The Rise Of eSports: How The Internet Changed Gaming Forever

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As technology and the internet continued to evolve, it opened up more opportunities for the gaming industry. The gaming industry isn’t anything new, people have been playing board games for centuries, but once technology started to evolve, the gaming industry suddenly had a new way to create games. The invention of the internet really changed the gaming industry as a whole, as now people could explore games on a much deeper level and could enjoy the experience of playing games with their friends. 

eSports is one of the biggest things to come out of the internet, and it created a whole new level of gaming. With eSports, people are able to watch their favourite gamers play their favourite games, much like someone would watch their favourite team play football. This rise of eSports has slowly become part of the mainstream, so much so that eSports was actually featured in the most recent Commonwealth Games.

It’s clear that the internet has had a huge impact on the gaming industry, and this is something we are going to explore further in this article. If you have an interest in gaming and want to know more about how the internet has influenced the gaming industry, then keep on reading to find out more. 

More Ways To Play

The evolution of the internet changed the way we game, and now there are more ways than ever to play your favourite game. When game consoles were first introduced, you only needed the console and the physical game, and you were set to go. While this does work well, it does limit you slightly on what you can play, and it also means you have to switch over the disk every time you want to play a new game. However, since the internet and gaming became intertwined, it has allowed players to download games directly onto the console instead of having to buy a physical copy. This makes it a lot easier to play games as you can easily switch between games whenever you want. It also means you do not have to find storage for hundreds of physical games, as they are all stored directly on your console. 

Access To More Games

Following on from the above point, being able to download games directly onto your console will mean that you have access to more games. All you need to do is go onto your console, and you can browse for hours, looking at all the different games they have available. This can make finding games much easier, as you do not have to physically browse a shop. It also means you can get recommendations based on the games you have already bought, so you may end up playing games you would have never thought to look for. Overall, having this huge access to games means that people can have a more enjoyable gaming experience, as they have the freedom to browse the huge gaming library, all from the comfort of their homes. 

Evolution Of Mobile Gaming 

Another huge development that has come from the technological revolution is the evolution of mobile gaming. As mobile phones slowly evolved, so did mobile gaming, and now you can access hundreds of different games and download them straight onto your smartphone. When people think of mobile gaming, often they will of basic games with no real strategy, but this is not the case. Mobile gaming is slowly becoming more sophisticated, to the point where we can now combine mobile gaming with virtual reality. Virtual reality headsets can connect to your phone, and you can use the headset to immerse yourself fully into the game. Another type of gaming that has developed with mobile gaming is online casinos. Playing some fun games on sites like Online Casinos has never been easier, and you can access a wealth of fun casino games at the click of a button. 

Cloud Gaming 

In recent years, a new type of gaming has started to make its way into the gaming industry, called cloud gaming. Cloud gaming, or cloud-based gaming, is where you stream the game you are playing directly onto your gaming device, instead of physically buying a disk or downloading the game. Cloud gaming can improve your gaming experience as the games you are streaming can have better graphics and more intelligent gameplay. This means you can access more games than ever as all you need to do is connect to the server and start streaming. It makes accessing games a lot easier as cloud gaming can work across multiple gaming devices. This type of gaming has become very popular over the last few years, but it does still have some limitations. Because you are streaming the game directly, you have to ensure you have a strong internet connection, or else your gaming experience will suffer. Having said this, home internet connections are becoming faster and more powerful, so we could see cloud gaming take over the industry in the future. 

Growth Of The Gaming Community

One of the best things to come out of the gaming industry is the growth of the gaming community. Gaming has become a way for people to destress from their busy lives and get lost in a completely different world. Not only this but many people use gaming as a form of socialising; once they put on their headset, they can chat with their friends for hours and enjoy that social time while also playing their favourite games. There used to be an assumption that gaming made people lazy and unmotivated, but this is not the case. People are now coming around to the idea that gaming can actually be good for your mental health. You have to think of gaming as any other hobby; just as people play football to destress and socialise, people do the same thing with gaming. This change in attitude towards gaming has allowed the gaming community to grow, and it provides a support system to many people.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Pistons

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And it gets worse.

The Heat fall to the Pistons at home, following up their worst loss of the season…with this.

I dive into game specifics here, good and bad, but this game means so much more than X’s and O’s.

But anyways, some takeaways:

#1: Tyler Herro’s perfect first half.

