Miami Heat’s Justise Winslow missing both games in New York

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Justise Winslow will not play for the Miami Heat in New York, either against the Nets on Friday night or the Knicks on Sunday afternoon, after a setback with his back injury.

Health has been a problem for Winslow this season. He has only played in 11 games to this point. His last contest came on Wednesday against Indiana. In that game, he saw the four for 15:33. He missed both shots he attempted but did manage to record two rebounds, an assist, and a block.

For his Miami Heat career, Justice Winslow has played for five seasons in 241 games. He has recorded nine points per game in addition to 5.4 rebounds per game. His best season came last year. He played in 66 games, starting 52 of them. He recorded 12.6 points per contest as well as 5.4 rebounds per game. He saw an increase in minutes in comparison to the 2017-18 season. Playing 29.7 minutes per contest, that was an increase from 2017-18. He played in 24.7 minutes per game that year.

So far this season, Winslow is playing 23 minutes per contest. His best game to this point in the season came against the Memphis Grizzlies on October 23. He scored 27 points, going 10-of-21 from the field. In addition, he recorded seven rebounds and seven assists. It was certainly a nice way to start the season for Winslow.

When healthy, he is undoubtedly an asset for Miami. However, it seems like he has been injured more often than on the floor. One has to wonder if the Heat will deal him prior to the trade deadline in an effort to get more production from another asset. As for right now, their main goal should be to see that he gets healthy.

Inter Miami Take Robbie Robinson, Dylan Nealis in MLS SuperDraft

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Paul McDonough takes talent. Inter Miami’s Sporting Director has proven yet again that talent is most important when solidifying a roster. By taking Robbie Robinson first overall, McDonough made sure he got the top talent in the draft, and still walked out with a top defender in Dylan Nealis with the third overall pick.

Robbie Robinson is a 6’2 forward from Clemson University who dominated all year long. His 27 goal contributions (18 goals, 9 assists) in just 19 games led the country. Those numbers solidified Robinson as the top player in all of college soccer.

He was named the 2019 Hermann Trophy winner, the top prize in NCAA. Robinson led Clemson to an ACC Final appearance this year along with a Quarterfinal run in the NCAA Tournament. His quickness and will to get in behind defenders was a vital component to one of the best offenses in the country. But how will that style of play translate to MLS?

New head coach Diego Alonso is known for an attacking style of soccer. Alonso will likely use a 4-2-3-1 in which the front four are interchangable. Robinson at Clemson showed that he can be useful as a centre forward or on the wings. With Jerome Kiesewetter, Juan Agudelo, and Julian Carranza on the roster right now, it seems Carranza will carry the lone striker role. Both Agudelo and Kiesewetter have had roles in their past as wingers, but also as centre forwards, and Alonso could use this versatility in his tactics. With a versatile attacking mindset, Robbie Robinson will get his chance and Alonso’s style of play could suit him.

Nashville went on to take Jack Maher with the second pick and left Inter Miami with an easy decision. If it wasn’t going to be Maher, the next best defender in the draft was Dylan Nealis, a full back from Georgetown. Georgetown won the 2019 NCAA Championship under Nealis’ leadership and Nealis was named the top defensive player of the tournament. He had also won back to back Big East Defensive Player of the Year awards prior to being selected by Inter Miami. He will give the already signed right back, Alvas Powell, competition for starting minutes.

Inter Miami’s defensive names give the roster depth at the back line and this pick solidifies that. When an MLS defense runs thin due to injury or lack of talent, it is hard to compete in the league. With a lot of games to play this season, throughout the summer and US Open Cup matches, depth along the backline is important and McDonough turned that $150,000 in General Allocation Money into a great pick.

It is worth noting that both Nealis and Robinson are members of the 2020 Generational Adidas Class, and their salaries will not be put against the budget. This will help McDonough make a couple more non-Designated Player signings in order to use up the budget and add talent.

As the draft finished, McDonough was asked questions about the clubs last two DP slots. He was quoted saying, “The goal is to fill now… and be successful from Day 1. If you want to sign a DP in the summer, the impact he can have would be very minimal.”

“We’ve got an international winger that we’ve agreed, we’re doing personal terms with. We have a DP striker that we’ve agreed (a fee) with the club, trying to see if we can get personal terms done.”

