3 Keys for the Miami Heat to Win Game Six

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The Miami Heat pushed this series to six games after a huge win on Friday night. They are now two wins away from an NBA championship, so here’s what Miami will need to do in game six to force a game seven…

#1: Bam Adebayo will need to play like Bam Adebayo.

It’s pretty obvious that Miami needs an aggressive and energized Bam Adebayo to win basketball games, but that wasn’t exactly the case in game five. It could’ve had something to do with the fact that he’s not exactly 100%. But even a 70% Bam Adebayo is useful for this Heat team right now. They don’t necessarily need him to score 25 points, but they do need him to do the small things that he has done for them all season. Even the dribble hand-off, that they’ve used so much throughout this season, wasn’t used as much as they’d like throughout game five. And since Miami was rolling with Bam as their only big, he will need to be that energetic presence. There is no doubt that he won’t be, since that is just who he is, but if Bam can bring it, there’s a good chance they will be playing another game on Tuesday night.

#2: Miami’s ball-dominant players will need to help out Jimmy Butler.

Jimmy Butler has been scoring the ball at will in this finals run, mostly since he is stepping up when it is needed, especially with Goran Dragic out. Even though Jimmy will need to continue to do that, Miami’s other ball-dominant players will be essential to take a bit of the load off of him for stretches. That starts with Tyler Herro, who has the ability to take control of the offense through his play-making and his scoring. The only problem is that the Lakers’ defense has seemed to try and eliminate Tyler offensively, which is impressive for a rookie to put that much pressure on an opponent. Kendrick Nunn stepped up in the first half, which was exactly what Jimmy needed. Since Jimmy plays both sides of the ball so hard for 47 minutes, by running the offense on one end and guarding the best player in the world on the other end, he will need help. As mentioned, Tyler will need to find a way to take back the offense during spurts.

#3: Miami will need to continue their show-and-go defensive scheme against this Lakers team.

One thing that I noticed in game five was Miami’s defensive scheme seemed a little different. When LeBron James had the ball and had somebody setting a pick, Miami would switch and have Jimmy run over to double. This meant that a guy like Danny Green or Alex Caruso would be left open around the free throw area, with Bam Adebayo or Jae Crowder standing between the player at the basket and him. This is exactly what Miami needs to do, since you want to put the ball in the hands of the Lakers role players as much as possible, just like they did on the final possession in game five. Duncan Robinson has been quite a defensive liability, but this allows him to play more free. The only time it’s a little harder to do this is when Rajon Rondo is in the game, since if he gets the ball at the free throw line with one defender in front of him and a lengthy Anthony Davis by the rim, he will most likely make the right read. If Miami continues this defensive scheme to try and throw LeBron and Anthony off, Miami will just need to capitalize on their offense.

5 Keys for the future Marlins

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It’s hard to put into words what the Miami Marlins meant to Miami baseball fans this year. As we say goodbye to the most successful season in 17 years for the Marlins, it is important to note how bright the future looks. In one year, we turned a 57-105 record into an NLDS berth. If you would have asked anyone at the start of the season if the Marlins would have made the playoffs, let alone the second round, the answer would have been no. Statistically, the odds were 9%, one of the lowest in the league. Yet here we are, looking back at what was and looking forward to what could be. The “Bottom-Feeders” exceeded all of our expectations and don’t expect that to stop. Let’s take a look at the 5 keys to a Marlins playoff run in 2021.

 

Lineup maintenance

 

It’s no secret: the Marlins lineup wasn’t playoff-caliber. The culture carried them, and without adequate changes, we could find ourselves falling short in a 162 game season. The first addition can be found in a solid day-to-day catcher, especially with the lack of apparent confidence in Jorge Alfaro, the retirement of Francisco Cervelli, and the lack of hitting ability in Chad Wallach. There are plenty of options out there ranging from Alex Avila to JT Realmuto (I know). Isan Diaz being healthy fills the 2nd base hole that we struggled with filling. At this point, it’s not necessarily about filling holes, but rather replacing average bats with above-average ones. With just a .244 team batting average and .319 on-base percentage, the Marlins struggled to get on base, move runners over, and drive runs in. Basically, the 3 parts that make an offense successful. The Marlins need to use their elevated status as a competitive team to sign players capable of executing the small ball type game Don Mattingly has seemingly emphasized.

 

Bullpen additions

 

The Marlins bullpen had a good cast of characters but struggled in some situations. Statistically, James Hoyt, Brandon Kintzler, Brad Boxberger, Yimi Garcia, and Richard Bleier were stellar; however, as they age, it feels more like career years than necessarily a consistent output. The Marlins need to be active in the market and find more pieces that can pitch in the 7th, 8th, and 9th, especially when we find ourselves in back-to-backs. There are plenty of plausible cheap options hitting free agency, and it’s up to the front office to go out and find the pieces.

 

Maintain culture within a changing Marlins team

 

This take relies on the previous two. If the Marlins do go out and make the changes necessary to compete, it will be hard to maintain the same attitude that this team had. Realistically, this team won because of their underdog mentality, and the addition of new guys could shift things up. It is necessary that the Marlins keep the “bottom-feeder” mentality if they are to see success next season. It will be harder to keep momentum with more games (162 to be exact) and if this is not maintained, there will be struggles. Don Mattingly and Derek Jeter expect this consistency, but it is easier said than done.

