4 Good Reasons to Start Playing Ping Pong

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This pandemic has taught us to value life. Most of us engage in physical activities to boost our immune system and prolong our lives. Scientific evidence has provided overwhelming effects of physical activity and sport on the overall well-being of an individual. The direct and positive impact of engaging in regular exercise is particularly evident in the prevention of most chronic illnesses including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression, hypertension, and osteoporosis.

A Report from the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Sport for Development and Peace emphasizes the benefits of physical activity in developing healthy bones, improved cognitive function or motor skills, and efficient lung and heart function. It maintains the quality of life and autonomy.

However, not everyone can adapt to any sport and physical activity. The pre-existing conditions of individuals may restrict their bodies from doing worthwhile activities. In terms of sports, table tennis can be recommended to those people who want to engage in a recreation that is less physically demanding. Playing Ping-Pong has several benefits without being too exhausted. 

1.  Stimulates Mental Awareness

According to Dr. Daniel Amen, a physician, psychiatrist, and brain imaging expert, table tennis is “the world’s best brain sport”. It is a fast game that requires sharpness of mind in developing strategies and tactics. Ping-pong is extremely aerobic as it uses both the lower and upper body. It uses all areas of the brain simultaneously as you follow the movement of the ball, figuring out your spins and planning shots and strategies. It develops mental acuity. 

2.  Improves Hand-eye coordination

If you happen to watch a table tennis match, you would probably be amazed at how the players hit the ball so quickly that your eyes can’t keep up! Aside from extreme focus, the art of table tennis also requires incredible hand-eye coordination. It is so intense that it stimulates concentration. It may look challenging to those people who are just learning the basics of table tennis. Good thing some expert players share guides in playing the game. Visit pongplace.com if you want to learn tips, techniques, and strategies in Ping pong. They will help you enhance your skill.

3.  Burns Calories

You might think that playing ping pong is like a leisure activity or pastime just like bowling or billiards. Surprisingly, most table tennis beginners burn about 200-350 calories in an hour. Advanced players may burn anywhere between 450-500 calories per hour. This sets this game apart from any other recreational games. This is an exercise that constantly burns your fat and boosts metabolism. 

4.  Expands Social Environment

Table tennis is one of the games that help you develop social interaction as you need to play with others. It expands your social environment and allows you to meet and interact with other people from all walks of life.

Physical activity and sport have significant contributions in promoting a healthy lifestyle. You can choose a sport or activity that is less exhaustive. Table tennis is one of the recreational indoor games with several health benefits. It improves cardiovascular function and overall fitness.

Super Bowl Primer: GOAT vs. Successor

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It’s not too much of a surprise that the best quarterback to ever play is making his 10th Super Bowl appearance this year. Tom Brady is ready to go to the Super Bowl again, except this year, he is with a different team.

It’s also not that much of a surprise that the next face of the NFL also made the super bowl for a second year straight. Patrick Mahomes is one of the flashiest quarterbacks in the NFL, making no-look passes left and right in style.

Tom Brady has easily made himself the best player to ever play football, at least in my opinion. Before this season, people made the argument that Brady only made Super Bowls due to Bill Belichick, but now that Brady made a Super Bowl under a different head coach, he has proven he is much more than a system quarterback.

I also think that out of any person in the National Football League, Patrick Mahomes is the only player who can become the next Tom Brady. Mahomes has already proven that he is an amazing quarterback, and he can bring a team to Super Bowls year after year.

Let’s get into what everyone wants to know.

Who’s going to win the Super Bowl, 43 year old Brady, or 25 year old Mahomes?

While the Buccaneers are a more balanced team, I still think the Chiefs are going to win. The Chiefs offense is unstoppable. Tyreek Hill can outrun any player in the NFL, Travis Kelce is the most dominant Tight End, and Patrick Mahomes is a top talent. Along with their explosive offense, their defense makes big plays when they’re needed.

The Buccaneers have a star-studded offense between Tom Brady, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, and Rob Gronkowski. They also have an amazing defense from Shaq Barrett to Lavonte David to Devin White.