21 points, 7 for 7 from the field, 2 for 2 from three, 5 for 5 from the line. That was the stat-line for Tyler Herro at the half, on a night where he felt like the one and only engine in the half-court. He was getting into his bag a good bit, finding some baseline turnarounds, quick crossovers (that made Bogdanovic fall), and hitting the pull-up consistently. But more importantly, he was doing all of this at a very controlled pace. Slowly trotting through the lane into the floater may be a product of this Pistons’ defense, but it also showcases his growth. His scoring is finding that rhythm once again, after he eased back with early play-making over that specific stretch.

#2: Kyle Lowry words are necessary: about a very certain skill.

While we’ve been glued to watching the zone defense for a good bit, switching is still naturally their base. I know many of you guys scream at your screen when seeing a Heat guard on the back of an opposing big, since that was a trend for a while. But if that Heat guard is Kyle Lowry, hold your anger. I simply haven’t seen anything like Kyle Lowry’s post feel, no matter if he’s fronting or just guarding straight up. He knows the timing of when to spin into fronting position, but he’s also strong enough to hold off that offensive player before the help comes. He ended up with 5 steals at the half, and it was basically surrounded by this exact iteration. A serious skill.

#3: The bench still being routed in the scoring column.

If you looked at the box score at the half tonight, you would see a lot of minuses on the Heat’s bench and a bunch of pluses on the Pistons’ bench. To put into simpler terms, the Heat had 1 made field goal at the half from their reserves. Yes it may be a different look in the bench unit with Nikola Jovic filling for Dewayne Dedmon, Victor Oladipo coming back, and Duncan Robinson getting minutes, but the point remains the same. As much as I talk about Herro being the engine, they need to get back to that reliance on “depth,” especially with Butler and Lowry’s expected time off. When things go back to normal, that’ll be a lot on Gabe Vincent and Max Strus to truly grab a hold of. And well, Victor Oladipo now too…

#4: Victor Oladipo’s debut.

Victor Oladipo is back…again. It feels like we’ve had the “debut” quick a few times over his three season tenure, but that’s because we have. As he entered tonight, we quickly saw something Erik Spoelstra wanted to get an immediate eye on: the ball pressure. They vastly fell right into the 2-2-1 press, which backed into the 2-3 zone, per usual. To be honest, I would’ve liked to see more of a switching look when he was out there, just because I’m interested in how the one-on-one stuff looks exactly, but I guess we will save that for another time. He definitely wasn’t pressing too much offensively early, since it was a lot of direct drives and spot-up standing, but we saw an uptick in the 4th with those two exact elements. Pretty typical opening game, since some rust was expected.

#5: Rock bottom?

After proclaiming a horrible loss in Memphis by far the worst loss of the season for the Heat, they follow that up with this performance on the second night of a back to back against the Detroit Pistons. Zone, man, whatever. This transcends X’s and O’s at the moment. They just don’t have the energy on nights like this that is necessary. Last year when undermanned, this team played with max urgency when the team wasn’t even in a position to panic. Now the defense is leaking everywhere without containment, and the offense just doesn’t have anything to give if it’s not a Tyler Herro-Bam Adebayo led set. This team clearly has issues right now. And there’s not one singular thing to point your finger at.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss in Memphis

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The Miami Heat faced a very different looking Grizzlies team in Memphis, and treated it like so.

After an early offensive punch, they never gained that rhythm back. Other than Tyler Herro and Caleb Martin, they weren’t getting much more on the roster.

So, here are some takeaways from this loss…

#1: Caleb Martin’s early hot streak.

That Heat first half went in a few different directions. An early 7-0 run for the Grizzlies transitioned into a 28-10 run for the Heat, then back to a Grizzlies hot streak the rest of the half. While I’m going to discuss the Grizzlies runs in a minute, I do have to mentioned Caleb Martin’s addition to that run. Miami began running a ton of drive and kicks, as Martin just took advantage of Memphis sagging off. He hit four triples early in the game, continually stepping into his jumper with complete rhythm. Plus it’s evident that he’s elite at reading the positioning of his individual defender. If that defenders’ body is turned, he’s attacking the front foot. If they bite on the jab, he’s immediately pulling. His reads just keep impressing.

#2: The Heat’s need for paint touches and paint points.

36 to 8. That was the deficit in paint points for the Miami Heat at the half, against a Grizzlies team who should be doing the exact opposite without their core guys. As Miami made their early run, paint touches were the trend. In games like this, Jimmy Butler always loves just sitting back and playing play-maker. So they spammed him as a post-split and screener hub, continually drawing defenders in under the basket into easy kicks. Fast forward to a bit later, we saw that all end. As the Heat went on an incredible three point run, they fell in love with it. That led to hand-off spams, constant flares without a ton of cutting, which just all equals one thing: not the Heat’s ultimate style. For this Heat team to thrive against any team, they need to dominate the paint on the ball.