That tells fans two things. David Silva in the summer is unlikely unless they miss on filling both DP slots, and that there’s more exciting news to come. Has this roster building process and the come up of the club felt a bit slow? Yes. Has it been underwhelming? Most certainly not.

The roster after the SuperDraft has been filled with more youth talent, and the amount of MLS veterans on the roster combined with the youth has great potential.

Inter Miami’s first ever game will be out in Los Angeles on March 1st against LAFC at the Banc of California Stadium. They will then head to D.C. before coming home for their first ever game against LA Galaxy on March 14th.

Miami Hurricanes won’t bring in Alonzo Highsmith for role

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This is a missed opportunity for the Miami Hurricanes.

Any thoughts about Alonzo Highsmith returning to the Miami Hurricanes football program have been put to bed. According to a tweet from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the door is closed for a Highsmith-Miami reunion.

Highsmith is currently the director of player personnel with the Cleveland Browns. As Jackson also notes, the University of Miami did not have any interest in hiring him, or anyone for a GM-type of role. The GM-type of role was proposed by a key trustee. Highsmith did talk to Diaz and athletic director Blake James about the potential role. The conversation never left its initial stages.

A stellar career for the Miami Hurricanes

Highsmith played four seasons at the University of Miami from 1983-1986. In total, he carried the ball 387 times for 1,873 yards and 18 touchdowns. His best season came in his sophomore year. He played in 12 games, carrying the ball 146 times for 906 yards and nine touchdowns. As he progressed later into his Miami career, he also became a very adept receiving back. He averaged 13.6 yards per reception in 1985 and 13.9 yards per reception in 1986. He was an extremely talented all-around back.

It’s interesting that an offer was never made. Highsmith could have helped the program. He was definitely a key part of the Miami past. Being a director of player personnel, he could offer a lens that others in the organization probably couldn’t. The fact that talks couldn’t even get off the ground is rather interesting and a little disappointing.

As Miami enters the 2020 season, changes may still need to be made. It will be interesting to see what the program does to make those changes. However, they certainly missed the mark with this one. Hopefully, they can find somebody who will be able to add value and a helpful eye into the program.

Predicting Inter Miami’s First Picks in the SuperDraft

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The flip of a coin and sending FC Cincinnati $150,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) has led to Inter Miami choosing first and third in the MLS SuperDraft.

Set to start at 12:30 PM today, the SuperDraft has left Inter fans with a lot of questions as to who the club will be taking first overall. The roster thus far has taken great shape, and Paul McDonough has had great success when it comes to roster building through the draft. There are three big names to be discussed that are all worthy of going first overall. Inter will look to get two of the three biggest prospects in college soccer.

The Three Top Prospects:

1. Forward, Daryl Dike – Virginia

Just two days ago, a major mix up in all mock drafts were announced as Daryl Dike signed the Generational adidas contract and then declared for the draft. He shot up all the boards and will leave Paul McDonough with a couple of big decisions this afternoon. As a sophomore, Dike played in 23 games at striker and finished with 10 goals and 8 assists, leading his team in both categories. He burst onto the scene and made himself a top prospect as he displayed great physical and technical ability in ACC play. Dike was also named NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Tournament Most Outstanding Player on the offensive side after leading Virginia to the final, in which he scored but still finished runner-up after penalties. He is extremely dominant on the ball and his hold up play seemed second to none. Dike also excelled in link up play as he showed great strength and even immense speed on the ball at times. He also proved to be a more polished finisher than the previous season.

2. Forward, Robbie Robinson – Clemson

Then there’s the South Carolina native who opened everyone’s eyes and had the best season of any Division I player this year. Robbie Robinson finished his Junior year with 18 goals and 9 assists in just 18 games played. The goal number is tied for first in the country, and the assist number is tied for 10th. Robinson was by far the best striker in the NCAA and took home many awards including the equivalent to a Heisman trophy, the 2019 Hermann Award. Robinson also has experience with Charleston Battery, a USL Championship side. Following his first season with Clemson in 2017, Robinson suffered an injury which left him to sit his entire sophomore year. It proved to be the most minor of setbacks as we can all see what he did the following season. He stands just as tall as Dike at 6’2, but is listed at 170 lbs. Dike on the other hand weighs in at 220 lbs, a huge difference. The style of play differs greatly, as Robinson takes the pacey, prolific approach while Dike excels in hold up play and uses his strength and speed to gain the advantage on any defender.