Even though the Buccaneers have the more balanced team overall, I really can’t see the Chiefs offense being stopped in this Super Bowl, considering they beat the best defense in the NFL in last year’s super bowl against the 49ers.

No matter who wins, this should go down as one the best Super Bowls in NFL History.

Miami Marlins May Flop in Stacked NL East

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The Philadelphia Phillies re-signed their two stars J.T. Realmuto and Didi Gregorious this past week. Not to be overdramatic, but this almost certainly feels like the nail in the coffin for the Miami Marlins in the upcoming 2021 season. They now find themselves in a division of 3 highly competitive teams: the Mets, Braves, and Phillies. Both the Phillies and Mets have historically underperformed in recent years, but with the Mets basically fielding an entire roster of new talent and the Phillies inching closer and closer to putting the puzzle pieces together, things are looking bleak in Miami.

 

Here’s my take on why the current NL East will prevent the Marlins from making the playoffs in back-to-back years:

 

Statistics

 

Ew. I know, I talk about the analytics a lot more than anyone would like to hear, but it is impossible to overlook them. All 4 other NL teams have either gotten better or remained the same. Last year, the Marlins overall (hitting, pitching, fielding, etc.) were statistically the worst in the division. An extremely small sample size allowed their underdog mentality to propel them forwards, but they will not have that luxury this year. With no key improvements to make any difference, we can expect a quick regression to their true mean: around 73-89.

 

Offense

 

The Marlins are simply outclassed by the rest of the division. We struggled to win 9 inning games last year because even in games where the pitching was lights out, our bats were flimsy at best. No changes made means similar issues in this season. In a division where you have to worry about Realmuto, Freeman, Acuna, Ozuna, Turner, etc., it is implausible to rely on young arms to carry you through a season. There will be close games that the Marlins pull out, but there will be a multitude of games where they are blown out.

 

Marlins Rebuild

 

Everything in Miami points to a rebuild. Kim Ng and Derek Jeter are taking last year with a grain of salt, and they are simply continuing on with the plan. The NL East has a “win now” mentality that the Marlins front office lacks. The lack of offseason moves points directly toward this. Sadly, after years of waiting for something as fruitful as the 2020 season was, Marlins fans may have to wait even longer for continued success.

 

Overall

 

At this point, all Marlins fans can do is sit back and trust in the process. After years of doing exactly that, there is expected agitation within the fanbase. Patience is key, though. The Fish may not have the talent ready now, but in a year or two we will begin to see a strong competitor emerge once again.

 

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A Breakdown of Jimmy Butler’s Return

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Well, Jimmy Butler returned on Saturday night in a way that not many people could have expected. 30 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, 0 turnovers. One of the most impressive parts about his offensive display was the ability to get to the free throw line, going 14/16 from the stripe, which I won’t highlight here since there’s no need for a foul line montage.

Anyway, here are some of the things that stood out from his return against the Sacramento Kings…

– A Bam plan, A Butler attacker

Luke Walton discussed this unique season before the game, since Miami has been without Jimmy Butler for a few weeks, meaning the film they looked over will change majorly. And that defensive plan continued early on, since the focus seemed to be on Bam so much as the roller, so Jimmy Butler had easy opportunities at the rim as seen above. After missing that huge amount of time, getting easy buckets early on was important for his overall scoring success leading to a 30 point night. But more importantly, when Sacramento altered their defense a bit, others had increased opportunities which is basically the entire Jimmy Butler experience.

– Butler reads, Butler knocks it down

The Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo pick and roll was a good thing to see after the long absence, especially since things will look differently as Bam continues to expand his range. But as seen above, Bam allowing Jimmy to get to his favorite spots around the rim for floaters and push-shots are the most important things for a flowing offense. The discussion has been about Bam’s aggression, but Jimmy confidently getting shots on goal when given space is so great to see. The reason I bring these plays up is because this PnR has so much potential. For one, Bam Adebayo is one of the best screen setters and roll threats in the NBA, but allowing Butler to have an open middle floor to throw a lob, kick to the corner, or attempt an open shot in the paint, will lead to many good things for Miami.