#3: Back-up big man watch…

Looking at the bottom of the Heat’s rotation, we’ve been talking options. Duncan Robinson or Haywood Highsmith? Can Nikola Jovic get back in that mix? But the key is that word “options,” no matter the level they’re playing at. The issue is that they don’t have options at the center position. If it’s not Bam Adebayo, it’s Dewayne Dedmon. If it’s not Dedmon, it’s…Udonis Haslem? It’s just a quick fall-off in that room, especially when Dedmon struggles like he did in this one. There’s the eye popping aspect of missing easy ones around the rim, but the energy shift when teams begin going at him in actions just hurts Miami’s defense. The Grizzlies weren’t just running PnR at him, they were running isolations at him in their quicker lineups. He will have his moments about every 3 games where he goes on a run, but the consistency issue just keeps popping out. Who will be Bam’s back-up in April? That’s a very interesting question to monitor.

#4: The Heat’s Cam Payne game-plan vs Tyus Jones…different result.

Something I talked about extensively after the Suns game earlier in the year was Miami’s altered defensive game-plan. They’d close off the rim as much as possible, forcing that far floater from guys like Cam Payne possession after possession. Players in the Heat locker room voiced that to me as well, since it’s an inefficient look. They’ve done it a bunch of times this season, but there’s always that tip your cap moment. That’s what Tyus Jones was doing in this one, as he just kept knocking down that runner from a variety of different spots. It’s just a credit to him, since that’s still the wanted look from Miami’s perspective.

#5: Simply, Miami didn’t get enough from 3 core pieces.

What went wrong in this game, you may ask? Well, where should I start. At halftime, I tweeted that there were 3 elements of this game that went wrong early, and two of them needed to turn around for Miami to win. And well, that just didn’t happen. The first element was Jimmy Butler’s aggression, which happened for a few minutes to open the second half, since clearly it was the halftime focus entering the third. Yet it just wasn’t sustained or consistent enough. The second element was Bam Adebayo’s efficiency. Memphis kept sending two at Adebayo in that mid-post, which is a much different look for him, but there never was a developing counter throughout this one. And the last element is the bench. I talked about Dewayne Dedmon already, but what he know who he is already. Haywood Highsmith actually gave fantastic minutes on the defensive end. So a lot of focus is on Gabe Vincent and Max Strus. Both had great starts to the season, but have tailed off a bit recently. When you aren’t getting enough from your two best players, while simultaneously getting nothing from your only bench scorers, it puts you in a tough spot against anybody.

Attending Your First Sports Event? 7 Things You Should Know

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Sporting events are a great way for people to spend time with their friends and families. Some events like the World Cup or the Super Bowl are so popular that they pull in millions of viewers from all over the world. As a sports fan, it might be a dream of yours to attend an event to support your favorite team.

 

Follow these few tips to make your sporting event memorable:

 

 

  1. Make Your Travel Plans in Advance


If you’re going to travel a long distance to get to your destination, you should plan ahead. You should get your flight ticket, or you should determine what the best mode of transportation is to get you there. Book your hotel or make your accommodation reservation on time as there might be a large number of people also wanting to get the same accommodations.

 

Once you’ve confirmed that you’re going to the event, it is best to book in advance to ensure you have a comfortable and memorable experience. Booking ahead would also entitle you to a refund in the event that any of the operators cancel on you.

 

 

  1. Purchase Tickets from Respectable Sites

 

Tickets to sporting events can be hard to get and expensive. Buying tickets from unknown sites is risky. You can either get scammed or be sold a counterfeit ticket. Some sporting events don’t allow the purchase of tickets at the gate, and even then, they can be a lot more expensive than getting them online. Find tickets at Ticket Blaster. Your ticket is important since it’ll grant you access into the arena.

 

 

  1. Arrive Early

 

Plan to arrive at least an hour early. This helps you ensure you find your seat on time. You’d also not want to miss the opening ceremony or any pregame events that have been organized. This also helps avoid any unplanned delays like traffic or having to stand in long lines.

 

  1. Be Respectful Of Your Rivals

 

Sports rivalries add a new level of excitement to any sporting event. Everyone wants to see their favorite win, especially if it’s a battle that’s been going on for many years. However, it should all be good-natured and never escalate into a physical altercation. It’s important to note that you shouldn’t do anything that would have you kicked out by security as this would bring an end to your sporting experience, and you might be banned for life from all future events.