3. Defender, Jack Maher – Indiana

Enough about goalscoring, should Paul McDonough secure Inter Miami’s back line with the most promising defender in all of college soccer? Jack Maher was the recipient of many awards, just like the two previous names, including All Big Ten First team. The Indiana defense, led by Maher only gave up 16 goals in 22 games. Maher even contributed to points this year as he ended the season with 4 goals and 2 assists, and 3 of those goals were game winners. Maher has also been looked at greatly as a national team talent, as he’s been called up to he U-18’s and U-23’s this early in his young career. The proven 20 year old looks to be a top 3 pick and will push to be a starter early in his MLS career.

And with the number one pick…

Paul McDonough should take Jack Maher. Their defensive signings so far have been solid, but when MLS defenses run thin, it’s hard to compete. Maher, under the guidance of Roman Torres or even talent alone could develop into a premier center back. Defenders from the SuperDraft are known to pan out much better than attackers do.

And unless Inter are extremely in love with either Robinson or Dike, Maher at number one makes the most sense. Let Nashville choose their striker at number two, that’s okay. The fact that both players are comparable enough to argue shows why taking Maher at number one seems most logical. There are plenty of center backs but none come close to Maher. Of all defenders even, Maher is the clear cut first choice and it’d be a shock to see any defender go before him. If Inter weren’t to have the 3rd pick, maybe taking one of these high profile strikers would be the logical choice. But they do have it, and this 3rd pick gives them an automatic bid at one of the two.

Now with the third pick, who do Inter want more, Robinson or Dike? In an ideal scenario, Inter ends up with Maher at number one and Dike at number three. Dike’s style of play is extremely appealing, and his physical presence exceeds any of the three forwards’ on the roster right now. When it comes to overall prospects, Dike is first on the board, Robinson is second, and Maher is third.

If Inter take Maher first, they could secure the top defender along with a top forward instead of risking losing Maher to Nashville with the second pick.

Walking out of this draft with Maher and Dike or Robinson would boost this roster in terms of depth and young talent with many more moves still up Paul McDonough’s sleeve.

 

 

Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat blow kisses to TJ Warren on social media

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The Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers aren’t exactly the best of friends.

This has been the case for years. Remember Udonis Haslem and Lance Stephenson? And LeBron James and Lance Stephenson? And Ray Allen and Lance Stephenson? And Juwan Howard and Lance Stephenson?

OK, you get it. There was some stuff with David West and Danny Granger too.

Things got a little chippy between the two teams again on Wednesday night, with Jimmy Butler and T.J. Warren had an exchanging of pleasantries during the Miami Heat’s 122-108 win over the Indiana Pacers. Butler had a great night, scoring 14 points on five-of-six shooting from the field. He also made all four free throws he attempted, and recorded six rebounds.

Warren had a rough night to say the least. He went one-of-five from the field and made one of two attempts from the free throw line. He had three points in 23 minutes of play. Warren was also a -25 while he was on the floor. When these two teams meet again on March 20, things should be interesting.

Miami leads the season series by a 2-0 margin. Prior to this game, they met on December 27 at American Airlines Arena. The Heat won narrowly, 113-112. The series is certainly trending in the right direction, particularly since the Pacers won the last three meetings prior to Miami winning the pair.

Friday, March 20 should be a whole lot of fun. That is the next time the Heat and Pacers will face off. Bankers Life FieldHouse will be the venue, and  it will set the stage for a Butler-Warren rematch.

If Warren shows up.

Maybe not if someone shows him social media from tonight.

It’s safe to say that Jimmy Butler is looking forward to this matchup. His post on Instagram said it all. Derrick Jones Jr., who played with Warren in Phoenix in 2017-18 also added his two cents on Twitter in regards to Wednesday night. Meyers Leonard did the same.  One thing is for certain: There is certainly no love lost between these two teams.

There is no doubt that his words with Warren ignited a competitive fire. That’s the type of Jimmy Butler we love to see. There is little doubt that he will be booed when Miami travels to Indiana. However, that will undoubtedly fuel the fire for him to play even harder. I can’t wait to see how it all plays out, and if the tensions increase in subsequent matchups.