– Playing the game at a needed speed

Jimmy’s ability to play the game at his own speed was on display against the Kings, and he doesn’t just have one speed. When he notices a necessity to pick up the pace, he does that by charging down the floor in transition when an opportunity presents itself. But he’s also able to slow the game down and calm the young guys, which is exactly what Miami has been missing. More importantly though, his methodical movements when attacking the basket one-on-one showcase that game speed ability. As seen here, he attacks the center off the dribble as Buddy Hield slides over to switch. As Buddy is sliding over, Jimmy gives him a slight ball-fake to give him the sliver of space needed to lay it in. These small things in his game are still so impressive.

– Jimmy penetration and Precious roaming leads to easy scores

The Butler and Achiuwa minutes were some of the most surprising in my opinion, since they were more effective than originally expected. Of course Precious continues to be able to fit in with just about anybody, but seeing the way his game compliments Jimmy was interesting. As discussed before, Jimmy’s ability to get to the basket in unique ways is clear, but it’s also when he looks to play-make the most, usually ending in cross court kick-outs. But with Precious’ ability to roam the baseline and have nonstop activity around the rim, it leads to easy scores for each of them. On the first play, Hassan Whiteside stepped up leading to an open, rolling Precious Achiuwa for a nice score in traffic. The second clip shows their ability to play off each other as discussed previously. Jimmy draws two perimeter defenders when attacking, and also gets Whiteside in the air, leading to a dump-off pass to Precious for a dunk. Yet another reason the Precious role change is coming.

– The vocal leader is back

Aside from Jimmy Butler’s on-court play for a moment, his leadership on the floor has been missed. With under a minute to play, Coach Spo went with an interesting closing lineup with Max Strus. And when Strus tried to make an extra pass to the corner after a Butler kick-out, Jimmy looked to let him know. The thing about this team that is constantly discussed is that they all hold each other accountable and yell at each other, but nobody takes it personal. It’s just the competitive spirit of the team since everybody just wants to win, and not only does the organization hold them to a certain standard, their leader and star Jimmy Butler does as well. Miami getting Jimmy back just means everything can run smoother just through his presence, and that was seen against Sacramento.

– The reason for the superstar label

Well, this play had to be noted just because of the importance and story-line behind it regarding Jimmy Butler. For starters, Erik Spoelstra mentioned Jimmy was going to make sure to guard him on that possession since he wasn’t going to let them lose, and that further proves the reason for the superstar status regarding Butler. As seen on the play, he has a defensive ability to be ultra-aggressive, without committing a foul itself, which is not an easy thing to balance. Another reason he was so confident in going for the double team is because he knows his running mate, Bam Adebayo, had him covered if a cross-court pass was made. And as seen, Bam came up big to get Miami a much needed win after the recent losing streak. Getting these late game defensive reps only makes you more confident in this team moving forward.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Victory Over Kings

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The Miami Heat went down to the wire with the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night, and finally came away with a win. Jimmy Butler and Andre Iguodala returned tonight, while Goran Dragic and Avery Bradley were still out. Here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Jimmy Butler is back, and looks like Jimmy Butler.

Well, Jimmy Butler scoring 20 first half points tonight says enough about him as a player. After missing the amount of time that he missed, he returned without skipping a beat. Miami struggled getting into a rhythm offensively throughout, and Jimmy did the things that he usually did in those moments, getting to the rim and the free throw line. He went 8-8 from the free throw line in the first half, which changes a bunch of things for a stagnant Miami offense. It’s automatically seen that Jimmy changes everything on both ends of the floor just through his presence. It’s just harder to notice when the players around him struggle from beyond the arc. The bottom line though is that a team with Jimmy Butler is a completely different team, and once they get some games together with the full team, improvements will be clear.

#2: Gabe Vincent gets his number called over Kendrick Nunn.