 

  1. Plan Your Refreshments

 

Buying food at the venue can be expensive. It’s better to make purchases outside as there are more options and it’s more pocket-friendly. Another option is to take advantage of tailgating. Tailgating is a longstanding tradition at a lot of sports events. After the game, people gather together to cook and prepare various foods. This usually consists of a burger, fries, chips, chicken, and beer. It’s a fun way to meet new people and an avenue to discuss the events of the game with fellow fans.

 

  1. Remember That Safety Comes First

 

Though rarely the case, sporting events can go bad really quickly. It’s important to know the location of at least two exits. They’re usually clearly marked, but a quick scan when entering the arena would give you a general idea of where they are. It’s important to keep calm in the event of any panic and follow any instructions given as they’re intended to get you out as safely as possible.

 

  1. What To Bring Along

 

You should bring a sweater if it’s an outdoor arena as the weather may get chilly. You should also get a power bank so your phone doesn’t die. You can bring a bag to keep your items, and in the event you want to buy any merchandise, there’ll be a place for you to store them. You can also bring an energy drink or a snack bar. Don’t forget to bring some water along with you. It’s important to stay hydrated, and you don’t know if you’ll stay out longer than intended.

 

Conclusion

 

There’s no feeling like attending a sporting event live. There’s a different emotional experience to this when compared to watching on TV. The feeling of community or mutual joy shared among fans seeing their team win is one in a million. Planning for a sporting event doesn’t need to be tedious. You can create a memorable time for yourself, your friends, and your family. It’s a wonderful feeling to be part of a cheering crowd, singing their team towards victory. Consider the ideas mentioned here as you plan and prepare.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Celtics

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The Miami Heat faced the Boston Celtics once again on Friday night, except this was a bit more exciting.

Boston pulled away, Heat answered, which led to it going down to the final seconds, with Jaylen Brown sending it to OT on an insane shot late in the 4th.

The Heat pulled it out in OT though, behind the starters high level play through and through.

So, here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: Tyler Herro entering shot creation mode early.

With the full starting lineup back together, there were some questions on who would be made priority, and who would step back. But well, we saw them all find their moments at different times. Tyler Herro scored 18 points in that first half, but it was more about how he was getting those shots. Quick pulls off handoffs or pick and rolls beyond the arc, isolation step backs in the mid-range, and a broad showing of footwork. While the passing has been on display recently, he found his scoring rhythm. To finish the second quarter, though, he twisted his ankle when landing, running right into the locker room before the half, leaving many projecting how they could mirror that same creation in the second half. But he ended up being just fine. From a basketball perspective, that type of shot making is a great change of pace for Miami’s shot profile, as showcased in that fourth quarter.

#2: The need for Bam Adebayo defensively.

Early in the second quarter, Bam Adebayo got his third foul, which was pretty much a theme for the game. After the Heat’s switching found some rhythm with Jimmy Butler back, they had to revert right back to the zone when Dewayne Dedmon entered after that foul trouble mentioned. Right on queue, the Celtics when on a three-point shooting run. Shortly after that, Dedmon then picked up his third foul, which led to Spoelstra looking to his bench quickly. Nikola Jovic time? Nope, Udonis Haslem got the call again. So the Celtics kept putting him in the action as he sat in drop pretty much at the level. We know Bam Adebayo’s impact on the defensive end, but it’s just hard to contain teams like this when he’s on the sideline watching for long periods of time.

#3: Jimmy Butler back means rim pressure is back.

As I said before, the starting lineup being back was a big focus, and I won’t sit here and act like it all roamed smoothly. They were taking turns many possessions to begin the game, while Jimmy Butler wasn’t a huge part of that involvement. He had to dust off some rust, but that didn’t take too long. In the second quarter, the offense found itself behind Herro’s shooting, and well Butler’s downhill attack. While the whistle wasn’t too favorable, he still absorbed contact and finished through traffic consistently, tapping into that bully ball play-style that he loves. He had 15 points at half on 7 of 10 shooting, which just shows he was earning his buckets. The takeaway here: this Heat group needs his rim pressure to get them out of cold streaks, which was showed early in this one.

#4: The Heat’s scoring stoppages appear again.

In the third quarter, the Heat had 1 made field goal from the 9:30 mark to a little over 3 minutes to go. Against this type of Celtics team, that just can’t happen. That one made basket was a Jimmy Butler drive and dish to Caleb Martin for a big dunk, yet every other possession just kept coming up empty. On the schematic front on why it was happening, it seemed like Bam’s foul trouble hurt the offense actually. He was so worried on his screens about picking up another offensive foul, which threw off the flow at times. That was a minor part of the issues, since the main chunk is just missing shots that actually weren’t terrible looks. The big picture takeaway: consistency, consistency, consistency. Since good teams usually won’t let you bounce back from a cold stretch that long. Somehow after that six minute span of non-existent offense, the Heat only trailed six heading into the fourth. Which I’ll discuss next…

#5: The fourth quarter…then OT.