Because all the Heat players appear to be firmly on Butler’s side, including the rookies:

And the veterans:

Handicapping the Miami Heat’s 3-Game Trip

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The Miami Heat are playing great basketball. It feels almost like a return to the days of old,  back when the Big 3 were in town, even if they don’t have the front line starpower.

 

Now, the Heat are healthier than they have been — with Jimmy Butler and possibly Justise Winslow returning — and are firmly entrenched in the top three, we a two-game lead on the No. 4 Toronto Raptors and a full three games on the Philadelphia 76ers, who had fallen into a terrible slump prior to beating Oklahoma City.

 

After a five-win stretch, which included sweeping their 4-game home stretch against the Knicks, Jazz, Indiana, and Sixers, the Heat have gone lose-win-lose-win over their last four. They have the Indiana Pacers coming up again on Wednesday in Indiana, and then a trip to New York brings aways games against the Nets on Friday and the Knicks on Sunday.

 

It’s funny because the Heat has beaten Utah, Indiana, Philadelphia, and Toronto since December 23rd, and still the power rating algorithms are a bunch of haters. Miami is No. 3 in the NBA standings and beat these teams, but still, the predictive power ratings have them rated back at No.11. Toronto is rated at No. 7, Philly is rated at No. 9, and Utah is rated at No. 10. Ok. So what gives?

 

I guess the Heat will just have to go and beat these teams – and other top teams – again and we’ll see if they get any love in the power rankings.

 

Heat vs. Pacers | Wednesday 7 PM ET @ Bankers Life Fieldhouse

 

The Indiana Pacers just lost to the Heat in Miami, but now the boys have to go and prove themselves up in Indiana. Both teams are good on defense. The Heat allows just 107.28 and the Pacers let 106.16 points by per game. On offense, Miami puts up 111.11 against Indiana’s 109.46. So, on any given night, these two teams are very evenly matched.

But the Heat’s road offense is scoring around five points fewer per game than their overall average. Out on the highway, they score 106.17, which is the No. 21 road offense. The Pacers put up 111.21 per game at home which is the No. 18 home offense. Home vs. Away defense shows the Pacers improving to 104.7 points per game allowed, and the Heat falling to 110.11.

 

So, we could see the Pacers coming in as significant home favorites on the NBA odds offered at sportsbookreview.com. If the point differential is any indicator, we could technically see a spread of around 10 points. However, I would expect the handicappers to go with straight-up averages and cap this game out to be around 105 for the Heat and 111 for the Pacers.

 

If this is the case, and the point spread is set with the Heat +6, hop on it because they very well could win this one outright.

 

Heat vs. Nets | Friday 7:30 PM @ Barclay’s Center

 

Since we have already gone over Miami’s road stats, we’ll just stick with Brooklyn here. The Nets put up 109.63 per game at home, which falls right in line with Miami’s defensive numbers. So, that is the score we should expect from the Nets; roughly 107 to 109. However, they are not as good on the defensive front as the Pacers and allow 109 and change to go up on the visiting team’s scoreboard in Brooklyn. This one should come down to a pretty close game, but the personnel matchup favors Miami. Remember, we beat the Nets in Brooklyn last time around, 109-106. I predict a similar outcome in for this meeting.

 

 

Heat vs. Knicks | Sunday, 3:30 PM @ Madison Square Garden

 

The Heat have beaten the Knicks in seven of the last 10 meetings in the three most recent, the Heat have smoked the Knicks 3-0 by an average score of 111.67 to 101. The last time these two played was on December 20th when Miami smashed New York 129 to 114.

 

The Heat might not get the road sweep. But they very well might. I think they at least go two of three for the remainder of the week. They’ll keep their win ratio rolling and stay at the top of the Eastern Conference.

 

Winslow, Butler Practice for Miami Heat, Will Travel

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For all their success this year, the Miami Heat have yet to accomplish one important goal . . . fielding a healthy roster.  The Heat came into the season missing their newly signed superstar, Jimmy Butler, due to the birth of his first child.  And there were the self-inflicted setbacks, most notably from high-paid reserves Dion Waiters and James Johnson.