The big question after Kendrick Nunn’s recent high level play was where he’d fit in once everybody returned. And well, even with two of Miami’s guards out, Goran Dragic and Avery Bradley, he didn’t get the expected minutes. Gabe Vincent hit the floor for quite some time tonight, which is definitely surprising, but not a bad move. Vincent’s size allows him to compete on the defensive end much more, and on a night where three point shots still weren’t falling, he seemed like the right way to go. Kendrick was the correct decision when Jimmy was out, since he can run many of Miami’s offensive sets and get to the basket. The point is that it’s hard to predict the direction that Miami goes with any rotational moves, especially in this unique NBA season.

#3: KZ Okpala gets the start, but his weaknesses become clearer.

After KZ Okpala has shown many positive flashes in small spurts, his fit with a normal Miami starting lineup was finally seen. The weaknesses that have been discussed are on the offensive end, and it mostly has to do with his offensive placement. There’s still uncertainty about his offensive role, since he’s just not a spot-up shooter and that seems to be his current placing. The problem is that when he attacks or cuts to the basket off the ball, he doesn’t look at the basket, and that needs to change. Some problems were apparent on the defensive end as well, like unnecessary aggression leading to fouls or easy backdoor buckets. One-on-one defense out on the perimeter usually looks pretty strong, but when bigger players attack, it’s hard for him to stop them with his small frame. The expectation level he has come in with has hurt him a bit, but it hasn’t changed the outlook from the team and coaching staff.

#4: Tyler Herro continuing to build onto his offensive package.

I’m pretty sure everybody is aware of the current state of Tyler Herro as an offensive player, but his scoring improvements have been seen. The part that was shown tonight was mostly out of the pick and roll, since defenses are beginning to play him much differently. Once he notices the big back pedaling and the guard trailing, he immediately steps back in the mid-range area into a dead spot. That’s the part of his game that is most important, since the actual shot-making part is not much of a worry. This exact type of play was seen frequently tonight, which is promising for his overall offensive package. He did seem to take quite a step back offensively with the starting unit, since he played off the ball, but maybe that’s best in spurts for his overall effectiveness over an entire game.

#5: Bam Adebayo’s offensive role with Jimmy Butler still in question.

The big question coming into this Heat game tonight was how Bam Adebayo steps up as a scorer once Jimmy Butler returns. And well, it seems as if his motto still is efficiency over attempts, which may not be the best thing at times. Bam had a bunch of bigs being thrown his way tonight, and it seemed like stopping Bam was at the top of the scouting report, but when he is given the space to shoot the jumper, it needs to be taken advantage of. I’ve discussed the necessity for him to get to the basket, but with a packed paint tonight, his usual mid-range attempts should’ve increased. It’s only the first game that Jimmy returned, which means there’s plenty of time for this to progress.

Marlins DFA Jordan Yamamoto

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It seemed as if Jordan Yamamoto’s days in Miami were numbered after that fateful night in Atlanta when he allowed 12 earned en route to a 29-9 stomping in Atlanta. He had struggled before then as well, as his average fastball dipped below 90 MPH for the first time in his career. The DFA makes room for new reliever Anthony Bass, but leaves Marlins fans unsure of what this means for the future.

Rebuilding last year’s Marlins team

Everything points towards Miami taking an extended 3-5 year plan to continue what is looking to be a successful rebuild. By signing Bass, they look to field a team very similar to last years, and as we all know, last year was a good surprise regardless of how good that team actually was. This will be an attempt to be competitive this year; however, the odds say Bass will play a bigger role in years to come when the Marlins are at the top of the food chain.

Yamamoto not a part of the future

We can infer that Jordan Yamamoto is just not a part of the bigger picture within Miami. He is a young arm, but he is simply outclassed by Sixto, Pablo, and Sandy. Pitching is not the question of the future Miami Marlins; rather, the lineup is where the concern needs to be. Derek Jeter and Kim Ng did not believe that the investment in Yamamoto was worth it. Let’s hope this isn’t another Zac Gallen situation.

