish with 85-88 wins and sneak into the playoffs again? I would not be surprised if they did, but I would not put money on it either. Regardless though, it should be yet another exciting year of Marlins baseball and I look forward to talking all things Marlins all throughout this 2024 season!

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Grant Kiefer
Like many others, I was surprised how the offseason started with former GM Kim Ng not agreeing to terms on a new contract. However, the team’s new President of Baseball Operations, Peter Bendix, was a phenomenal hire for the long-term future of this franchise. With current ownership and how the team has operated since Bruce Sherman purchased the franchise in 2017, it’s clear that the Marlins will never become big spenders. There won’t be any dynasties with perennial All-Stars in Little Havana. But, Bendix comes from the franchise that’s perfected the art of retooling and sustained success, and it’s time we see that happen in Miami.

Now, that being said, the expectations for 2024 change drastically given how the 2023 season ended. I don’t expect the Marlins to return to the Postseason. I think winning 80 games is an achievable goal, but it’s best to use this year to see what young talent exists already and go from there. The fanbase and media have been suggesting this with every new front-office leader the Marlins have, but going all-in at the deadline for a Wild Card spot is not the key to sustained success. That’s now how Bendix will operate this team, so I expect a middle-of-the-pack record and potentially some trade deadline selling to prepare this team for 2025 and beyond.
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Eric Wiedeke
77-85

The Marlins are a team starting 2024 with more questions than answers- How will a team that finished the 2023 season 29th in runs scored field a more potent offense sans slugger Jorge Soler who clubbed 36 home runs and posted an .853 OPS last season as a fixture in the middle of the order? Will the Marlins injury ravaged rotation be able to bear the load of a full 162-game season? Will the Marlins finally get a full season out of 2022 All-Star Jazz Chisholm? Ultimately, given the lack of improvements in the lineup made over the offseason, although 2023 deadline additions Jake Burger and Josh Bell will provide some much needed thump in the order, asking this team to duplicate their success in close games (35-17 in one run games in 2023) will prove to be a tall task for this team.

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Alejandro Villegas
I think this Marlins team will be competitive, but it’s hard to think they will be able to beat the Braves and the Phillies in this division. I think they will be fighting to be one of the wild cards in the National League, just like they did last season, but I honestly don’t see them advancing to the playoffs. There are just too many what ifs in this team. Tim Anderson, Jake Burger, Josh Bell, Jazz Chisholm and even AJ Puk as a starter now. If they step up, the team will compete. If the pitchers stay healthy, this team will stay in contention. If not, there is no way the Marlins fight for a playoff spot.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Heat players, coaches and trainers were shamed at home in loss to the Warriors

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The short-handed Heat hosted the second Golden State Strangler (Draymond Green) and the Warriors, getting disgraced, inching closer to a return to the Play-In Tournament.

The Heat was missing Jimmy Butler (illness), Tyler Herro (foot), Duncan Robinson (back) and Kevin Love (heel).

Not even three minutes into the game, Draymond Green, tied for second in flagrant foul points and shares the fifth spot in accumulated technical fouls, nearly decapitated Patty Mills while battling for positioning in the lane. The refs reviewed the play, failing to call a flagrant foul. Just as I thought: this repeat offender’s antics have desensitized officials, and now, nothing short of leaving a rival unconscious or maiming someone will force the refs to crack down.

But the Heat missed nine of its first 11 attempts, getting swarmed by the Warriors’ backline. Following the opening dry spell, the hosts made 71.4% of their tries to end the period, with mainly Nikola Jović and Adebayo attacking. The former sprayed a right-wing triple and cut into the lane for a layup off a feed by his center. And the latter swished a fader facing Kevon Looney in the paint, made two hooks against the zone and canned a trailing catch-and-shoot trifecta at the top.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr instantly called timeout, and when his crew came out of it, the Heatles’ 2-2-1 press created an eight-second violation.

After one quarter, the Heat led 26-24, shooting 44% to the Warriors’ 61.1%. The hosts were also outrebounded by five.

Next, Golden State’s Klay Thompson converted two threes, firing behind Looney’s pin down on the right wing and making another in the same spot, using a horns play set up by Chris Paul. Jonathan Kuminga broke into the square for a bucket in the half court and finished on the break, too.

Yet, the Heat countered. Jaime Jaquez Jr. buried a corner three and opposite baseline jumper, plus Adebayo cracked the Warriors’ 2-3 zone, going at the low man, Andrew Wiggins, with a hook and turnaround jumper.