 

Less experimentation

The Fish were expected to experiment this year. With the most roster moves in the league, they had to try new things. This cannot be a reality next season. The guys who play have to be the guys who play, barring injury. It is necessary that we field the same guys consistently every game and develop a routine. The sporadic changes in the field were prompted by an other-worldly situation, but if this attitude remains next year, there will be room for droughts from the lineup and pitching staff. Hopefully, Mattingly is able to fit together the puzzle pieces once and for all and give us a consistent 9 guys on the field.

Veteran led youth

 

We made the playoffs. Whoop Dee Doo. Come March next year, that will not matter. We will be thrown back into the firing squad that is the NL East and forced to prove ourselves again. The veterans have done this, but with countless rookies spreading out our roster, they could be lost in the moment. They accomplished something no other Marlins team has in 17 years. But, just like Marlins teams of the past, could begin a long streak of similar narratives. The veterans such as Jesus Aguilar, Corey Dickerson, and Matt Joyce need to step up and show the younger guys how to play season to season. Show them how quickly people forget what you did, and instead focus on what you are doing now.

 

Closing thoughts on the Marlins

 

It was quite the year. I am blessed to have the opportunity to write and report on my favorite team and watch them in the playoffs. I think I speak for all Marlins fans when I say that I hope this is not it. We want more, and if everything goes as planned, we might just get it.

 

Dolphins 49ers

5 Keys to Dolphins vs 49ers

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The Miami Dolphins (1-3) travel to the West Coast for a key Week 5 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers (2-2). Miami looks to rebound after a tough but winnable game last week against the Seattle Seahawks. Meanwhile, the 49ers want to win after a disappointing 25-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last week.

The Dolphins enter the game as a nine-point underdog and they’ve recently placed their starting left tackle on the injured reserve. San Francisco should see the return of their starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who hasn’t played since Week 2. Working in Miami’s favor? The 49ers are 0-2 at home this season.

Here’s a look at five keys for the Dolphins Week 5 matchup against the 49ers.

Dolphins-49ers Key: Continue to Stop the Run

Although the defense has not played up to expectations thus far in 2020, one of the areas where they’ve improved from last season is against the run. Miami’s run defense allowed 136.4 rushing yards per game last season. In 2020, after surrendering 217 yards and three touchdowns in Week 1 versus the Patriots, they’ve responded since. In Weeks 2-4, Miami allowed just 94 rushing yards per game and four rushing touchdowns total.

They’ll need a similar effort in Week 5 against the 49ers. San Francisco averages 128.5 rushing yards per game in 2020, and they’ve scored seven touchdowns on the ground. Jerick McKinnon leads the team with 193 yards, and the team expects Raheem Mostert to return for Week 5.

The Dolphins will need to improve upon their current mark of 4.6 yards-allowed-per-carry, which is almost equal to San Francisco’s 4.7 yards-per-attempt average.

Blitz a Hobbled Jimmy Garoppolo

The 49ers expect to welcome back Garoppolo for this one. While Garoppolo sat with an ankle injury, Nick Mullens took the reins and did very little, eventually being pulled for third stringer C.J. Beathard.

The Dolphins pass defense has been one of the worst in the league, and that’s surprising considering the secondary was viewed as a strength coming into the season. Byron Jones’ injury certainly did not help matters. Xavien Howard is still rounding into form after last year’s knee injury though he does have an interception in each of the last two weeks. His 14 career INTs are tied for for the second most in the NFL since 2017.

A key for Miami will be to make sure Garoppolo is uncomfortable in the pocket. With a potentially gimpy ankle limiting his mobility, the Dolphins should look to attack with the blitz. San Francisco has surrendered 13 sacks this season, sixth-most in the NFL, despite solid play from their tackles. Miami blitzes 32.6 percent of the time and will need to generate the pressure up the middle.

Dolphins-49ers Key: Limit George Kittle

The key weapon in the 49ers’ offensive machine might be tight end George Kittle. After missing Weeks 2 and 3, Kittle returned the lineup with a monster 15-catch, 183-yard one-touchdown performance last week. He even had an additional carry for eight yards. Kittle caught all 15 targets in Week 4, making him just the fourth receiver or tight end since 2009 to be targeted at least 12 times and catch each pass.

Miami could use Eric Rowe or one of the other defensive backs in coverage against Kittle, but they’ll need to prevent the elite tight end from taking over this contest. They’ll need to use an array of coverages and should throw different defenders at him when possible.

”I don’t think you stop him, I think you just try to limit him,” head coach Brian Flores said of Kittle. ”You try to give him different looks — play zone, play some man. I think when you’ve got a player like this, you’ve got to think about doubling a guy like this; but again, he’s as physical as they get.”

Be Sure Tacklers

The Dolphins secondary surrenders 285 passing-yards-per-game thus far in 2020, fifth-most in the NFL. They’ve allowed six passing touchdowns, but have registered five interceptions, including a pivotal one in the endzone last week by Howard.

In Week 5, the secondary lines up against a number of big play threats on the outside in Deebo Samuel and rookie wideout Brandon Aiyuk. If and when those players make a catch, the Dolphins D will need to bring them down. Last season, Samuel was second among all receivers in yards-after-catch per reception, and Aiyuk has already scored on a pair of 30-plus yard runs this season. And Kittle has been one of the best in the game at it with the most yards after the catch among all tight ends and receivers since he entered the league in 2017.

