5 Post-Practice Comments from Spoelstra, Butler, Crowder

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The Miami Heat had another media session after another early morning practice today. Jimmy Butler spoke on the Indiana match-up and the chances of this current Heat team. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Jimmy Butler got asked once again about the TJ Warren match-up. He said, “I’m going to go out there and be the best player on the floor.” He also mentions that he’s not worried about anybody’s match-up. Jimmy seems to only be worried about one thing and one thing only which is to win. He has the utmost confidence in himself and this team in this playoff setting. He finishes his answer regarding the TJ Warren beef, saying “We can kill that. That’s something of the past.”

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Jae Crowder seems to have the utmost confidence in his former college teammate Jimmy Butler in a playoff series. He says, “This is when he comes alive.” Jimmy Butler has always been a guy that saves himself for the playoffs, and explodes. He was shooting 15 shots a game in last years playoffs, which was more than he attempted during the season. This is because your best player has to show up in the post-season in order for you to win. And even though people have doubted his jump shot all season, he knows he doesn’t need it to win since he has the confidence in himself to attack the basket and score or get to the line every play.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Jimmy Butler spoke about the first round of the playoffs against Indiana, and likes the chances of this team going forward. He said, “The tougher team is gonna end up winning in the end, and I think we have that in our corner.” This team is obviously full of a bunch of gritty and tough guys. This always seems to be the case for a Miami Heat team, but this one is much different. Every single player has talked about winning in their media sessions, which shows the amount of focus on this roster. Jimmy finishes with “It’s gonna be a dog fight, but I think we got some dogs.”

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Jae Crowder touched on their defensive tweaks as of late. He says, “I think it has definitely put pressure on our communication.” He continually reiterates the fact that he’s been pushing communication all season, since he think it’s the biggest thing with this team. Jae Crowder was clearly a big reason for these defensive tweaks, since he was put into the starting lineup over Meyers Leonard for more versatility. And with Meyers out of the rotation, this hurts their defensive communication since he was one of their biggest on court voices. Jae definitely isn’t stressing this too much since it’s an easy fix.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Jimmy Butler was asked about this team’s recent success over Indiana and what they should make of it. He responds, “None of it.” He wants to make sure his team is completely focused and that they don’t get complacent with that mindset. He also mentions, “It’s a different style of basketball now.” This is obviously true since the two games played earlier in the season will be nothing like they are now. This also goes back to his previous comment of this team having a bunch of dogs. Although it’s a different style of play, it seems like it may benefit Miami even more.

Lewin Diaz

Meet the Marlins: Lewin Diaz

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The Miami Marlins made a few roster moves this afternoon, following their 8-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves. The team moved Corey Dickerson to the Bereavement List and called up first base prospect Lewin Diaz.

Marlins Call Up Lewin Diaz

The 23-year-old Diaz, who’s from the Dominican Republic, stands six-foot-foot and is an imposing figure in the box. He came to the Marlins organization last year as part of a deal with the Minnesota Twins for closer Sergio Romo and pitching prospect Chris Vallimont.

In 31 games for Marlins’ Double-A level affiliate, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Diaz connected on eight homers and drove in 14 runs. He slashed .200/.279/.461, but overall in 2019, he hit 27 home runs and drove in 76 runs in 121 games.

This from MLB Pipeline:

Diaz’s value lies in his offensive potential from the left side of the plate. He had shown an ability to make consistent contact and drive the ball to all fields in the past, though lost his way in 2018. He rediscovered his stroke in 2019 and is starting to tap into his tremendous raw power, especially to the pull side, setting a career high in home runs. Even when Diaz struggled, he kept his strikeout rate low and never really tried to sell out for power.

In Spring Training 1.0, Diaz went 7-for-26 with two doubles, a home run and four RBI.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly said this afternoon that the Marlins selected Diaz over fellow left-handed hitting prospect Jesus Sanchez because they want to keep Jesus Aguilar rested. Diaz plays first base and could spell Aguilar there, whereas Sanchez plays RF and Mattingly said the team is set in the outfield for now.