While I just portrayed all of Miami’s issues in the third, they had a massive turnaround into the 4th. About 3 minutes in while trailing by 6 still, Tyler Herro hits a transition pull-up three. Boston comes down the court, as Bam Adebayo does his best Jimmy Butler impression by doubling backside getting the steal, tying it up on the other end with an and-1. A few plays later, Herro fights for his shot off the hand-off and knocks down another three, before Miami generates another steal and fastbreak dunk in the process. 5 point game all of a sudden. Boston answered back with some offense of their own behind Jaylen Brown, causing some back and forth over the next few minutes. The Heat’s switching took Tatum out of his game, while Highsmith made some incredible plays on the defensive end, as he played most of the fourth. Lowry’s career staple with that turnaround jumper made a couple appearances late to give Miami a necessary jolt as well. Fast forward to a tie game with 2 minutes left, the Heat run a Herro-Bam PnR, leading to a feed and Bam dunk down low. Grant Williams answers back a few plays later with a three to take the lead by 1, followed by a Bam attack off the roll for a trip to the line. Up 1, Tatum draws the Herro switch again. Off the attack, an incredible double by Highsmith forces the miss, as Butler hits a baseline fade after flipping dunker spots late in the clock. Tatum drives and dunks to cut the lead to 1 back on the other side, putting pressure on Miami to close it out, as Miami calls timeout to draw something up. Butler tries to get to the rim, it’s cut off, and shoots a tough fade on the wrap around. Bucket. Up 3, that’s game right? Wrong. An insane fading 3 from way out from Brown ties the game and sends it to OT. Wild. More back and forth continued, but a Bam Adebayo face-up and attack stood out most under a minute to go, getting to the line to take lead by 2. But Butler closes it out with a tough jumper. Heat win a tough one.

Green Bay Packers: Who Are the Packers Legends?

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The Green Bay Packers are synonymous with success in the National Football League. 

Led by some of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game, the Packers have won countless Super Bowls, divisional championships, and other honors.

When you look at the NFL Playoffs Worst Odds for a given year, you will likely not find the Packers on that list. Even when the team doesn’t have a great start, such as in 2022, pundits assume they will eventually get their act together and make the playoffs.

In order to maintain such high standards, the Packers must ensure any players that come into the franchise are of the highest caliber.

Below is an analysis of the careers of several Green Bay Packers legends.

 

5. Donald Driver

While he may not be the most famous name to have an association with the Packers, most die-hard fans of the team would put Driver in their top five players list.

Driver was an outstanding wide receiver for the Packers, and is still the team’s leader in receptions and receiving yards. He was a five-time Pro Bowler who was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame back in 2017.

The greatest season in Driver’s career came in 2010, when he was a part of the Green Bay Packers team that won the Super Bowl. He was one of the best players in the league that year, shining with Aaron Rodgers as his QB.

4. LeRoy Butler

A safety who is also a recent Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Butler is recognized as one of the best players who ever lined up in his position. He was an extraordinarily challenging defender to handle when he was in his prime in the 1980s.

When Butler was lining up for the Packers, he played under coach Mike Holmgren, with Brett Favre as his QB, with defensive end Reggie White on the team as well at one point. Given the talent of the players on the roster, the fact that Butler is so fondly remembered shows just how great a player he was. Fun fact: Butler also invented the famed Lambeau Leap celebration!

 

3. Brett Favre

In many ways, Favre was the quintessential American footballer. Even though he has had his controversies off the field, the quarterback was a consummate pro on the field for the Green Bay Packers.

After announcing his retirement in 2011, Favre left the league as the leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns. While both of those marks have been overtaken in recent years, he’s still fondly remembered as one of the all-time great quarterbacks.

A winner of three straight MVP titles and a Super Bowl MVP, Favre will always have a place in Packers folklore.

2. Bart Starr

The Green Bay Packers are renowned for having outstanding quarterbacks in their franchise. Bart Starr is another one of those legendary players who wore the great green uniform.

The no.15 was one of the top players that legendary coach Vince Lombardi had the pleasure of mentoring. He was an MVP in both Super Bowl I and Super Bowl II.

Even though modern NFL fans might not remember Starr, he is forever enshrined in the history of the Green Bay Packers franchise. He was a leader in the NFL in both completion percentage and passer rating four times in his career, along with winning the 1966 MVP.