The 49ers also like to run the ball outside as well. Last year, the 49ers ran 60 carries outside for 363 yards, three touchdowns and 17 first downs. On those runs, 255 yards were gained after contact.

Dolphins-49ers Key: Score Touchdowns

Last week, the Dolphins offense moved the ball well against the Seattle defense, but stalled in scoring territory. Jason Sanders kicked five field goals and the Phins didn’t get their first touchdown until late, on a Ryan Fitzpatrick run. He threw for 315 yards but had no TD passes and was intercepted twice.

Fitzpatrick has thrown four touchdown passes this season, but the 49ers enter with only three passing touchdowns allowed, which is tops in the NFL. Fitzpatrick will need to limit mistakes (like the two interceptions last week) and could focus again on DeVante Parker, who caught a career-high 10 passes 110 yards last week. The 49ers will be without Richard Sherman, so that should help.

The key to scoring those touchdowns might be getting the running game going. In Miami’s lone win this season, they picked up 138 rushing yards against Jacksonville. They’ve only eclipsed 100 yards one other time, last week (103 yards), and are averaging just 96.3 yards-per-game on the ground in their three losses. The 49ers defense, meanwhile, allows 110.8 rushing-yards-per-game.

Miami’s offensive line will likely need to buy Fitzpatrick extra time, considering the 49ers blitz at the ninth-highest rate in the NFL (34.2 percent blitz rate) this season. Although they’re without Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead leads the defense with 18 quarterback pressures. San Francisco has the third-highest pressure rate at 30.3 percent, but they rank only 18th in sacks (8).

Miami Heat on to Game Six: “Bunch of dogs in that locker room”

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“We gotta bunch of dogs in that locker room that love competing.”

That’s what Duncan Robinson had to say following Miami’s big game five win over the Lakers. It’s obvious that motto begins with the Heat’s leader Jimmy Butler, who had 35 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, and 5 steals in 47 minutes.

Those numbers mean nothing to Jimmy though, since the only numbers that mattered to him were 111-108 when the clock hit zero. Jimmy knows that he can step up when it matters, but more importantly he has been trying to instill in others that they need to be ready as well.

Jimmy Butler has had a message for Duncan Robinson for a while now, which he tried to instill in him more following the game two loss. They had a little meeting in Jimmy’s room, which he was just letting him know that he needs to continue to shoot no matter what.

Jimmy said after game five, “You can’t shoot the ball if you don’t have the ball.”

This game five win just showed once again that it can be any player on any given night. Jimmy will do his thing no matter what, but having a bunch of guys that can explode out of nowhere.

Last night, that guy was clearly Duncan Robinson who hit seven three pointers, but he wasn’t the only one who stepped up. Kendrick Nunn took control of the game at one point, mostly since he had confidence in himself with the ball in his hands. And that all starts with the support of Erik Spoelstra. Even after a tough game four performance, he showed that he believes in Kendrick and he delivered. When Kendrick plays with confidence, he’s a totally different player. His play-making and defensive abilities begin to shine, which is why this game will be important for the rest of the series.

They won this game without huge performances from Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. Bam struggled with finding that offensive aggression and intensity that he usually has, but it may have something to do with not being 100%. Tyler on the other hand is being targeted by the Lakers defense constantly, which consequently opens up the game for others. That won’t be the case for long though, since a breakout Tyler Herro game is coming, and it could be tomorrow night.

This team just continues to show their resilience and fight to the finish. This team truly believes that they can win a title right now, especially since they see their leader leaving everything he possibly has on the floor.

This team truly is just a “bunch of dogs,” that are hungry to finally achieve what they have wanted their whole lives.

They are now two wins away from holding up that Larry O’Brien trophy.

It’s time to get what is yours.

Weekly Roundkick: MMA news on Five Reasons Sports

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Welcome to the Weekly Roundkick, where you can get all your MMA news in one spot. In the age of Covid, the UFC has done a great job of being the leaders of industry in making sure the show goes on. Here’s everything that you might’ve missed this week in the MMA world.

 

Upcoming Events

  • October 10th, 11:30 AM EST: Bellator 248: MVP vs. Houston
  • October 10th, 2 PM EST: KSW 55: Askham vs. Khalidov 2
  • October 10th, 5 PM EST: Bellator Europe 10: Kongo vs. Johnson II
  • October 10th, 5 PM EST: UFC Fight Island 5: Moraes vs Sandhagen
  • October 14th, 8 PM EST: CES MMA 61
  • October 15th, 7:30 PM EST: Bellator 249: Cyborg vs. Blencowe
  • October 16th Time TBA: ONE Championship 117: Reign of Dynasties II
  • October 16th, 9 PM EST: LFA 93: Petroski vs. Jeffery
  • October 17th, 4 PM EST: UFC on ESPN+ 38: Ortega vs. The Korean Zombie
  • October 24th, 2 PM EST: UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje

 

  • Kamaru Usman vs Gilbert Burns is off for UFC 256 (MMAJunkie)

 

MMA Fight Rumors and Announcements

 