Diaz will not start on Saturday, given the Braves are throwing their left-handed ace Max Fried (3-0, 1.59 ERA). He has a chance to see the field on Sunday, depending upon who Atlanta trots out there.

COVID-IL Update

The Marlins announced today that most of the players on the COVID-related IL have been approved by the MLB/MLBPA Joint Committee for reinstatement. Craig Mish reported early today that Sandy Alcantaraand Miguel Rojas were approved and that they were on the verge of beginning their rehab at the team’s alternate site in Jupiter.

The Marlins did not share additional names regarding the approved reinstatements. Among the other names are Jorge Alfaro, Garrett Cooper, Harold Ramirez, Caleb Smith and Jose Urena.

Remember, two-thirds of the bullpen and three-fifths of the starting rotation suffered the COVID-19 set back, so the pitching staff could receive a shot in the arm in the coming weeks.

Mattingly said yesterday he’s not going to rush the players coming back from the COVID-related IL, especially the pitchers.

“It’s safety first. These guys are too valuable. If you bring them back too quickly, they get hurt.”

Miami has made 60 roster moves since the season began on July 24. The Marlins currently have 21 players on the IL. Only 13 players on the active roster were on it on Opening Day. But it would seem that reinforcements are right around the corner.

5 Post-Practice Comments from Spoelstra, Dragic, Adebayo, Jones Jr

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The Miami Heat had an early practice on Saturday morning, preparing for the start of the playoffs. They spoke with some media afterward, including some discussion on the health of Derrick Jones Jr. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Derrick Jones Jr started the session speaking about the injury of course. He said he feels good but just a little sore. This is definitely great to hear since it doesn’t seem as serious as first expected. He also mentions that he’s hopeful that he will be ready by the first round of the playoffs, but will take it day by day. He says that he just did not see the second screen on that specific play, and mentions “he came out of nowhere.” Spoelstra was also happy to hear the seriousness of it, saying “Thank goodness he has what he has today.”

 

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Bam Adebayo got asked about the match-up of him and Myles Turner, and if he reminds him of himself at all. He quickly added “no.” Then continues saying that he thinks of himself as “one of one.” He says that he’s one of those guys that can do absolutely everything on the court. Bam Adebayo will be looking to display the scoring side of his game during the playoffs a little more, since this team will be looking to him to score in tough stretches. And with Bam’s confidence at an all time high right now, I’d feel bad for anyone having to guard him in a 7 game series.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Goran Dragic seems to know as much as everybody else does when regarding the starting lineup for the first round. He says that he doesn’t care if he starts or comes off of the bench. As I mentioned before, it doesn’t matter to him because he has thrived in both situations. He has a natural ability to lead and score, which happens no matter who is on the floor with him. But with Kendrick’s recent struggles, it would be no surprise if Spoelstra started him in this series. And if he doesn’t start, he will see an extended amount of minutes off of the bench.

Post-Practice Comment #4

Bam got to talking about himself in today’s interview, including the different spots he could be utilized. He says, “put me on a starting guard.” I bet Erik Spoelstra would have no problem sticking Bam Adebayo on Victor Oladipo in this series, but that would be a huge risk for foul trouble. You are going to need Bam Adebayo in this series as much as possible, which is why there’s no need to risk this early. But, he might see some extended minutes on Oladipo down the stretch of games in the fourth quarter.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Erik Spoelstra gave a quick update on Miami’s Jae Crowder today. He said that he practiced today, which definitely is a good sign. He was tagged as questionable yesterday prior to the game, which seems to be a good sign that he will be ready for game 1 of the first round. Miami will need their versatile power forward in this series, especially since he spent a lot of minutes guarding Victor Oladipo in the game earlier in the week. And that’s not even discussing the amount of efficient three point shooting he has endured at a high volume. This Heat team needs a healthy Jae Crowder to make some noise in the playoffs.