Miami’s Biggest Upcoming Adjustment Involves Precious Achiuwa

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I’ve spent a lot of time diving into Precious Achiuwa’s games this season, since his individual play has been so outstanding in these circumstances.

For one, coming into the NBA after a long layoff, and being thrown right into the rotation on a team that just made the finals says enough about him as a player. The reason he was granted this role is because he was needed as a relief when Bam Adebayo exited the floor.

But he’s much more than that now.

The Miami Heat just lost to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night, and it wouldn’t have been close if Precious Achiuwa didn’t get inserted to end the third quarter and begin the fourth quarter.

As seen there, his offensive presence was what gave Miami the spark they needed, but his involvement on each and every play is the part that truly stands out.

Instead of diving into his individual play yet again, it’s time to discuss the next step, since it seems like it’s coming real soon.

As mentioned previously, he’s no longer the rookie who can come in for their centerpiece Bam Adebayo for small stretches. He’s now the guy they need on the floor to win games. The issue is that Coach Spoelstra does not want to go the route of playing Bam and Precious together, and since there are so many players out, Bam got an even larger increase in minutes. And subsequently, that meant Precious’ minutes got decreased.

Now, I’m not saying it’s as simple as just throwing them both in the game together all the time, since there are still question marks about the offensive stance. But when Miami’s playing in games with 5 bench players that include Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, KZ Okpala, Udonis Haslem, and Precious Achiuwa, it seems to be the time to try things like that for decent stretches.

Miami just getting fully healthy is the number one priority right now, but what will Achiuwa’s role be when that occurs? Will it be a situational spark player? Well, that could be what he is, but it seems like he is trending in the direction of being more than just a spark.

The other intriguing part about him is his growing offensive connection with Tyler Herro. In the second half against the Clippers, the Herro-Achiuwa pick and roll was the only efficient offensive set Miami ran. This is very promising for Miami’s future, if these two are playing at this level together in just a few games.

But it’s no longer about looking at things as “promising” or for the “future.” The Heat are now in need for immediate impact, especially since there is uncertainty about who will even play on a nightly basis.

And the reason I have a feeling that is coming for Precious Achiuwa is because there’s a certain trust level there. This team notices that Precious consistently gives them the same exact thing every night. And as much as Coach Spo discussed “simplifying” the game for Precious, it seems like Precious will be pushed for an early leap only 18 games into his NBA career, which says a lot about him as a player.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Clippers

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Well, the Miami Heat fall late in the game yet again, this time to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Miami Heat were without many key players, but so were the Clippers. The only issue was that the best player on the floor didn’t play like it. Anyway, here are five takeaways from this loss….

#1: First quarter fire, second quarter struggles.

The first half was a roller coaster of emotions for Miami. The Heat came out with the necessary fire and energy, which led to Miami expanding their lead by a decent margin early in the first quarter. The main reason for that was just plainly shot making, since Miami has not been hitting many triples as of late. And the Clippers not being able to connect on shots beyond the arc also led to that. Either way, this shorthanded Miami team battled to get an early lead, but couldn’t fully sustain it once that same intensity wore off. The same shots weren’t falling in the second quarter, and Bam Adebayo didn’t have it going like usual. Tyler Herro also got a decent sized rest, which is important since overplaying him after missing the last seven games is the last thing they want to do. Miami provided both the highs and lows of this Heat team that are seen nightly.

#2: Two-way guys lead Miami in first half.

The Heat’s two leading scorers in the first half were Gabe Vincent and Max Strus. For starters, Gabe looked like the player that the coaching staff is used to seeing. When the three ball begins to drop, his offensive play begins to pop. But I still don’t believe that is his best attribute. He’s most comfortable once he gets inside the three point line, since his shooting balance allows him to stop on a dime on pull-ups, and he can get to the rim fairly easy. Max Strus also showed life in the first half, knocking down the triples that were given to him. It’s hard to truly see other parts of his offensive game, since the outside shooting seems to be the only part that is polished, but on a shorthanded night like tonight, that shooting was much needed. But when the team’s two-way guys are the leading scorers, I’m not so sure that’s a positive.