While he was a part of a top-notch organization, most Packers fans recognize that without Starr as their leading QB they would not have been such a dominant team in the 1960s.

1. Aaron Rodgers

A list of Green Bay Packers legends would not be complete without the man who is still creating his legacy to this day. Despite having lit up the NFL for 18 years, even with his injury setbacks, Rodgers is not showing any sign of slowing down his game anytime soon.

Even though the Packers are far from the best NFL team in 2022, Rodgers is still up there as one of the best QBs. When he receives the appropriate protection from his teammates, he can still throw as well as any other player in the league.

A winner of two straight MVP titles earlier in his career, along with a Super Bowl, Rodgers has one of the lowest passer interception percentages in league history.

 

How to Make Better Sports Betting Decisions

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For many people, the fun of sports betting might come down more to a sense of occasion and involvement rather than the requirement of a positive result, but that’s not going to be true for everyone. Stumbling around in the dark and feeling as though every bet you make is a dud can eventually lead to the whole activity feeling devoid of fun.

Therefore, you might be interested in knowing what you can do to make better sports betting decisions. This might mean knowing where to go or simply what you should be doing differently, but with the great unknown of luck looming over all decisions, it’s never a guarantee that one thing is going to change yours for the better. However, it may still be worth investigating. 

Use the Stats


If you’re finding that your own predictions and bets are consistently leading you nowhere, it might be time to consider a source that can better inform the picks that you make. There will be dedicated platforms, such as shotqualitybets.com, that offer statistics-based picks that you can be more confident in, and becoming more familiar with the process behind such decision-making might be something that you can take with you moving forward. 

It’s not only these kinds of services that can be helpful, though. You might also find that digging deep into player stats can give you some idea of how a decision should be swayed when an injury occurs. Getting a better understanding of the relevant game at large can go a long way in this regard. 

A Clear Head


Emotions can run high when it comes to an activity like betting. When a bet doesn’t go your way, it can be tempting to jump back in an effort to make up for what you lost, but this might be a strategy that quickly finds you falling deeper into the hole rather than helping you out. Therefore, it’s important to understand how you can enter into this activity with a clear head, maintaining a clear objective and knowledge of when to quit. 

A lot of the time, this might mean taking a break when it all feels as though it’s getting a bit much, but it might also just mean that you limit yourself to what you originally planned to prevent spontaneous bets that you didn’t account for. 

Smaller and Safer Decisions


Some of the appeal of activities like sports betting might be veering towards the truly outrageous bets that don’t seem likely to pan out, but the spoils are too tantalizing to ignore. Regardless of the odds that you’re told, it’s easy to convince yourself that the stars will align due to one gut feeling or another. This approach might be something that goes hand-in-hand with your disillusionment with the practice as a whole, and instead, you might see what smaller and safer bets can do for you. It might not sound as exciting, but having a better chance of a successful result (with less disappointment if it doesn’t go that way) might have an overall positive impact. 

Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro: Sharpening the Important Tools

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We know what Bam Adebayo is as a defender. We know what Tyler Herro is as a scorer. Although one of those guys is a bit more consistent with his skill, we are still aware that both possess a pretty elite attribute more often than not.

But are those the most important areas of their game as the Heat push forward with the hope of these guys leading the way? Probably not.

Herro had 20 assists over the last 2 games. Adebayo had 70 points over the last 2 games.

If that doesn’t tell you what I am hinting at, I don’t know what to tell you.

The Herro-Bam pick and roll has been a Heat staple for some time. But late in the regular season last year, there was full realization that it was the team’s best action in the half-court.

It sliced up the Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs for games 1 and 2, and it’s been slicing up teams on this Butler-less roster since Herro returned from injury.

Looking at the clips above, this is pretty much the base PnR look for these two. Forcing a 2-on-1 in the middle of the floor, while eyeing the help from either side of the floor and reacting.

While the Herro pull-up/floater is the true threat to pull it all together, the Adebayo alley-oop or mid-range pull off the pocket pass are the two most likely outcomes.

This PnR combo is actually averaging 1.35 points per possession this season, which is on high volume since it’s the most used PnR combo on the team.

But we know all of this about their base action already. The reason I bring it up is because we’re seeing the subtle wrinkles they’re throwing in the mix.

To open up the Heat-Wizards game, Adebayo set a pin-down for Herro to operate off of, as Kyle Lowry hits Herro on a curl. This forces another version of a 2-on-1 for Herro and Bam, except they’re both running full speed downhill with a shrunken floor.

Win for the Heat offense since there is no help.

A lob to Bam gets things started.