Marlins beat Braves

Marlins Beat Braves 8-2, Maintain NL East Lead

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The Miami Marlins entered Friday night’s home opener as unlikely NL East leaders. While most thought the Marlins would occupy the cellar of the division, Miami sits atop the NL East in August for the first time in franchise history. They’ve done so without more than half of their Opening Day roster. Friday night, the Marlins beat the Braves 8-2, thanks to aggressive baserunning, solid pitching and timely defense.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly credited the win to “a little bit of everything.” He called it “a well-rounded game,” and said: “We kind of got contributions from all over the place.”

Game Changing Speed

The most obviously difference for the Marlins was the game-changing speed at the bottom of the order.

“Speed is a difficult thing to deal with,” Mattingly said. “It just puts a little bit of pressure everywhere. You have to have guys who can get on base, who can hit, and then you can use that speed.”

Eddy Alvarez, Jon Berti and Magneuris Sierra, the 7-, 8- and 9-hole hitters, reached base six times and accounted for six of Miami’s eight runs. Jonathan Villar, the lead-off hitter, also used his speed to make plays.

The team swiped four bases for the second straight game, something they’ve only done three times in franchise history. Another franchise first occurred when Berti stole home in the fourth. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Miami stole home in consecutive games for the first time in club history and is the first team to do so since the Kansas City Royals on May 22-23, 1996.

Mattingly said postgame that Sierra is “bouncing around and creating havoc.” That’s certainly true, especially when he can turn a roller into right field from a single to a double.

In his last three games, Sierra is 3-for-9 with six runs scored, three RBI, three walks, two stolen bases and a double. He’s played well defensively, and the team is now 6-0 with him in the starting lineup.

Pablo’s Performance Helps Marlins Beat Braves

Pablo Lopez has proven to be the most important pitcher for the Marlins this season. Not only did Lopez’s shutdown performance against the Orioles coming off of quarantine inspire, his consistent ability to throw strikes and shut down opposing lineups has helped propel the Marlins to the top of the NL East.

“Pablo’s worked hard,” Mattingly said, “really just kind of making strides.”

Lopez went six innings, scattered seven hits (one home run), with two earned runs and a career-high eight strikeouts.

“With these last three starts, [I’ve been] trying to have a good rhythm. Trying to work the count, stay ahead. Minimize mistakes,” Lopez said after the game. “Me and Cervelli were on the same page. Mixing pitches, mixing eye-levels.”

Despite missing Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies, this Braves offense still sports potent bats and Lopez knew he and Francisco Cervelli would need to use a variety of strategies. He gave up a first-inning home run to Travis d’Arnaud, but settled in nicely from there.

Lopez didn’t issue a walk and said after the game he was happier about that than the eight Ks. He has focused on his mechanics and developing a good rhythm and credits his chemistry with Cervelli.

Timely Defense

Lopez was aided by timely defensive plays as well. Brian Anderson made a bare-handed play to throw out Marcel Ozuna with the bases loaded in the fifth, ending a potential run-scoring opportunity for the Braves. Matt Joyce also secured timely outs with diving plays in left field.

“You’ve got a bunch of grinders,” Joyce said after the game. “You’ve got a bunch of fighters. You also have a bunch of guys that are having fun. Right now, we’re on a good roll, and we’re having fun doing it.”

Prior to this game, the Marlins had largely relied on the home run for offense. They didn’t hit one on Friday and still managed eight runs. The combination of speed, pitching and defense proved to be the difference.

Joyce credited the win to that diversity. “Where you can go out there and win in different types of ways,” Joyce said. “I think that’s what good teams do.”

The Marlins will look to beat the Braves again tonight, but have Atlanta’s best pitcher, LHP Max Fried (3-0, 1.59) to deal with. Miami will counter with LHP Daniel Castano (0-1, 8.31), who’s making his second big league start.

5 Overall Takeaways from Miami Heat’s Eight Seeding Games

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The Miami Heat fell to 3-5 during their seeding games in the bubble, but this record does not show the amount of positive signs that was shown from their young players. As we now approach the beginning of the NBA playoffs, here’s a look back at what I took away from the regular season games in the bubble…

#1: Duncan Robinson clearly elevates the offense to another level.