#3: There were certain stretches that proved the importance of Goran Dragic.

We can go through each and every player that Miami is missing, and how they could’ve impacted tonight’s game, but the Goran Dragic absence is the one that stuck out the most. Miami had a decent sized lead in the second quarter, and that’s when the offense grew stagnant. And once the offense grows stagnant, that’s usually Goran’s queue to go be aggressive and score the basketball. And as mentioned, Tyler Herro sitting on the sideline during these stretches didn’t help this cause as well. Everybody’s aware of the impact Goran Dragic has on this team, but the situational spots when he doesn’t play just jump off the screen.

#4: A third quarter Clippers three point contest.

Well, after the Los Angeles Clippers poor three point shooting display to begin the game as discussed before, they caught fire in the third quarter. I discussed Miami missing Goran Dragic in spots tonight, but not having Andre Iguodala, Avery Bradley, and Jimmy Butler led to that third quarter offensive showing from the Clippers. Now, there’s no reason to make that excuse, since this Clippers team without Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Patrick Beverley should be a group that Miami can handle. But Miami’s lack of good defenders makes it hard to bounce back once beginning to play from behind. It’s hard to put your finger on certain parts of the game every night, since it seems to always be something new that leads to a trailing Miami Heat team.

#5: Bam Adebayo lack of aggression to Precious Achiuwa full of intensity.

Bam Adebayo was just plainly not the same guy that has been seen lately. That’s not just because his shots weren’t falling, which clearly was the case. But more importantly, the issue was that he lacked intensity on both ends of the floor tonight. The one player that didn’t lack energy and intensity on either end tonight though was Precious Achiuwa. When it seemed like the game was definitely out of reach in the fourth quarter, Precious was inserted and Miami went on a 10-0 run. There was just nobody to spark this Heat team tonight, so the rookie had to step up in that area. It’s very promising for the team’s future with this new gem they got in the draft, but Coach Spo not playing him with Bam leads to less minutes for Precious, which can be problematic.

QB Martell, RB Burns enter transfer portal

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On Wednesday afternoon, it was discovered that two now-former Miami Hurricanes have entered the transfer portal. 

 

The biggest name is QB Tate Martell, who was one of the first big-name transfers that Manny Diaz landed as he began his reign as head coach in January of 2019. 

 

Martell was in contention for the starting QB job that season but lost out to Jarren Williams. Then-OC Dan Enos even experimented with Martell at wide receiver but he ultimately returned under center. He would opt to sit out the 2020 season and he finishes his Miami career with completing his only pass for 7 yards and rushing seven times for a total of 7 yards. 

 

It was very unlikely he would contend for even the backup position this year as Miami returns D’Eriq King as well as highly-heralded freshman Tyler Van Dyke. Miami also signed Jake Garcia in this past recruiting class although it remains to be seen whether he receives a redshirt.

 

It is worth noting that N’Kosi Perry entered but then retracted his name from the transfer portal. However, it’s looking likely that he will opt to graduate with a Miami degree after this spring and grad transfer to a different program, as he would’ve been the incumbent backup for the second season in a row behind King. 

 

RB Robert Burns also entering portal

 

The other Cane opting to transfer is RB Robert Burns. Burns arrived in Miami in 2017 as a three-star prospect but has since dealt with a myriad of injuries that has impacted his ability to get carries consistently. 

 

He saw limited action in 2020 after finding himself buried on the depth chart behind Cam’ron Harris and highly-touted freshmen Don Chaney and Jaylan Knighton. Burns finishes his career in Coral Gables with 189 rushing yards on 47 carries. 

 

In total, Miami has 4 four players that are set to leave or have left this year: Martell, Burns, Perry, and LB Patrick Joyner. Joyner opted to reunite with former Miami safeties coach Ephraim Banda at Utah State.