  • Kamaru Usman vs Gilbert Burns is off for UFC 256 (MMAJunkie)
  • Alex Perez Steps in to fight Deiveson Figueiredo for the UFC Flyweight Championship at UFC 255
  • Rafael Dos Anjos out of UFC 254 with Covid-19 
  • Youssef Zalal steps in to fight Ilia Topuria on UFC Fight Island 5, 10/10 
  • Brandon Royval to fight Brandon Moreno at UFC 255
  • Alexander Hernandez to fight Chris Gruetzemacher (MMAJunkie) on UFC Oct. 31 l
  • DWCS Contract winner Jimmy Flick to debut vs Cody Durden on Dec. 5
  • Jeremy Stephens vs Arnold Allen booked for Nov 7
  • Mounir Lazzez tests positive for COVID-19 and is out of fight vs David Zawada on Oct 17
  • Belal Mohammed vs Sean Brady scheduled for Dec 19
  • Corey Anderson vs Melvin Manhoef to headline Bellator 251 on Nov 5
  • Casey Kenney makes a quick turnaround to face Nathaniel Wood on UFC 254

 

MMA Signings 

  • Bellator signs CFFC heavyweight champ Shawn Teed (MMAJunkie)
  • Bellator signs Usman Nurmagomedov, cousin of UFC champ Khabib (MMAJunkie)
  • Bellator signs Former UFC bantamweight Brett Johns (MMAJunkie)
  • Bellator signs LFA lightweight champion Bryce Logan (MMAJunkie) 

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Late Win Over Lakers

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The Miami Heat came away with the win in an intense battle with the Los Angeles Lakers in game six, 111-108. Late free throws from Jimmy Butler iced the game for Miami, after a great attack to the basket. A late defensive stance on LeBron James and company officially iced it. Here are my five takeaways…

#1: Kendrick Nunn steps up early offensively for Miami.

It wasn’t even expected that Kendrick Nunn would be inserted back into the rotation, yet he was and absolutely shined. I’ve always said that a confident Kendrick is a productive Kendrick, and that proved true once again. That falls onto the trust that Erik Spoelstra put into him though. Even when nobody else believed he could be a viable option to help out in game five, he still threw him right in. He scored an impressive 11 first half points, but the scoring wasn’t even the most noticed trait. The play-making abilities were on display tonight as well, which is something else that comes along with confidence. 0 first half turnovers was another huge stat for him. He proved throughout the season that he can play, and that didn’t just disappear over time.

#2: Yet again, Jimmy Butler puts on a show in the first half.

This may be the story line for every Heat game in the first half, but he showed up once again. This time putting up 22/6/6 and 7 for 10 from the field in 23 out of 24 minutes. His will to win was going to be needed in game five, and that’s exactly what was shown. He truly does everything on the floor that you need. Lead, defend, play-make. His two-way abilities are very special, and they clearly improve in a playoff setting. Adjustments were going to be necessary as well, due to the fact that he would have Anthony Davis guarding him. Instead of just attacking the paint against that defensive specialist, he began to utilize pull-ups in the mid-range area and three point shots to make AD have to worry about more than just attacking the rim. Once again, he proved that there’s not many guys that you’d want as the leader of your team over him.

#3: Andre Iguodala has trouble impacting offensively, but finds other ways.

If you took a look at the stat line in the first half that showed 0 points for Andre Iguodala, you may think he didn’t impact the game. But well, that wasn’t the case. He was a team best plus-10 in the first half, even when going scoreless. That’s because he found other ways to contribute, mostly on the defensive side of the ball. It has been obvious that Andre’s quick hands on the defensive end have been great throughout the season, and it was shown once again in game five. He has some tough defensive match-ups with this Lakers team, and he showed he can utilize his high IQ play to his advantage. Andre has been in this position before, and it is showing.

#4: Bam Adebayo had a tough time getting going on both sides of the floor.

It was obvious that this wasn’t the same Bam Adebayo that Heat fans are used to. There was a lack of that offensive firepower that he always seems to bring. When his activity around the rim increases, the offensive production increases. He also didn’t seem to have that same aggression when attacking Anthony Davis. He was very reluctant and hesitant when being guarded by AD, which is unlike Bam to do so. He also lacked a bit of intensity, which may have something to do with him not being totally 100%. He seemed to become energized in the fourth quarter, once he realized he was needed to step up. Either way, Bam knows that he could’ve played much better throughout.

#5: One game at a time.

One game at a time. That’s the best way to describe the Miami Heat’s current situation. They all believe there’s no need to look at this series full picture, but instead focus at the task at hand. As talked about previously, Jimmy Butler clearly did his part with an incredible all around game. Duncan Robinson also stepped up, not only by his shooting, but through his winning plays. Kendrick Nunn was also huge by the way that he stepped up as the scorer he has been all season. But instead of looking at individual performances, this was a team effort. A team that bought into each other, and stayed focused no matter the situation. Now the next focus is game six on Sunday night.

Marlins 2020 season

5 Takeaways from Marlins Successful 2020 Season

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No one expected it outside of the Marlins’ Roger Dean Stadium facility in Jupiter, FL. No one believed in this Marlins group. They were picked to be last in the NL East. Most assumed they’d struggle to win 20 games. They were even labeled a ‘bottom feeders.’ But the Marlins always believed, and the proved the doubters wrong with a wildly successful 2020 season.