It was pretty obvious that Duncan Robinson was an elite shooter before the NBA got postponed, but these bubble games showcased another side of him. He was a sensational catch and shoot guy all season, but now that he’s such an offensive problem for other defenses, they throw everyone they can at him. This allowed Duncan to develop things such as a shot-fake, off-balance threes, and even some drives to the basket. This consequently takes the offense to another level. If Duncan becomes even more comfortable with his abilities to penetrate once teams are flying out on him, this opens up the floor for everybody else, especially Bam Adebayo.

#2: Goran Dragic may be the starter by game 1 of the playoffs.

Goran Dragic has clearly been on point over his time in the bubble, since he’s had absolutely zero problems scoring the ball. And with Kendrick Nunn’s recent struggles, it’s looking more and more like Goran Dragic will be the starter by game 1. Goran got some run in with the starting lineup when Kendrick was out, and the lineup absolutely thrived. The problem was that there was no veteran Goran off of the bench. This clearly hurt their second unit, since guys like Tyler Herro and Derrick Jones Jr both flourish with Goran on the floor. It’s also been clear that Miami needs Goran or Jimmy on the floor at all times to be successful, and with this starting lineup, there will be stretches without them on the floor. If Goran continues this hot streak in the playoffs, this will definitely be a tough offense to stop.

#3: Tyler Herro takes huge leap in the bubble.

There seemed to be quite a lot of doubt on Heat’s rookie Tyler Herro when he struggled in the three scrimmage games. But, he completely turned this around once the games started to count, especially on the back stretch of these games. He came into the league with the idea that he’d be a catch and shoot guy. But this isn’t even close to being his best overall attribute. During the hiatus, he worked on his ball-handing skills a lot, which is very important since he’s become one of Miami’s primary play-makers. And speaking of play-making, his display of passing during this time has clearly shown he will be the starting point guard of this team very soon. His biggest problem has been on the defensive side, and he’s even had a bunch of great defensive stretches. His quick feet, active hands, and great instincts have given this team even more hope on the future of Tyler Herro.

#4: Bam Adebayo saving himself for the post-season.

Bam Adebayo has been pretty solid for this team statistically in the bubble, but this team knows he has another level. It’s up to Bam if he can shift gears in a playoff series, and take over on offense at times when they need him. He’s begun to get more and more comfortable with that elbow jump shot, but they just haven’t been falling. The coaching staff, his teammates, and the fans all want him to continue to be comfortable taking it, since they will begin to fall eventually. His defense is never in question, since he seems to bring that every single night he plays. Bam has seemed to be pacing himself a bit over this stretch of games, which it appears to be him saving himself for a post-season breakout.

#5: Jimmy Butler got some time off, but now this is his time.

Jimmy Butler has not looked to be a primary scorer on this team all season. He instead uses his elite play-making and leadership to his advantage, which is definitely needed. But, in order for this team to make a playoff run, they’ll need Jimmy Butler to become the star that he is. The reason lower level teams always shrink in the playoffs is because they don’t have a go to guy when thing get rough. Miami has one, but he needs to know he is one. It seems as if Jimmy could drive to the basket and get a bucket or a foul on every possession, but he chooses to be the unselfish teammate that he is. In a playoff series though, he will need to be selfish at times, because that will translate to wins in close games. If Jimmy could step up as “the guy,” this team will be as tough as any other.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Final Regular Season Game Against Pacers

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The Miami Heat played a meaningless game against the Indiana Pacers, and lost 109-92. Miami’s Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic, and Bam Adebayo didn’t play, which is why it doesn’t hold much importance. There was also an unfortunate situation that occurred in the third quarter, which was an injury to the Heat’s Derrick Jones Jr. Here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: A tough Derrick Jones Jr injury in garbage time hurts the team mentally.