Then, past the midway mark of the period, as Terry Rozier misfired a left-side deep jumper, Adebayo was crushed between Gary Payton II and Moses Moody, hitting his head on the way down. Rozier intentionally fouled Moody on the other side to stop the clock. Within a minute, Adebayo, who was withering in pain, stood holding the back of his head and was helped to the bench.

Preposterously, this wasn’t enough for Jay Sabol and his trainers, who can’t keep the others on the floor by the way, or Spo and his assistants to wonder if Adebayo should enter concussion protocols. Perhaps if he fell flat onto his spine or face, safety would have taken a front seat over competitive fervor.

I don’t believe anyone saw him “removed from participation by either a team physician or the player’s team athletic trainer and undergo evaluation in a quiet, distraction-free environment conducive to conducting a neurological evaluation.”

After the game, coach Erik Spoelstra said, “I thought it should have been a flagrant foul…Three guys have to see that when someone gets hit that hard. But he’s fine; he is tough. That happened in the first half, and he was really good in that second half.”

And keep in mind that at the post-game presser, Adebayo said he stayed on the ground because he was trying to make sure he was all right. He “shook it off and got right back to the game.”

Anyways, Haywood Highsmith delivered seven of his 10 second-quarter points following the timeout. He downed a top-of-the-key three, scored a layup on the break set up by Adebayo’s block on Green, and subsequently stripped Paul in Warriors territory, scooping off the glass.

For the Warriors, Thompson made another trifecta, and Moody added six points to close the half.

At intermission, the Heat was up 55-53 and ahead on the glass by three. It also had 26 paint points, four on the break, four via second chances, eight after turnovers, and 21 from the bench.

Adebayo scored 13 points on six of 11 attempts, with six rebounds, four assists and a block. Caleb Martin logged eight points, with two rebounds and five assists. And JJJ and Jović each registered an efficient seven marks.

The Warriors picked up 26 interior points, six in the open court, five on extra tries, seven after turnovers and 14 from the reserves.

Thompson drained 15 points on six of eight ventures and picked up three boards and two dimes. Kunming scored eight on 57.1% shooting, with a rebound and two assists. Curry and Wiggins had a productive seven points apiece.

After coming out of the locker rooms for the 15-minute break, the guests were the stronger team. They stifled the Heat’s deep jumpers with clean contests and outscored them by a dozen in the third quarter. The only hosts to record multiple baskets were Adebayo and Rozier. The rest of the squad converted two of 14 shots.

For the Warriors, the aggressors were Wiggins, bursting into the lane and popping behind the elbow for a jumper; Kuminga, slicing the baseline thrice, jamming a lob, overpowering Rozier at the cup and finishing a putback; and Thompson, contributing eight points.

The fourth quarter began with the Heat down 75-85. Its long-range assault was foiled as it blanked all eight attempts as the Warriors switched, locked and trailed well on snipers plus shaded and recovered quickly.

Within the last five minutes, the Heat still had a chance for redemption. The Warriors responded with the Curry + Green pick and roll setting up a baseline dunk for Kuminga; Wiggins scored on the succeeding play in transition; and Thompson nailed a left-side jumper. The Warriors went up 17 points.

It got so ugly there was even an Alondes Williams sighting in the last 94 seconds for the Heat and a Warriors Gui Santos insertion late. (Williams signed a two-way contract with the Heat on Feb. 9. The Warriors picked Williams up on Nov. 7.)

The Heat lost 92-113 and was outrebounded by three. The squad had 46 paint points, 10 on the break, six via second chances, 14 after turnovers and 28 from the bench.

Adebayo ended the night with 24 points on 10 of 21 looks, recovered nine rebounds, and had five helpings and one block. Rozier and Highsmith contributed 15 points apiece. And JJJ had 12 points on 40% shooting, with two rebounds.

The Warriors had 52 interior points, 18 in the open court, 13 on extra tries, 13 after turnovers and 29 from the reserves.

Thompson produced 28 points on 11 of 20 tries, with five boards and two dimes. Kuminga scored 18 on 61.5% accuracy and absorbed seven rebounds. And Wiggins and Curry had 17 points each.

Spoelstra said, “You have to credit Golden State. They knew what this game was about… These are must wins for both teams going down the stretch, and they were able to get the job done tonight.”

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Panthers Find Their Game Again on Road Trip

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There haven’t been too many negative aspects of this Panthers season — largely because of how consistent their game has been over the past few months.