Miami’s run to the MLB postseason remains one of the most unlikely sports stories in recent memory. The season, which started amid a COVID-19 outbreak that saw the club lose more than half its Opening Day roster, turned into a celebration of resilience and development as the #WhyNotUs refrain took hold and the Marlins rocketed into playoffs.

“Our message to our guys was pretty simple,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said via Zoom. “We talked about it when we went to [Spring Training]. We talked about [how] it’s time. It’s time to take the next step forward as an organization.”

Miami certainly demonstrated that step forward. Here’s a look at five takeaways from a wildly successful 2020 season for the Marlins.

Marlins 2020 Season: They’ve Closed the Gap

Miami was widely selected to finish last in the NL East this season. A young roster, coupled with bargain-basement veteran additions, led most to think they’d only be marginally more competitive coming off 105-losses. But the Marlins surprised everyone by making a run to the National League Division Series.

Miami’s season ended at the hands of the Braves this week. While a three-game sweep leaves a bitter taste in their mouths, the Marlins can only look at their 2020 season as a success. Last season, the Marlins went 24-52 against the NL East, and 4-15 against the Braves specifically. In 2020, Miami went 21-19 versus NL East rivals and 4-6 against Atlanta.

The Fish have certainly closed the gap between them and Atlanta. In 2019, Miami finished 40 games behind the Braves. In 2020, they finished just four games back of them.

“I think we’re closer,” Miguel Rojas, the team’s leader and de facto captain, said. “But we know [the Braves are] not going anywhere. They’re a good team. I’m pretty positive that the guys that gained the opportunity and gained the experience this year, especially in the postseason. It was pretty important for us moving forward.”

Starting Pitching Remains the Strength

The obvious focus for this organization in the rebuild has been starting pitching. With elite-level pitching prospects and MLB difference makers, the future of the Miami Marlins seems to be in good hands. The 2020 season showed the Marlins starting pitching remains the team’s strength.

Sandy Alcantara emerged as a legitimate ace this season, even after his bout with COVID-19. In seven regular season starts, Alcantara went 3-2 with a 3.00 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 39 strikeouts in 42 innings pitched. He dominated the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of the Wild Card round, going 6.2 innings, surrendering just one run.

In the NLDS versus a potent Braves lineup, Alcantara kept the Marlins in the game through six innings but faltered late. Sandy’s best start, though, came in New York, against the vaunted Yankees lineup. With a playoff berth on the line, Alcantara went 7.1 innings, giving up just two runs to help propel the Marlins to the postseason.

Pablo Lopez presented himself as a clear Number 2 starter in this league. He took the ball coming off of the long COVID quarantine and helped lead the Marlins to the top of the division early in the 2020 season. His development makes Lopez one of the most improved players from 2019.

Throughout the season, Lopez focused on execution to great success. He started a team-high 11 games and went 6-4 with a 3.46 ERA. Take out back-to-back bad starts in early September and Lopez would have posted a sparkling 1.93 ERA in 2020.

Sixto Sanchez flashed on the scene and showed his potential as a frontline starter. Sanchez made seven starts and posted a 3-2 record with a 3.46 ERA. He tallied 33 strikeouts in 39 innings pitched, and when he had command of his full pitching arsenal, he was masterful.

“I learned that I can help the team,” Sánchez said through an interpreter. “That’s one of the things I saw in my two [playoff] starts. I know that I’ve got the tools to keep helping the team in the future.”

The Marlins also saw Elieser Hernandez take a step forward in his development before being lost to a season-ending injury. Hernandez made six starts and finished with a 1-0 record and 34 strikeouts in 25.2 innings pitched.

“Sandy and Pablo, you’ve seen the growth that they’ve been able to make,” Mattingly said. “I think Sixto and Rogers, you see that they’re still a little young. They’ve got steps to take, as well as Sandy and Pablo continuing to grow, but those guys are still at another level than those other guys. Sixto and those other guys are going to have to take steps forward to improve.”

Alcantara, Lopez, Sanchez and Hernandez are likely locks for the 2021 starting rotation, but there are others who could push for a spot as well. Trevor Rogers had his moments in 2020, as did Braxton Garrett and Daniel Castano. The Marlins also have Edward Cabrera and Max Meyer near the Majors.

Positional Prospects Need to Develop

While the pitching talent showed it’s ready to take the next step, Miami’s positional prospects lagged behind some. If the Marlins are going to continue to push for the playoffs after this 2020 season, they’ll need to see some of that position talent develop into difference makers.

The Marlins have seen the steady development of players like Brian Anderson and Rojas, but the frontline prospects called up to the Majors this season did not impress.

Monte Harrison started the year as the fan-favorite among the prospects. Unfortunately, Harrison’s struggles at the plate in his first call up showed he still had work to do. Between his two stints with the Marlins this season, Harrison managed just a .140/.213/.233 slash line. He connected on one dramatic home run but struck out 24 times in 47 plate appearances.

To his credit, Harrison became a weapon on the basepaths and craved out a pinch-running/defensive role during the postseason push. At 25-years-old, though, Harrison will need to adjust to Major League pitching in order to stick moving forward.

Lewin Díaz, acquired via trade last season, appeared in 14 games for the Marlins in 2020. The sweet-swinging lefty has an MLB-ready glove, but at the plate, he lacked production. In 39 at-bats, Diaz hit .154, striking out 12 times but hitting a pair of doubles and getting three RBI. At 23-years-old, he may still get some seasoning in the Minors.