A rough incident occurred in today’s game in the third quarter with Heat’s forward Derrick Jones Jr. He appeared to suffer a neck injury after going around a pick on Goga Bitadze. DJJ laid on the ground for an extend amount of time face-first, and eventually was taken out on a stretcher. Bam Adebayo chased after Derrick and the medical staff in the tunnel soon after. This type of injury in a game that holds no importance definitely weighs on teammates minds heavily. There is hope that Derrick’s injury isn’t as bad as it seems, which definitely impacts this Heat team since he’s been a huge defensive spark throughout the season.

#2: Udonis Haslem caps off regular season with his final start.

It was very fitting for UD to cap off this year’s regular season with a spot in the starting lineup. And with UD, it doesn’t matter the circumstance, he plays hard no matter what. A 40 year old Udonis was taking charges, wrestling for loose balls, and of course stepping up as their on court leader. He had some pretty good stetches including a tough finish at the rim and a three pointer due to a low shot clock. The thing is with Haslem is that he doesn’t need to be on the court to be effective. Some don’t realize the amount of credit he should get for this team’s success, since he’s a great mentor for all of the young guys, especially Bam Adebayo. But, there was absolutely no better way for Mr. 305 to cap off this regular season heading into the playoffs.

#3: Although Heat’s star players are defensive minded, their most essential attribute is on offense.

The Miami Heat definitely struggled on offense in the first half, mostly because they didn’t have a go to guy. Either Goran Dragic or Jimmy Butler will be needed on the floor at all times for this team to be successful. Jimmy and Bam have clearly been labeled as defensive anchors, but games like this prove their offensive importance, especially Jimmy Butler’s. Although people continue to critique his shooting, he does everything else on offense that you’d want your star player to do. Play-make, handle the ball, attack the basket, and of course lead. If Miami has to go extended minutes in the playoffs without Jimmy or Goran on the floor, Tyler Herro will be looked at to take control of the offensive load.

#4: The out of rotation guys played hard, including Soloman Hill and Chris Silva.

Soloman Hill and Chris Silva got some early minutes in today’s game, and both stepped up in a time to showcase their skills. Soloman seemed pretty confident in his ability to attack the rim, which he scored 21 points and went 10-12 from the free throw line. Chris Silva also showcased a bunch of his skill-set, which seems to be led by his motor. He was a bit of a presence in the paint, which he got three blocks and forced a bunch of misses around the rim. Although these two guys probably won’t see many minutes in the post-season, it’s good to see your 12th and 13th men show a bunch of positive signs.

#5: Jimmy’s leadership displayed once again before game.

It’s been pretty clear that Jimmy Butler’s leadership has been huge for this Heat team’s young guys. And well, he continued to show this side of himself in an interview with Rachel Nichols of ESPN. The main part of this interview was his absolute confidence in the ability for this team to win, which he said he thinks they can win it all. He also mentions the Chris Paul incident from the other night, saying “I’m not here to make friends.” It’s clear that Jimmy isn’t here for a vacation. It’s a business trip. He also throws in some comments of the Heat acquiring another star in the near future. He says that he thinks it will happen since the organization is so great with it, and that they have all the key pieces. Jimmy also seemed in good spirits on the sideline during today’s game, which is a great sign for this team heading into the playoffs.

Marlins

5 Takeaways from Marlins Wild Road Trip

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The Miami Marlins get a home opener, finally. After a 6-day road trip morphed into a 23-day odyssey, the Marlins are set to defend their home (new) turf for the first time this season. Miami enters the game after a thrilling 14-11 victory over the Blue Jays and own a 1-game over the Braves in the NL East.

Here’s a look at five takeaways from the Marlins road trip.

Marlins Road Trip Produced Some Wild Numbers

The teams trip went from six days to 23 days. They spent eight of those days in quarantine. They’ve made 58 roster moves, used 45 players total, including 26 pitchers. In 2019, they used 25 pitchers for the whole season. All 162 games.

Of the original 30 players on the Opening Day roster, 18 have landed on the IL and one has since opted out. Two of the recent additions are IL bound as well. The Marlins gave up a franchise record seven home runs in a game, and still won!

Despite the wild trip, Miami managed an 8-4 record, including a 5-game winning streak. They posted a 4-1 record in 1-run games, a vast improvement thus far from 2019, where they went 16-28 in 1-run contests.