 

Stay tuned for a new episode of The Sixth Ring on Friday night at 7 PM, where we will discuss the transfer portal news along with Canes and the Gators, as well as the overall college football landscape and the Senior Bowl.

 

5 Takeaways from Miami’s Loss to Denver

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The Miami Heat drop yet another game tonight, this time to the Denver Nuggets. The Heat were without Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, and Goran Dragic tonight, which gives you a sense of the way this game went. Miami will be playing tomorrow night as well on a back to back, against a depleted Los Angeles Clippers team, so it’ll be necessary to get a  win. Anyway, here are five takeaways…

#1: Well, the issues were apparent tonight, but it starts with shot making.

It’s hard to start in one certain area when diving into Miami’s performance tonight, but the most obvious issue was just plainly shot making. If Miami wanted a chance in this game, while being shorthanded once again, the role players were needed to hit open shots. And well, that didn’t happen. Three point shooting was a huge issue throughout, which is exactly what occurred in the last game against Brooklyn. They shot 19% from three in the first half, which was not that high for a good portion of the half. Thirty-three points in a half is clearly problematic, even without some key players. Some guys inability to step up right now with players out is an eye opener for the long term vision for some player’s roles.

#2: A glimpse of Bam Adebayo and Precious Achiuwa minutes.

The one positive thing from the night is that we got the first glimpse of Bam Adebayo and Precious Achiuwa together. The reason it has been looked upon so much is because it’s the hopeful future of this team, and people want assurance about that plan moving forward. The reason the fit was in question before was because of the offensive spacing that held some question marks. But with Bam Adebayo continuing to expand his range, it makes more and more sense right now. The only reason it was gone to in this game is because of their lackluster play, and Coach Spo wanted a spark. They actually played good defensively for that small stretch, but it’s hard to truly evaluate it in a game where nothing is being generated on either end of the floor.

#3: Duncan Robinson struggles continue.

I don’t think many people are used to Duncan Robinson struggling shooting the ball for three games in a row. And it’s not just about constant doubles or overplaying, since he seems to be getting good looks throughout, he just can’t capitalize. Now, as I’ve discussed before, Jimmy Butler holds major value over the success of Duncan, but I feel it’s much more than lineups. All shooters have slumps, and it begins with the mental toughness to overcome it by continuing to have the confidence to shoot the basketball. He has gotten the ball up quite a lot through this stretch, but nothing is being generated. For a lot of players, getting to the basket or finding other ways to score gets players out of a slump, but sprinting around the perimeter seems to be the only source of offense right now for him.

#4: Andre Iguodala’s on court leadership has been huge, but his surprising offense as well.

Andre Iguodala has been known to do everything for this Miami Heat second unit for some time. Well, except shoot the ball consistently. But that’s actually been a pretty positive element of his game lately, especially tonight. He hit some much needed shots when Miami needed a bucket, which proves his ability to run lineups while Jimmy Butler gets rest in the future. His ability to lock somebody up on defense, while having the quickness to rotate defensively has been huge for this team. With the lack of veteran leadership in the rotation right now, he was very important to take control. Not only is it great to see from him right now, but it’s great to know what Miami has moving closer to the end of the season.

#5: No Jimmy Butler, No Tyler Herro, No Goran Dragic, No excuse. But there’s a necessary realistic element.

The first instinct after watching this game is clearly a bit of panic for many, but things need to be noted without it being labeled as an excuse. For starters, Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro were still out tonight, and Goran Dragic got thrown into that group as well. Every single player combination has been seen over the last few weeks with the constant rotation of players interchanging in and out of the lineup. That opinion and takeaway can be used without being called an excuse, since it’s just the reality of their current situation. Everything that could happen to a team this season, has happened, and even if they’re not play to the standard many are used to, it’s hard to generate anything in a basketball game when you don’t know who is on your team every single night. Miami’s schedule begins to ease up starting now, but will Miami’s health situations begin to ease up? Well, that’s the big question, and nobody has that answer since things are changing every single moment.