 

So when they began to stray away from their usual course two weeks ago, there was some slight cause for concern as the playoffs are just a month away. 

 

Last Thursday’s 3-0 loss at home to Nashville was another night of disappointment for the Panthers. They had dropped three consecutive games in regulation for the first time all season — and trailed at least 3-0 in each of their last four games. 

 

The team who was so good at locking teams down from mid January to early March had everything going for them.

 

From Jan. 22 to March 9, the Panthers gave up two or fewer goals in 18 of 20 games and did not concede more than three in any of those — going 17-3-0 over that span. 

 

They were playing elite hockey — until they hit a bump in the road. 

 

Before we get into the skid, it’s important to note that the Panthers lost Aaron Ekblad, their top-line defenseman, to a lower-body injury in their 5-1 win against the Flames on March 9 and haven’t had him back since. 

 

March 12 in Dallas, the Panthers were in unfamiliar territory, trailing 3-0 to the Stars in just the second period. They were able to rally with four unanswered and win the game. 

 

They slacked at the start but picked up the two points, don’t panic.

 

It happened again.

 

Two nights later in Carolina, they were dominated.

 

The Hurricanes beat the Panthers 4-0 and handed them their first multi-goal loss in nearly two months.

 

It continued. 

 

The following game, Tampa put four straight goals past Florida before the Panthers clawed back to make it a 4-3 game. The Lightning sealed away an empty netter and Andrei Vasilevskiy had 47 saves in a 5-3 win, but the second half of this game wasn’t bad at all — they just ran into a goalie who was from another planet.

 

Nashville would be the next thorn in Florida’s side. 

 

Looking for a stronger performance on home ice, the Panthers were already in a hole as they were without their Aleksander Barkov (lower-body injury) and defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (serving two-game suspension).

 

The red hot Predators, who had points in 15 straight games when they arrived in Sunrise (13-0-2), weren’t going to be an easy out and they proved it. Nashville scored three goals, locked down the Panthers offense,and had a top performance in net from Kevin Lankinen — who picked up his first shutout in three years.

 

“We’re not close to our game now,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said following the loss to Nashville. “Right now we’re a rush team with no speed, which wouldn’t relate at all to the team that you’ve seen in the past… I got lots of faith in them, I’m going to have to find a way to get it out of them.”

 

Four full days off between the Tampa and Nashville games wasn’t enough to get the Panthers out of their mini funk — and a few tough road games were ahead. 

 

On Saturday, the Panthers went into Madison Square Garden to face the Rangers, a team who, like them, were still sniffing for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. 

 

Still without Ekblad, Barkov and Kulikov, the Panthers had even more bad luck on the horizon, losing the service of their other top-pair defenseman, Gustav Forsling, to an illness. 

 

Florida had to shuffle some things around. Uvis Balinskis was called up from AHL Charlotte for the Nashville game and 22-year-old Tobias Bjornfot made his Panthers debut in place of Forsling against the Rangers. 

 

Kyle Okposo and Steven Lorentz reentered the forward lineup while Ryan Lomberg was a healthy scratch for the first time since the 2021-22 season.

 

Missing three of their top players, on a losing streak, against undoubtedly one of the best teams in the NHL was a disaster waiting to happen. 

 

But it wasn’t.

 

Florida came out strong against the Rangers. They forechecked hard, put pressure on the opposition and most importantly, they didn’t get dominated. 

 

The Panthers scored the first two goals on Saturday night before the Rangers scored two unanswered of their own. 

 

Each side would exchange goals late in the third before the game entered the overtime period. 

 

Florida ended up losing 4-3 in the shootout, but they picked up their first points in 11 days and fought to the end against a team who now sits one point ahead of them in the standings. 

 

“I liked our game tonight.  I’m really happy with it,” Maurice said after the loss to New York. “It’s been a little bit of a grinder for us. The element that we haven’t been able to grab hold of in our games was in it tonight. I was very happy with it.”

 

The Rangers game was a step in the right direction and they had an opportunity to build off that less than 24 hours later in Philadelphia. 

 

On Sunday night, the Panthers had the second half of their back-to-back, this time against the Flyers. 

 

Anthony Stolarz got the call after Sergei Bobrovsky started five consecutive games and Dmitry Kulikov returned from his suspension. Ryan Lomberg also got back into the lineup.

 

The Panthers continued where they left off in New York.

 

Sam Reinhart got the ball rolling with his 49th goal of the season to open the scoring 10:34 into the first period. Vladimir Tarasenko doubled the Panthers lead in the second period with his 20th goal of the season (third with Florida). 