Finally, the Marlins odds for making the playoffs have climbed to 25 percent for ESPN and 23.3 percent for FanGraphs. If they make the postseason, it’ll be the first time since 2003. The Marlins have the second-longest current playoff drought in MLB (Seattle, 2001).

Aguilar and Anderson Mashing for the Marlins

The Marlins offense has improved considerably under the watchful eyes of bench coach James Rowson and hitting coach Eric Duncan. The offense scores five runs-per-game this year, versus 3.8 in 2019. And the team is connecting on 1.25 home-runs-per-game, which is a vast improvement upon last season’s 0.90 clip.

Jesus Aguilar and Brian Anderson are leading the way in that department. Both have a team-leading four home runs this season. Aguilar leads the team in batting average (.311) and Anderson leads in OPS (1.007). Anderson also leads in RBI (13), but Aguilar is right behind (12).

Marlins manager Don Mattingly has spaced out the two in the lineup, so as long as the players around them continue to get on, these two can knock them in.

Mags Sierra and Eddy Alvarez Deserve Playing Time

Magneuris Sierra’s performance of late demands attention. Sierra’s game-changing speed affects opponent pitching staffs and the Marlins are 5-0 when he’s in the starting lineup. In seven games this season (five starts), Sierra’s hitting .286 with a .421 on-base percentage. He’s played solid defense in the outfield and stolen one base. While some of the other Marlins outfielders have sputtered early on, Sierra has proven to be a sparkplug.

Eddy Alvarez has also impressed of late. After starting his career 0-for-9, Alvarez has gone 4-for-10 at the plate with a double, three runs scored and two stolen bases. His play defensively at second base has been a marvel. He made game-saving plays (plural) versus the Mets last Friday. Mattingly said recently he likes Alvarez in against RHP.

Both of these young players have earned spots in the lineup for now.

Pitching Has Been…Okay

The Marlins lost three members of their starting rotation and about two-thirds of their bullpen. The front office scrambled to assemble a piecemeal staff and the results thus far have been…okay.

The Marlins are 12th in team ERA (4.22), 12th in batting-average-against (.233) and 17th in WHIP (1.34). This season, the bullpen is 6-for-7 in save situations. Last season, the Marlins featured one of the worst bullpens in MLB. Miami relievers posted the fifth-worst ERA (4.97) and their WHIP (1.45) was seventh worst. Relievers had a save percentage of 55.1 in 2019 and blew 22 save opportunities.

Brandon Kintzler is 3-for-3 in saves thus far with a 1.42 ERA. Stephen Tarpley has impressed as well, posting a 2.84 ERA, two wins and a save. Generally, the bullpen has been good in high leverage spots, despite the home run binge from the Blue Jays and the extra innings loss.

For the starters, Pablo Lopez (1-1, 1.80 ERA, 11 K) has become the de facto ace. And Elieser Hernandez, other than one bad inning against Toronto, seems sharp as well. (0-0, 2.79 ERA, 10 K).

Monte Harrison & Lewis Brinson Struggling

The excitement of Monte Harrison’s call up saw Marlins fans frothing. And though he’s been more than stellar in the outfield, Harrison has not really come through at the plate. In 20 plate appearances, Harrison is 2-for-18 with two walks, two RBI and 11 strikeouts. He’s struck out each of his last six at-bats.

The key for Harrison is putting the bat on the ball. He’s seeing 4.6 pitches-per-plate-appearance and he’s hitting .286 on balls-put-in-play. If he can get on the basepaths, his speed remains an incredible weapon.

Lewis Brinson, meanwhile, has gone hitless in his return to the Marlins. He’s 0-for-12 in 15 plate appearances with three walks but just strikeouts. He’s shown increased discipline at the dish, seeing 4.7 pitches-per-plate-appearance, which is up almost a full point for his career average.

Bottom line for Brinson, though, he needs to produce. Hopefully, he and Harrison will see more opportunities in the coming days and can shake off these slow starts.