One prospect who wouldn’t get any additional Minor League work is Isan Díaz. The 24-year-old second baseman was projected to be the starter for Miami this year, but after the COVID-19 outbreak, he opted out for a time. After returning late in September, Diaz saw action in five games before a season-ending injury. Although Diaz has a power bat, he’s lacked discipline at the plate thus far. In 201 career MLB ABs, Diaz has managed just a .174 batting average.

Jazz Chisholm remains Diaz’s primary competition at second base moving forward. The only one of these positional prospects to start in the postseason, Chisholm flashed his glove through his time with the Marlins. His bat is behind his glove though, as he managed just a .161 batting average in 56 at-bats. Chisholm connected on two regular season home runs and just missed a postseason homer.

Jesus Sanchez and Eddy Alvarez also struggled to perform at the plate in their time with the big club. The Marlins will need one or more of these positional prospects to make the leap moving into 2021.

Tough Choices Ahead for Marlins Front Office

The Marlins used a whopping 61 players this season. Among that number were 37 pitchers, including 13 different starting pitchers. The Marlins set a new MLB record by have nine different starting pitchers in their first nine games of the season.

Beyond that, the Marlins used 21 rookies this season, including 18 players who made their MLB debut. This constant roster shuffle started in July and led the front office to make an astounding 174 roster moves. Marlins President of Baseball Operations, Michael Hill, remained a busy man throughout the season. And he’ll have his work cut out for him moving forward.

The Marlins 40-man roster is full, but there are an additional 12 players on the Injured List. So tough decisions stand on the horizon. The team will likely pick up the options on centerfielder Starling Marte and closer Brandon Kintzler, and they’ll have to decide what to do about Jesus Aguilar, who was the team’s MVP.

Several bullpen arms will also need to be resigned or extended for 2021, including Richard Bleier, Brad Boxberger and Yimi Garcia. Mike Hill will also need to decide whether or not to bring back veteran starter Jose Urena, who missed the playoffs due to injury.

Other key players stand to enter their arbitration years and could use a long-term contract extensions. Among those: Alcantara, Anderson and Lopez.

Miami will need to decide if Jorge Alfaro, who did not start a single postseason game, is the catcher of the future. With the retirement of Francisco Cervelli and the offensive limitations of Chad Wallach, the Marlins may look to free agency if they’re not sold on Alfaro.

Marlins 2020 Season: The Future is Bright

All that said, the 2020 season for the Miami Marlins can only be viewed as a success. The team emerged from the NL East cellar to fight and secure their first playoff berth in 17 years. The Marlins rallied around the ‘WhyNotUs’ hashtag and ‘bottom feeders’ label.

“When I first got to Spring Training, I felt like this team was very young,” Kintzler said. “I feel like these guys got hungry. They matured really fast. What do they need to do to get to the next step? They just need to get better. Experience is the only thing that helps you get better up here. The window is just opening for this team. Hopefully, they take advantage of it.”

The mix of savvy veterans and hungry youngsters catapulted the Marlins into the MLB limelight. That sort of experience remains valuable, despite the disappointing ending to the 2020 season.

“At the end of the day, this is just the beginning of where we’re going to go. I feel like this organization, the things that we’re going to do here are going to be sustainable for a long time. We have to be happy but not satisfied,” said Rojas. “We got a taste of the postseason and we know how to play in the playoffs now.” Rojas said they need to use the experience as motivation to get better.

With such a bright future ahead of them, Marlins fans can finally feel excited for the upcoming season. No one expected this performance outside of those in the clubhouse and front office. But this success validates so many of the difficult decisions they’ve had to make during this rebuild, including bringing back Mattingly as manager.

“This was the closest group I’ve had as far as a group of guys who fight and feel like they’re united in their stance in where they want to go,” Mattingly said, “and that’s really what we talked about. I’m really proud of this club and what they’ve been able to accomplish.”

“We did give ourselves an opportunity this year. I think that’s a step forward for us.”

NBA Finals Game 5: One Year, One Goal, One Winner

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Not many people expected the Miami Heat to be in this position right now. Well, except the Miami Heat.

How could a five seed with no perceived superstar take the crown of the East?

And there’s not one answer for that question.

For starters, it begins with the confidence from your locker room. Just a bunch of dogs that have continually been doubted and are here to prove people wrong.

That’s led by the leader of this team, Jimmy Butler. He hasn’t lacked an ounce of confidence throughout this playoff run, so what makes you think he’ll stop now. Even being down 3-1 doesn’t seem to faze him, because when you have confidence in both yourself and your locker room, that’s all you really need to win.

Another reason they’ve gotten to this point is because they have a bunch of guys who accepted their role on this team. That goes to the guys who were promoted and demoted in this rotation. Meyers Leonard and Kendrick Nunn going from starter to the borderline of the rotation, while Tyler Herro and Goran Dragic had to adjust to their new role quick. Not only is that not an easy thing to do, it’s not an easy thing for players to buy into.

Winning isn’t always about on-court stats and numbers. It’s also about decisions that are made off of the court, that’ll lead to guys putting up those numbers.

Erik Spoelstra made it clear that was necessary heading in, making sure this team was on the same page for the much needed adjustments that lied ahead. That’s because of the trust factor with this team.