Fast forward to this game against the Hawks, the Heat waited for the beginning of the third quarter to get into this bag of tricks. Herro flies into the curl 2 separate plays with the same exact result.

That dropping big’s job is to contain in middle ground, yet there’s no middle ground when it comes to a pull-up threat and a lob threat.

This is just one very simple adjustment for these two, and there are many more complex ones to come I assume, most likely closer to the playoffs.

But the reason I bring all of this up right now: Adebayo the scorer and Herro the play-maker can shift this Heat offense completely.

I’ll start on the more obvious Adebayo front by saying he needs to be a primary option on the offensive end for this team consistently. Actually, he needs to be *the* option.

How do the Heat figure out this starting lineup dilemma when fully healthy?

While that conversation has many different answers, the simplest one is Adebayo. When he is gone to early in games, he’s hard to stop past that point. He’s a rhythm player who needs sets run for him to create positive offense for the rest of the group.

Butler has interior gravity and can work the drive and kick game immensely, but he doesn’t shift an entire defense like Adebayo potentially could. The most teams will do to Butler is send the occasional double team, but the entire defense will pinch when it’s Adebayo attacking your drop big in the middle of the floor.

It’s a very obvious statement, but Adebayo the scorer is the most important development for this Heat team.

But do you want to hear a close second?

Tyler (Herro) the Creator. More specifically, the play-maker.

Since I brought up that 76ers series earlier in this piece, let’s go back to it. They found a way to make Herro uncomfortable by putting two on the ball, but what is the counter to that other than not calling for the screen in the first place?

Quick decisions and perfect passes.

If you look at the clips I provided previously, Herro’s way of hitting the roller in these last two games has been eye opening. And if he can hit that pocket pass enough, teams aren’t just going to be *okay* with letting Adebayo run 4-on-3’s on that backside.

These two young guys have this underlying skill within them, it’s just about channeling it and being willing to more often. Butler and Lowry would love for these two guys to take the reigns, and it’s in the team’s best interest to maximize those two guys for the post-season the best they could. (Obviously by getting to a comfortable spot in the standings first.)

We’ve been talking about them sharpening these tools for a while now, but we’ve approached the time period where these tools are ready to be used. Consistently.

Not just as fun offensive wrinkles, but to be the entire Miami Heat offensive base.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Hawks

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The Miami Heat kicked off an important road trip in Atlanta, and put together some pretty good basketball without Jimmy Butler.

That was headlined by Bam Adebayo yet again, while Caleb Martin shined right behind him.

So here are some takeaways from this win…

#1: Bam Adebayo’s scoring growing, while the side quests remain the same.

After a 38 point night against the Washington Wizards for Bam Adebayo, he came out firing yet again. His consistent goal is to hunt for his spot in the middle of the floor, as he can rise over the top for the jumper. They were also running sets for him out of the mid-post, while embodying the grab and go system so he can operate in transition. The scoring game is growing. But as I said in the headline, the other stuff isn’t declining. The amount of stuff on his plate is insane to watch: covering up everything at the bottom of the zone when the point of attack gets blown by, finding a body to box-out to clean up the boards, and running down the floor to be the one and only action hub as his constant screening is necessary. Yet with all of that said, he didn’t seem to be slowed down in any area. The Bam Adebayo surge is a good thing to see.

#2: Max Strus back, Max Strus comes out as only source of perimeter punch.

While Adebayo was the main punch in an all-around sense, Max Strus was the initial provider on the perimeter. As the offense tries to find themselves without Jimmy Butler, the one thing that’s clear is they need to shoot the ball well from the outside, which just hasn’t been the case. The connecting factor, though, to outside shooting is paint touches, which Miami made a priority early. Strus hit two threes to begin the game off a Kyle Lowry drive and Caleb Martin attack. Aside from the pick and roll spam or occasional Adebayo hub in mid-post, this is the only other scoring supplier. After Strus missed some time, the Heat are very fortunate that he came back firing away in this sense, since if there’s one thing about Strus, it’s that he can get shots up no matter the coverage, time stamp, etc. When it comes to positives in that first half, we stop after these two guys.

#3: A lineup for Miami sums certain things up…

Dru Smith-Strus-Haywood Highsmith-Jamal Cain-Dewayne Dedmon. That was a lineup for an extended period early in this game, which pretty much gives us some perspective on where the Heat stand on bodies. I often write about the individual struggles or positives from these guys, but when watching them all out there together, there’s not much to overly analyze. There’s just not much expectation for good stuff to be taken from it. Dedmon actually gave some good minutes for a stretch and these guys got stops, but as you would expect, they have limitations. The Hawks expanded a lead before the starters came back in, but I just can’t sit here and put the focus on a bunch of undrafted guys who were playing in Sioux Falls anywhere from a few months ago to a few weeks ago. At the half, they needed more from their starting back-court to push them forward, so the bench mob’s job can be battling to stay neutral.