Miami Heat’s Playoff Schedule Released

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It was finally made official yesterday that the Miami Heat would be facing the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs. And today, they released the official days and times of these games.

The Heat were given most of the afternoon times for this first round match-up, which was kind of expected since the national outlets don’t like to showcase or talk about the Heat too much. They will kick off the playoffs with a game on Tuesday at 4pm, which will most likely be the most important game of the series. If the Heat get a hot start, it will be hard for this banged up Indiana team to bounce back.

They follow that game with a start time of 1pm, 3:30pm, and 6:30pm. And if games 5, 6, and 7 are needed, those times will be revealed later.

Although Miami wasn’t given the best game time of the day, this will definitely change if they make it to the second round. That’s when the national media will make sure to put it prime-time, to make sure their reigning MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn’t get upset by this gritty Heat team.

These early times definitely are something that players will need to adjust to since they’ve never done this before. Most of these players are in such a routine in their daily lives, that they do everything at specific times. But in today’s circumstances, everyone must adjust.

It’s looking like Miami will be fully healthy by game 1 of the playoffs as well, with Kendrick Nunn returning and Jae Crowder’s injury not too serious.

Either way, playoff basketball is back.

Blaise Matuidi Officially Signs for Inter Miami

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Inter Miami CF have gone out and signed a World Cup winner in Blaise Matuidi.

The midfielder will depart Juventus for free, a year before his contract was set to expire. Juventus had recently won the Serie A, but were knocked out in the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final last week. Following the loss, eyes were on Juventus to make major changes at the club. It started with the firing of Maurizio Sarri, and the hiring of Italian legend Andrea Pirlo as manager. Matuidi is thought to be the first of a number of players on the roster set to leave Turin, as they look to restructure the squad.

The Announcement

Bringing in Matuidi was talked about and declared “official” days before Inter Miami officially announced it. When the words “Here we go” are in any tweet from Fabrizio Romano, that’s when you know a deal is done. Romano, a world renowned football journalist and reporter, broke the news suddenly on the morning of August 10th.

Questions were asked about how Inter Miami would bring him in under the MLS Salary Budget. For a player of Matuidi’s quality, it’d be expected that Paul McDonough would have to waste a Designated Player (DP) slot on him. However, McDonough has pulled off the unthinkable here by signing Matuidi as a TAM player. TAM, or Targeted Allocation Money, is defined by MLS as “funds strategically provided by the league to teams to add or retain players that will make an immediate impact on the field.” This leaves the club with one more DP slot available . In a simple sense, a DP is a player who’s salary does not take effect and can exceed the MLS Salary Budget. Therefore, Inter still have a massive opportunity to sign another big name player.

On the Morning of August 13th, Inter Miami posted this tweet to tease Miami fans, “Who controls the field?”:

It was quickly followed with the actual announcement of the clubs new Number 8.

Blaise Matuidi: The Player

At 33 years old, Matuidi contributed heavily to the Scudetto winners in 2019-2020. Of the 38 games this year, Matuidi started in 23 and was subbed on in 12. An important piece to such a top team, Matuidi’s move to MLS may come as a surprise as it doesn’t seem his career was dwindling just yet.

Blaise Matuidi has been on more title winning sides than someone can count on both hands. He’s won the Ligue 1 title five times with PSG, the Serie A three times with Juventus, 12 cup titles in France, and another cup in Italy. Matuidi’s greatest accomplishment however, is his World Cup win with France in 2018.

Normally a center defensive midfielder, and a solid one at that, Matuidi has also proven he can play as a left midfielder, or left back too. In every game Matuidi featured in at the 2018 World Cup for France, he was asked to play on the left side. As a player, Matuidi is a more defensive minded midfielder who excels at winning the ball. Inter Miami, an MLS Expansion Side who’s struggled so far to retain possession and protect its backline, may have found a match made in heaven.

Overall, this is a huge signing by the club. David Beckham has brought in his former teammate to help solidify his midfield and team as a whole. It should be noted that Matuidi likely won’t play in Miami’s first couple of 2020 regular season matches and it is not known exactly when he will be available.