 

Carter Verhaeghe put the Panthers up 3-0 in the third with his 32nd goal of the season and that just about wrapped things up.

 

The Flyers would make it a 3-1 game but Sam Reinhart put a cherry on top of his historic offensive season with his 50th goal of the season — becoming just the second player in Panthers history to do so (Pavel Bure did it twice).  

 

After losing four straight (0-3-1), the Panthers finally got back into the win column with a 4-1 win against the Flyers, doing so without Barkov, Forsling and Ekblad.

 

“I think we built off last game (in New York),” Brandon Montour said in Philadelphia. “Last two weeks we haven’t liked the way we’ve been playing… It’s gonna happen with long seasons. So we want to get back to what made us successful this year. I thought the guys did a good job today.”

 

There’s only 11 games left in the Panthers regular season and they stopped the bleeding at an opportune time. 

 

They are first in the Atlantic Division and trail the Rangers by just one point for first in the East. 

 

With a three-game home stand coming up, the Panthers will see the Bruins on Tuesday, in what will be a huge four-point swing with the top two teams in the division playing for first as the season dwindles down. 

 

The Panthers may get Barkov back for that game and would hope Forsling can return too. Aaron Ekblad isn’t too far off either. 

 

In less than a month, the two week slump would be all but forgotten as the Panthers will be playing in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

 

The race to the finish line will see multiple teams battle for the top seed in the East and the Panthers should be right there in the mix as the post season approaches.  

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Haywood Highsmith pops off the bench as the Heat slaughter the Cavaliers

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Evan Mobley’s return nor divine intervention could stop the Cavaliers from getting slayed by the Heat at Kaseya Center.

The Heat was missing Tyler Herro (foot), Duncan Robinson (back), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (ankle) and Kevin Love (heel). The Cavaliers were absent Donovan Mitchell (knee), Max Strus (knee) and Dean Wade (knee).

Early, the Heat’s zone and man coverage neutralized three of the Cavaliers’ top available snipers- Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro and Sam Merrill- to one of eight makes. But Jarrett Allen cut for a layup, hooked once in the lane off a pick-and-roll set with Garland and caught a lob from Georges Niang after the Heat blitzed up top. Evan Mobley ran a give-and-go with Allen, swishing a triple; He also spitefully jammed over backline defender Thomas Bryant. Niang canned two trays.

On offense, the Heat saw lite work. Butler scored in transition through contact, pump-faked Mobley out of bounds for a corner three and made four freebies. Adebayo connected on a jumper at the nail and two gorgeous left-handed hooks- the first posting up Niang and the second spinning in the paint with Allen on his hip. And Haywood Highsmith drained a right-wing triple and cut up the baseline for a lob from Terry Rozier.

Through one quarter, the Heat was ahead 32-22, shooting 57.9% to the Cavaliers’ 45%.

Next, the home squad climbed to an 18-point advantage nearly four minutes later. Highsmith kept thriving, nailing two catch-and-release threes and a putback. The rest of the unit registered five of 14 baskets in the period, but it got a boost, creating contact at close range and tallying nine marks at the line. Cleveland’s worst offenders here were DG and Mobley, picking up five fouls between them and at the end of the interval, the former was penalized for his fourth, recklessly trying to take a charge on Butler.

Defensively, the guests were strangled with the zone and the 2-2-1 press leading into it, making one of six 3-pointers and failing on another in transition. The Heat’s protections were so sharp that the Cavs didn’t get one attempt in the restricted area in the second quarter.

At halftime, the Heat was up 60-39. It had 26 paint points, six on the break, two via second chances, 14 after turnovers and 26 from the bench.

Butler had 13 points on two shots and eight recorded freebies, with three rebounds, three assists and a steal. Highsmith had 13 points on five of six attempts, and picked up four rebounds, one assist and one steal. And Adebayo added 11 to his scorecard on 71.4% shooting, with seven boards and three steals.

The Cavaliers racked up 14 interior points, none on the break or on extra tries, two after turnovers and 12 from the reserves.

Allen had nine points on three of six ventures, with four rebounds and two assists. Mobley scored seven on four shots and recovered a rebound in his first game since March 5 (ankle). And Garland plus Niang had six points apiece. The other Cavs supplied four of 16 baskets.