But most concerning has been the rash of injuries that has plagued the Heat’s back court rotation of Justise Winslow and Goran Dragic.  The injuries to both of Miami’s point guards has led to an increased burden on Butler and a “playoff-style” rotation of 8 or 9 players that has seemingly shown in weary legs at the end of road games and back to back scenarios.  Even with Dragic’s recent return and stellar play, the shortened rotation has still been in place thanks to the uneven play of forwards Kelly Olynyk and Chris Silva.

Reinforcements, however, look to be on the way with a breakout game from Johnson Sunday night against the Blazers.  Johnson’s size, playmaking ability and defense were on display for the first time in months as he finally received the nod from Coach Erik Spoelstra with Butler taking the night off.  “We stay ready around here,” replied Johnson when asked how he was able to shake off the rust of weeks on the bench to impact the game in such a fashion.

And it would seem that the return of Winslow may be on the horizon as he was upgraded to questionable on Sunday night, even though he didn’t play.  Monday Winslow was seen swimming with dolphins and teammate Bam Adebayo and Tuesday Spoelstra told media that he practiced with the team and was travelling to Indiana for Wednesday’s game against the Pacers, a positive sign.

Butler practiced with the team as well, which is a good signal that he will be available as well on Wednesday night.  So a fully healthy Heat squad is finally a real possibility in the coming days which should be a welcome sign to Spoelstra and his staff, as well as present new rotation challenges.  But after weeks of riding an 8-man rotation, those are great challenges to have.

Alabama Athletics

Tua Tagovailoa announces he will enter 2020 NFL Draft

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Tua Tagovailoa is headed the to National Football League.

It was decision day for Tua Tagovailoa on Monday. Would he stay at Alabama, or declare for the NFL Draft? The good news for Miami Dolphins fans is, he is heading to the professional ranks.

Tagovailoa passed for 2,840 yards, 33 touchdowns and three interceptions. The three interceptions were tied for third-least in college football. The 33 touchdowns were tied for eighth-most.

For his Alabama career, Tagovailoa threw for 7,442 yards, 87 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. His best season for the Crimson Tide came in 2018. As a sophomore, he threw for 3,966 yards, 43 touchdowns and six interceptions. The 206.9 quarterback rating he recorded in 2019 was the best number of his Alabama career.

He had a very impressive resume while at Alabama. Winning the national championship, being named MVP of the 2018 Orange Bowl, and All-American honors were just some of the things he won in 2018 alone.

Miami Dolphins were able to get successful bridge year Tua Tagovailoa

His decision to declare for the NFL Draft is a very interesting one as it relates to the Miami Dolphins quarterback position. Ryan Fitzpatrick had a great year for Miami, throwing for 3,529 yards, 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. If the goal was for Fitzpatrick to simply be a bridge to a future quarterback, he did a great job of holding down the fort.

The Miami Dolphins have the fifth overall pick in next year’s draft. There is speculation that Tua will be there for the Dolphins to select with the fourth overall pick. They would be wise to draft him. Even with the injury he suffered last year, he has unquestionable potential to be the quarterback of the future. He has tremendous arm strength, and the mobility needed to be a quarterback in today’s National Football League.

The motto adopted by many Miami Dolphins fans was “Tank for Tua.” At the end of the day, it appears the Miami Dolphins were able to win a bit and have their shot at the quarterback anyway. This is setting up to be a fun offseason for the Miami Dolphins. Now, the waiting game begins for the NFL Draft.

Down goes New England, social media credits Miami with assist

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The divisional round of the NFL playoffs are looking different this year. The Titans defeated the New England Patriots 20-13.

Social media has given Miami credit for an assist in taking down the evil empire.

It didn’t take long for the internet to take it a step farther with photoshop.

The Dolphins defeated the Patriots 27-24 in Week 17 of the regular season, which dropped New England to the third seed in the AFC playoff picture. The Patriots also lost a bye and was forced to play a feisty Titans team that has the running game and defense to win on the road.

Even coaches praised the Dolphins for the Week 17 win.

The Dolphins spent the year transitioning from the worst team in the NFL to a competitive bunch that won five of its last nine games. Miami also defeated two division champions in the month of December (New England and Philadelphia).