With that said, Miami fans should still be excited to bring in a proven winner like Blaise Matuidi.

Inter Miami are set to host Orlando City at Lockhart Stadium on August 22nd as the 2020 MLS Regular Season returns.

Miami Dolphins: Five takeaways from Tua Tagovailoa’s press conference

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As football begins to get underway and we get a sense of the 2020 Miami Dolphins, one player in particular is on everybody’s mind. Tua Tagovailoa is ready to take over Miami.

Okay, maybe I exaggerated a little bit. Right now, he is not worried about taking over Miami. Right now, he just wants to play football.

That was evident when he met with South Florida media today. In an offseason unlike any other, the former Alabama star seems confident and ready to take the next step. That confidence and desire to play football bodes well for the franchise’s future.

How is he getting along with Ryan Fitzpatrick? Does he have confidence in the coaching staff?

Here are five takeaways from Tua Tagovailoa’s press conference .

Takeaway #1

What Tua said:

What I heard:

This may seem like a simple answer on Tua’s part, but to me, that tells me he is ready to go. He is focused on not only seeing the field in the 2020 season, but also winning the starting job. This is exactly what I would want to hear if I was a Dolphins fan. Right now, he is working hard to connect with his teammates and coaching staff. This sounds to me like he is ready to be a leader, and ready to start building that chemistry on the field already. For a player that is going to be counted on to be the franchise savior, these words should be comforting to say the least.

Takeaway #2

What Tua said:

“To be behind a professional like (Ryan Fitzpatrick) to me it’s kind of mind-boggling how down-to-earth he is. It’s one of those things where it’s, this guy gets it. I don’t know what it is, but he gets it and that saying goes true. It says ‘if you want to get somewhere fast, you go alone, but if you want to do it with purpose, then you bring people with you,’ and I think ‘Fitz’ has done a tremendous job in trying to help shape and mold me and Josh (Rosen) as well. So it’s been really cool to go through that process with him.”

What I heard:

Humbleness on the part of Tua. Although he may be the rookie sensation, he’s not acting like it. It seems like he is very appreciative of his opportunity to play for Miami, and it seems like the quarterback room is very supportive of each other. Ryan Fitzpatrick has been all over the National Football League. He’s carved out a long career, and he knows what it takes to be successful. Now, it seems like he is taking the Alabama star under his wing. He certainly is not a bad person for Tua to mentor from.

Takeaway #3

What I heard:

Tua will take any criticism in stride. This is needed to be a successful player in the National Football League, That’s exactly the type of approach you need to have. Particularly for a rookie, peaks and valleys are going to happen. That’s what happens over the course of a NFL season. If Tua can take it all in stride, than that will serve him well in facing the rigors of a National Football League season.

Takeaway #4

What Tua said:

“I think our coaches – I think they’re going to put the best 11 out there. Whether I’m in that lineup or not, I think they’ve done enough evaluation throughout the week, throughout the month and leadup to that game; so in that regard, I know they’re going to put the best out there.”

What I heard:

The quarterback trusts the coaching staff. To me, this is certainly a good sign because it indicates that all parties are on the same page. Tua trusts Brian Flores and his staff to be able to put the organization in the best positions to succeed. This level of trust could come in handy for both parties once Tua  takes over the starting job full-time.

Takeaway #5

What Tua said:

“I think the best way to handle (pressure) is really not pay attention to it, if that makes sense. Not being someone who just says, ‘oh I don’t like it, I don’t care about it.’ I understand that it’s there, but I just feel like the focus – the main focus – is just being able to get into my playbook, being able to – like I said – build relationships with the guys on the team and just focus on what we’ve got to do inside of the building. “

What I heard:

The quarterback understands that there are going to be high expectations placed on him. He is ready to handle the spotlight. He knows that he is going to be under a microscope, and he knows there is going to be a certain buzz around him. Right now, he just wants to play football. He is focused on learning the playbook and getting acclimated with his teammates. In short, he is focused on the Xs and Os and not the opinions of the masses.