In the third, the lifeless Cavs only had two members score multiple field goals – rookie Craig Porter Jr. and elder statesman Tristan Thompson. The Heat choked Cleveland’s offense, permitting nine points through 10 minutes, causing damage with the zone and man coverage. In that stretch, Nikola Jović canned consecutive triples and finished on the break, fed by a Magic Johnson-esque bounce pass from Adebayo. The Heat’s lead was later stuffed to 40 points as Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff fumed on the sideline.

Cleveland’s instructor conceded a minute-and-change into the fourth quarter. He inserted the infrequently used backup Damian Jones (center) and rookie project Emoni Bates (guard). They played the rest of the game and were the only Cavs to produce multiple field goals late.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra slowly subbed in his background players and with over four minutes left, Jamal Cain buried a right-wing banger, giving the Heat a 45-point edge. At that moment, he was joined by Cole Swider, Delon Wright, Orlando Robinson and Bryant.

The Heat won 121-84 and out-rebounded its rival by 14. On top of that, the squad had 50 paint points, 24 on the break, six via second chances, 35 after turnovers and 59 from the bench.

Highsmith dispensed 18 points on seven of 10 looks, with five rebounds, two assists and one steal. Butler had 15 points on six shots, with three rebounds and six assists. Adebayo put up 15 on the scoreboard, with 16 rebounds, three assists and five steals. And Rozier and Bryant had 14 points apiece.

The Cavaliers had 34 interior points, two in the open court, four on extra tries, 11 after turnovers, and 46 from the reserves.

Mobley was the lone guest to score in double figures- 15 points on four of six attempts, with four rebounds and an assist. Allen had tallied nine marks, four rebounds and three dimes. The other starters made six of 19 baskets in the game.

Highsmith handled the on-court interview. He said, [Udonis Haslem] always says, ‘Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready,’ and I take that to heart. I’m always in the gym, working, putting in extra shots. Whether I play or don’t play, [I’ll be] ready, and I’m here for whatever the team needs.”

At the postgame presser, Spoelstra said, “We were able to get some easy [points] off of some turnovers, stops, long rebounds… In order to see the ball go in sometimes, in an easy way, you have to do a bunch of very difficult things defensively, and we were committed to that.”
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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Kim Mulkey senselessly tried to intimidate the Washington Post

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As LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey gaslighted the press for nearly four minutes, assuredly, her team’s communications department watched in horror as queen pomposity ensured their jobs would get exponentially burdensome. Goodness willing, parents of current players watched, questioning why they want their daughters to take instruction from a bully.

The Washington Post is releasing a story soon about her. She’s as timorous as Magic Johnson was in 2019 when ESPN’s Baxter Holmes was on his tail and about to expose him as a fearmonger. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have irrationally ranted, threatening a defamation suit, and then denied those she insulted an opportunity for a follow-up.

In tyrannical fashion, she besmirched the integrity of a public servant because he dared to investigate a subject who deems herself above reproach. This assignment began two years ago, as Mulkey agitatedly explained, and -wait for it- the reporter committed the sin of giving her another opportunity to speak on record on Tuesday (March 19).

On top of that, she accused the journalist of deceiving her colleagues for information. If she’s not bluffing, taking the WP to court, I eagerly await to see how her counsel proves she is a victim. Her backup players probably have higher odds of ripping through the tournament to capture the trophy.

“It was an attempt to prevent me from commenting and an attempt to distract [the women’s basketball team] from [the NCAA] tournament,” Mulkey said.

She must think those in the room are as dull as her to believe that she couldn’t comment five days after the last attempt was made.

She added, “They’re ignoring the 40-plus years of positive stories that they have heard from people about me.”

Based on her attitude, she probably wants the media to refer to her as “editor,” as ESPN’s Adam Schefter did with Bruce Allen in 2011.

Will she finally get humbled? Likely not, but her anger at the impending truth surfacing is satisfying to witness.

Parents were still comfortable allowing her next to their children after Kate Fagen reported that she told Brittney Griner to shut up about being gay in 2013.

Her reputation even survived defending her then-employer, Baylor University. At the same time, it was involved in a federal lawsuit over the school neglecting victims of sexual violence, resulting in it settling and firing its president Ken Starr and football coach Art Briles. Never forget her comments:”The problems we have at Baylor are no different than the problems at any other school in America. Period. Move on, find another story to write.”

Her stature didn’t crumble at her indifference when Sa’Myah Smith fainted during the group’s 2023 White House visit, either.

She’s callous, and her actions at the presser aren’t normal- it’s textbook intimidation. The irony is that her comments presumably guaranteed thousands more will check out the WP report. Maybe it will be the real reason she left Baylor.