When many believed Bam’s offensive aggression needed to improve or that Jimmy’s unselfishness may be a bad trait, Coach Spo knew his personnel, and denied it all.

The final and most important answer to that question is hungriness.

This team is hungry and will not be satisfied until they hold up that Larry O’Brien trophy. No matter if that time comes in a week, in a year, or in a few years, this team won’t let up on the ultimate goal.

As Gary Payton said in his latest piece for The Players’ Tribune, “Y’all are still here- and y-all belong here.”

One year. One goal. One winner.

 

Brady Hawk can be found at @BradyHawk305

Stock up, Stock down vs Seattle Seahawks

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Welcome back, guys, to another installment of Stock Up Stock Down. In Week 4 of the 2020 NFL season, your Miami Dolphins hosted the Seattle Seahawks and came up short in the end with a score to 31-23. In a hard-fought loss to a heavily favored team, let us dive in and see what happened in Week 4.

Stock Up

Solomon Kindley

A quarter of the season is over and Solomon Kindley has catapulted himself as the best pick of the past draft for us. Solomon has shown that his strengths in college (run blocking, double teaming, pulling) are strengths in the pros. Most importantly, his weaknesses (pass blocking and mobility) are areas he has attacked to get better with the results being apparent. Pro Football Focus graded Solomon as the highest-graded rookie OL in Week 4 of the whole league after allowing 0 pressures on 54 pass-blocking snaps while working through a foot injury he had before and during the game.

Devante Parker

Devante Parker has completely shed the soft label he had early on in his career. Anyone who closely follows and watches tape on DVP sees that the explosion from last year is not there at present. He looks a step slower, which can be the difference between a completion and an interception. Making no excuses and with an obviously not 100% hamstring, Devante took advantage of a plus matchup like an elite WR does.

Early on, the effort was to get DVP going with 2 catches, but he had to make some plays off during the middle of the first quarter because of a new and separate ankle injury. Devante came back and went to work from the second quarter on. DVP all game got open on slants, posts, and dig routes to the tune of 10 catches on 12 targets netting 110 yards with a long of 21. In a season that shows more and more the lack of explosive threats in this offense, it is a relief to see how consistent Devante has become while fighting through an injury that early in his career would keep him out.

Jason Sanders

Giving only praise and not harping on the negative, let’s give some credit to Jason for converting on all 5 of his attempts, yes, 5 attempts (more on that later). He was Coach Flores’ security blanket all afternoon long and would have been the only player to score without the final drive and Fitzpatrick late 10-yard run.

Ogbah & Lawson

For the first time this season, this pair of free agents popped all afternoon and showed exactly the reasons we brought them in for. Shaq had only 2 tackles, but they were a TFL and a Sack to show his versatility in stopping the run and being strong enough to wrestle Russell Wilson down. Ogbah was more impactful with 5 total tackles. Of those 5, 1 was a sack, 2 were TFL, and additionally had 2 QB hits, which led to Russell early struggles in the game as he was forced to leave the pocket consistently where we were unable to slow down Russell’s scrambles with him throwing on the run at an elite level.

Texans 1st and 2nd Round Picks

The Laremy Tunsil Trade is looking more and more like we committed highway robbery for all of those picks. After a 0-4 start to the season, the Texans have announced that Coach/GM Bill O’Brien has been relieved of his duties effective immediately. With our own struggles plus the ones the Texans are continuing to add, we can be sitting with potentially 2 top 10 picks in the 2021 NFL Draft. It’s paramount that we add players at skill positions early and often to properly give Tua the weapons needed to thrive.

Stock Down

RedZone Offense

5 field goals, 1 touchdown, which came on the game’s final drive for the Dolphins. That is just unacceptable in any NFL game, let alone one where we are playing and trying to limit the leading MVP candidate for this year. 5 different times Flores decided to go for a field goal instead of going for it on 4th down. 5 different times.

They score ended up being 23-31, meaning 8 points short, which could have come in any of the 5 instances we thought best to go for field goals. Ultimately if we want to have a chance to compete and beat teams that very clearly overmatch us, we need to be out of the ordinary and be aggressive when the opportunities present themselves.

Rushing Attack

After last year where Ryan Fitzpatrick led us in rushing yards, and we decided to invest heavily in the OL and RBs, I could not fathom a single game where Fitz would lead us in rushing, and yet here we are again. As much as I love Myles Gaskins, it’s clear he is doing everything to the best of his ability, which still only leaves us with a 4.0 average rushing, longs of 15 yards rushing receiving, and finally 0 touchdowns.

How can Jordan Howard and Matt Breida be combined for only 36 carries when Myles has 48! Matt and Jordan are both proven backs who have shown they can perform at high levels in this league, and yet they have less than half the carries individually that Myles has? The coaching staff will have to take a hard look in the mirror because if Fitzpatrick cannot survive without a running game, I don’t want to even chance what Tua would look like with this rushing attack.

Fitzpatrick

It’s becoming tougher and tougher to swallow the product being fed to us by Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick is an elite backup QB that can come in for a pinch and bring energy to a team but being relied on as a starter for 16 games is becoming more lunacy than unrealistic. Ultimately, this year’s goal is to get Tua comfortable enough that after the next draft where we add him some weapons, he can take the next step in his development, but without actually giving him playtime, how can he really get ready?