#4: Tyler Herro altering the focus in the 3rd.

With Adebayo’s hot start in the first half, they needed to find a way to 1) keep him involved in the second half and 2) have it come without him having to create it all himself. And well, the answer to that riddle is Tyler Herro. As I’ve talked into the ground for some time, the Herro-Bam PnR is the best action on this Heat team. The Heat used a variation of that in the 3rd quarter, and didn’t go away from it. Lowry creating at the top of the offense, Adebayo setting a pindown for Herro, which flows into a curl for Herro and Bam to operate in a 2-on-1. Dribble, lob, dunk. The next time down, we see the same exact set-up. The result: dribble, lob, dunk. Fast forward a few plays later, they run it for a third time, and the Hawks didn’t adjust. The only change was his lob ended up being a goal-tend instead of a converted alley-oop. The beginning of the 3rd quarter was the same action being spammed over and over and over, before the ball movement took the offensive steering wheel the rest of the way. Herro finished with the first triple double of his career.

#5: Caleb Martin’s 4th quarter counter.

The Hawks wanted Caleb Martin to settle for the catch and shoot three in the half-court all night, but no matter the possession, he just would not fall into the trap. Pause, look, attack. His paint touches were crucial, and off-ball cuts provided very nice boosts through the first three quarters. And then the start of the 4th quarter hit. He continues to be a dominant transition player for this team, since he’s patient enough to wait for his fast-break defender to settle on him. Once he can go 1-on-1, he makes that euro step and he’s basically got you right where he wants. He’s an athlete, just like Bam Adebayo, so they’re treating them like athletes. The other element of Martin’s play that has stood out is his creation, not only for himself but for others. The handle is tighter, the shiftiness is there, and don’t get me started on the way he attacks his defenders front foot. Martin’s ascension this season has been one of the true bright spots.

Tips for Easy Online Casino Withdrawals

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You will experience real gains when you play at online casinos with real money. And when you do, you’ll want to use your profits by withdrawing money from the casino. Although making a deposit is frequently a simple procedure, players occasionally have concerns about withdrawal from an online casino. There are frequently additional steps needed to withdraw real money from pin-up casino. So it seems to make sense that new gamers could feel a little lost. We created this guide regarding withdrawals at online casinos as a result.

Learn how to withdraw money from an online casino:

It’s simpler to enjoy these games now that online casinos are more popular. You can play anywhere, whether at home or while doing your grocery shopping. Before playing any games, you must research the online casino’s withdrawal policies. A significant element is having straightforward pin-up casino withdrawals. Any player, whether new to the online casino, a seasoned veteran, or a VIP, will find the withdrawal process simple. Advice from the professionals is as follows: try to find a casino online that accepts your money. 

Recognize the Withdrawal Restrictions:

You must be aware of the withdrawal restrictions in addition to the withdrawal setting. There is typically a limit on how frequently you can withdraw money from your account at online casinos. Additionally, the maximum withdrawal amount varies widely between online casinos. While some only allow withdrawals up to $500, others advertise a $100,000 cap.

Get Your Identification Ready:

Have a form of official identity on hand, please. It can be front and back scans or readable photos of your passport or driver’s license. It gets required by the online casino to validate the legitimacy of the withdrawal. Additionally, it confirms that you are the owner of the account on their website.

 

Verify You Have Enough Money:

In most online casinos, you can’t always withdraw your entire balance. The total amount and the withdrawal amount that is readily available vary. By separating total funds and additional monies into separate, designated sums, most online casinos streamline this. 

Safety Checks:

In most cases, new members can fund their accounts and place real money bets after registering. However, they failed to cash their winnings until their accounts get validated. An ID card or driver’s license photocopy must be uploaded as part of the verification process to establish the player’s identity. As a result, you must finish the process as soon as you register. To make the verification process simple, provide accurate information when registering.

Conclusion:

The process of withdrawing winnings from gaming sites is surprisingly simple, versatile, and potentially safe. You only need to make sure that you should know the benefits and drawbacks of the various payment options and select the one that best suits you. In conclusion, the best strategy for quickly and easily withdrawing money from an online casino. Reputable websites always provide quick and secure payments. Make careful you select the option with the fastest payout and processing times. The majority of websites feature knowledgeable help desk staff that are eager to help.