However, this is far from the end of New England. Tom Brady has said that he isn’t going to retire and will likely be back next season, but it remains up in the air if the Patriots will give him the contract he is searching for.

It is also up to the Miami Dolphins to carry the current momentum into 2020.  If the Dolphins can hit on most of their war chest of draft picks and make some strong decisions in free agency, Brian Flores will have the opportunity to fight for an AFC East crown that looks like it may be up for grabs.

Florida Panthers Poised for Second Half Run

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The Florida Panthers are in a position for a strong second half of the NHL season.

As the calendar moves into the new year, the Panthers for once are not looking up from the bottom.

After a 4-1 loss at Columbus to open a four game trip, the Panthers bounced right back against Ottawa Thursday.

 

With a new system in place under Joel Quenneville, the Cats are playing exciting and fundamental hockey.

Florida has three shootout wins so far, tied for third most in the NHL.

The power play (23%) is once again a top-10 unit, while Florida is 5th in the NHL with 3.49 goals scored per game.

Those offensive numbers rank amongst the elite teams in the league, while the Panthers are finally getting some help on defense and in goal.

Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (14-11-4, 3.29GAA, .897SV%) has steadied after a rough start and has improved every month.

 

Bobrovsky’s save-percentage in December is .917, well better than his .897 for the entire season.

He has been especially effective at home with a 11-5-2 record, to go with a 2.95 GAA and .913 SV%.

Balancing the Scales

In recent seasons the Panthers have relied heavily on their offense, while being bludgeoned on the blue line and in net.

Jonathan Huberdeau is the superstar you didn’t even realize was right here all along.

 

Huby is fifth in the NHL with 37 assists through games played Jan. 1st, while his 53 points are eighth league wide.

The league is on notice as Huberdeau was finally selected to his first NHL All-Star game.

His partner in crime Sasha Barkov is once again having an All-Star caliber season after a slow start in terms of scoring.

Along with Evgenii Davodov and Mike Hoffman, the Panthers front lines are wrecking NHL goaltenders.

Florida has won six of eight entering Friday, and in five of those wins they have scored at least five goals.

The defense is a work in progress but Aaron Ekblad is having a career year on the blue line.

Ekblad already has 18 assists in 38 games, his career high was 27 in his rookie season. If he stays at his current pace he will certainly set a new career mark.

Quenneville a Stabilizing Presence

One encouraging trend for the Panthers is their ability to get out of extended losing streaks, while being able to stack short winning runs together.

The Panthers have only lost multiple games in a row on four occasions this year, while winning at least two consecutive games seven times.

Florida’s coaching staff led by Quenneville has given the team an identity and focus that was lacking in recent years.

It will be something to keep an eye on whether Coach Q can keep the team focused during an important stretch to close out January.

A coach that has won it all on multiple occasions is an important advantage for an unproven team, one that could help them get over the playoff hump.

Rest of January Sets Up Well

The Panthers have nine games remaining starting with Buffalo January 4th in the third game of this four game road trip.

Florida closes out the trek against Pittsburgh, both the Penguins and Sabres are right in the playoff race with the Panthers.

During the middle of the month the Panthers return to Sunrise for a four game home stand which will be a tough battle.

The Panthers will need to step up against high flying Western Conference opponents Arizona (50 points) and Vancouver (48 points).

Both sit near the top of the Pacific Division, Arizona is one of the top defensive teams (108 goals allowed, 5th) while Vancouver is eighth in the NHL with 136 goals scored.

After that to close out the home stand the lowly Los Angeles Kings (38 points) make their way East. The Kings are the fourth lowest scoring teams in the NHL at just 2.6 goals per game, a welcome respite for a Panthers defense allowing the fourth most goals per game (3.35).

To end the month the Cats embark on a six-game road trip which will run into February. Florida will kick off the trip against one of the worst teams in the NHL, the Detroit Red Wings.

Detroit has just 23 points this season and a league-worst -68 goal differential. The Cats close out January with winnable games at Minnesota and Chicago. Despite both teams being at least .500, they are also both allowing more goals than they score. Minnesota is -11 while Chicago is -16, both teams are also rank near the bottom of the league in goals allowed per game.

If the Panthers can improve their uneven play on home ice, particularly against the East, the rest of January sets up favorably.