To clarify, I am not saying that Fitzpatrick was the problem in the loss versus the Seahawks because we severely lack talent at the skill positions. Outside of DVP and Gesicki, we don’t have anyone that consistently threatened defenses but having said that, Fitzpatrick is also not the solution. I wouldn’t want Tua to have to struggle with these skill position players, but there were plenty of times during the game where Fitz did not look past his first read, which from a veteran is unforgivable, but from a rookie would be understandable growing pains.

Jerome Baker

I really have had to start asking myself if maybe Jerome is hurt or something undisclosed behind the scenes is going on. After a monster first game where he totaled 16 tackles and played 95.3% of the snaps, Baker has totaled 16 tackles the next 3 games(!). And with each game, his snap percentage is going down. In week 2, he dropped to 93.4%, Week 3 to 89.4%, and finally, an alarming 69.8% of the snaps last week. As a player, we all thought would take the next step and be Coach Flores’s ultimate chess piece has really fallen flat this year and maybe in the doghouse similar to what Raekwon McMillan last year, and we see how that ended up.

Coaching Staff

Many questionable decisions could be dissected in-depth, but when do we start asking ourselves, is Coach Flores really a defensive genius? Every game at multiple instances, I ask myself, why is the defense struggling so much? Why can we not consistently rush the passer, stop the run, miss tackles, or just use or pieces more effectively? Noah Igbinoghene is going to be a great player one day, let’s hope, but why is he every game matched up against one on one and getting picked on all game? Why do we have such an inability to adjust to what the opponent is doing to us?

Every half time besides last week, it always feels like the other team comes out with a plan with what to attack in the second half while we are just continuing on doing what we did from the first half. Lastly, for Chan Gailey and the offensive side of the ball, we need more explosive plays, and Preston and Myles have shown to be unable to do either. We need to see more of Jakeem, more Lynn Bowden, more of Matt Breida and Jordan Howard. And can we gather up the courage one time to play like its 2020 and try and go for at least 1 of the 5-field goal attempts we just “couldn’t” pass up? Almost all analytics say to try and convert some of them, and that is what ultimately killed us more than anything.

Overall, this team desperately needs a jolt of energy and a coaching staff who can adjust. We can fix one of those issues by possibly seeing what Tua can do, but when can we hope for Flores and the rest of the staff to hold themselves as accountable as they hold players. Till next time, Fins Up!

 

 

 

MMA Fights of the Month: October 2020

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Fight of the Month Power Rankings: October

 

What makes for a great fight? It’s much more complex than having two strikers go at it. There has to be a certain amount of tension that the fight emanates. The battle scars and aesthetic of a fighter going through war makes it all the better. If a fighter is unique in his own way, it just adds to the recipe for making a great fight. This month, we are going to take into consideration all of those things and more, and bring you a power ranking of the best fights of October. 

  1. Luigi Vendramini vs Jessin Ayari

This was the first fight of the card AND the month and if it was any indication of how this month is going to go, we’re in for a lot of exciting fights. Luigi Vendramini and Jessin Ayari started off the night by going right at each other. After a good right hand by Luigi rocks Jessin, he finishes him with a head kick. This exciting fight starts off the month of October at #1 on the list

 

  1. Nassourdine Imavov vs Jordan Willaims

Of all the fights on the card, this definitely was the one with the most damage inflicted. It was almost a throwback fight looking like UFC 2, due to the fact that the blind referee missed 2 (!!!) headbutts, one of which caused a broken orbital bone of Williams. This fight was a war. Jordan showed the heart of a champion, unwilling to go down no matter how many heavy shots he took. As for Nassourdine he was willing to dish it all out. This all-out war puts it at #2 on our power rankings.

 

  1. Dusko Todorovic vs Dequan Townsend

Coming up third in our fight of the month is the rise of undefeated Dusko Todorovic vs Dequan Townsend. Dusko came in this fight looking sharp as ever. His striking was crisp, defense kept him clean, and his wrestling was dominant. When he put all of those together in this fight he put away someone who got TKO’d once before tonight in 33 career fights. Dusko’s dominance puts his fight with Townsend at #3

 

  1. Germaine de Randamie vs Juilianna Pena

This fight should’ve been the main event of the card. #1 Ranked Germaine De Randamie took on #4 Ranked Julianna Pena. It was a clash of styles and given the domination that GDR took from Nunes on the ground, it seemed if Pena took her down it was over. GDR was able to keep the fight on the feet in the first, while Pena was able to implement her game plan early in the second. That was when GDR turned things around. She reversed position and locked in a von flue choke that almost won her the fight, but the round ended. And again late in the third, she goes for a submission. This time she pulls a guillotine and is able to put Pena to sleep in a fight that could’ve gone either way. This was the first submission win for “The Iron Lady” and earns her a spot at #4

 

  1. Casey Kenney vs Heili Alateng

 

Casey Kenney earns himself the last spot on our power rankings with the clinic he put on against Heili Alateng. His kicks to the body left Heili with a big red patch on the side of his body and he was throwing bombs at him, busting up his face in the process. With such a masterful performance by Kenney, not only did he earn a fight in a few weeks on UFC 254, he earns himself the last spot on our power rankings. 

 

Just missed: Holm vs Aldana

 

You can follow Johnathan on Twitter @ThreePieceCombo