Full Breakdown of Heat’s Latest Draft Pick: Nikola Jovic

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“With the 27th pick in the 2022 NBA draft, the Miami Heat select: Nikola Jovic.”

That was the call from NBA commissioner Adam Silver on draft night, as speculation continued to loom on what the Heat would do. Will they trade the pick? Will they take a Kentucky prospect still on the board? Do they grab a falling EJ Liddell?

And much like most Heat draft nights, you can’t predict the next move.

Once they officially took Jovic who has played overseas for many years, it created a youtube highlights spam to find out who this young kid really is.

While most people were just getting an initial look at him, Adam Simon, who is the assistant general manager for the Heat and on the front-line of these draft selections, noted that “he’s been on our radar for a couple years.”

So, let’s not waste anymore time. Who is Nikola Jovic on the court?

The Spot-Up Jumper

When evaluating any type of talent, starting with the outside jumper always feels key. I should clarify that he’s a 6’11 stretch big with guard like skills on the offensive end, which is quite the label to kick off a late first rounders description.

He shot 36% from three this past season with Mega Basket in Serbia, while Adam Simon noted that some of the extracurricular off the dribble shooting allowed that to decline a bit.

Yet the spot-up shooting is what truly stood out with his perimeter game, and they’re very confident in. Looking at some of the clips above, he has a grounded base, decently quick trigger, and a very smooth looking jumper.

Oh and let me remind you again, this isn’t a wing shooter. He’s around 6’10, 6’11. The shooting is far from his best asset when going about his offensive game, but it definitely is quite the icing on the cake. If this type of thing carries over against quicker and lengthier bodies closing out, then it really could be something.

A PnR Eye Opener: a 6’11 Creator

Now to the good stuff, pick and roll mechanics are always addressed for bigs when entering the NBA. But that usually includes long dialogues about a guy as a roller. Not the ball-handler in those sets.

Yet for Jovic, the ratio between being the handler and roller at his size was a bit wild to say the least. He was the team’s creator for the most part in Serbia, and his pick and roll control is truly an asset.

His solid handle, which I’ll discuss in a bit, allows him to slide into certain gaps, but his high IQ passing forces defenses to eye him at all times.

In the clips above, you see a pro level pick and roll player, and that’s not an exaggeration. The control to bounce off the recovering defender that just got screened, hold the dropping big in place, and drop the ball into your big isn’t just ‘another clip in the file.’

Yet in the following clips, you see his pick and roll gravity on display, as opposing teams continue to blitz out and double him to eliminate his scoring mechanics in space. And well, there are two more dimes to the rolling big.

I’m really intrigued to see what he looks like as a roller, which will most definitely be tested in Summer League, but the primary element of his experience will be to put the ball in his hands as much as possible. Do the passing tendencies carry over? Will physicality play a factor? Will the patience shown in these clips stick?

I actually believe so. There are things that could decline a bit at first for any player drafted, but there’s a lot of confidence in his pick and roll game in space, which he will have plenty of chances to showcase.

But let me just add: the PnR stuff isn’t just passing…

That previous clip where he kept getting doubled out may have made you wonder what has led up to this. So, watch this clip above for your answer.

Back in a normal drop, Jovic gets flowing downhill to his right, uses his shoulder to create some extra space, and steps back for a tough shot right over the contest. Bucket.

The key to a good pick and roll player is this exact combination: high IQ passer and an ability to create shots for yourself against different coverages.

The recovery speed will definitely be a lot quicker at the NBA level when he generates opportunities like this, but the length he has to shoot over the top is what makes this all come together.

So, Jovic-Yurtseven Summer League pick and rolls, anybody?

Tight Handle into Tough Shot Making

Can we keep the theme of this piece to: remember this guy is 6’11 by the way? Yes, yes we will.

He’s a very tough shot maker, yet the linking element to that is his tight handle allows him to get to his spots on the floor at any time. The second clip above is the perfect example: right to left crossover in isolation to get the defender back-pedaling, plants his right foot, and steps back for maximum space to let it fly.

Jovic has a deep bag of step-backs, which that type of foot-work is usually a staple for a lot of guys coming from overseas.

But the most important thing when talking about “tough shot making:” he’s been in a ton of those scenarios. Sometimes talented offensive players breeze through a college play-style by putting up points under the radar against base coverages, yet Jovic has had so much thrown at him for a guy that’s somehow 2 days younger than me. (lol)

As Adam Simon said last night, “he has the versatility of not just being a catch and shoot guy.” He even threw in the idea of a “nasty approach” in terms of his willingness to go and attack the basket. So yeah, the tough shot making is nothing new.

Running the Open Floor

Other than the PnR control, one of the first things that stood out about Jovic was that he wasn’t afraid to run the floor. If there was a turnover, he’s gone and has one hand up for his passer to locate where he wants it thrown.

He may be a big man, but he’s pretty quick specifically once the ball is in his hands. Yet while transition is always viewed as the “first man down the floor to score,” his approach of finding numbers and feeding others on the break was a really intriguing asset.

And if you’re thinking big picture, a Jovic-Bam lineup running the floor could be fun.

I also asked Adam Simon about his transition game translating to the NBA, which he said: “I think he’ll be good in transition and I think he’s got some versatility in the half-court as well. The handle’s there.”

And to tie a bow on this topic, his control in the open floor really makes me think it could carry over to the big league’s as well.

(Side note: the word “control” is just so fitting for Jovic in every offensive category. If you want the adjective that makes him good, there it is.)

The Low Post Game

Jovic had an interview with Slam magazine very recently, where he was asked about his go-to move down 1 late in a game. He quickly responded that he’d want the ball in the mid to low post, so he can flow right into a little fadeaway jumper.

Yeah, not the normal response.

When looking at his post game in some videos, there are a lot of times where it’s mostly using his size to his advantage once he gets low enough, which is always good to see, yet not always a major factor of NBA translation.

Now the turnaround jumper stuff with solid footwork, on the other hand, is the element of NBA translation.

When comparing to what the current Heat team needs, I think back to early regular season Markieff Morris. He began killing teams in his stints with the mid-post stuff, and it was clear that Miami lacked that more than anything else at the front-court position.

Bam Adebayo has the mid-post jumper, but there’s a big drop-off from there. PJ Tucker, Caleb Martin, Dewayne Dedmon, and Omer Yurtseven all played extended front-court minutes at some point or another, but none were mid-range threats to any degree.

So this will be a pretty fun wrinkle to keep an eye on. When a guy’s favorite move is one of your team’s biggest weaknesses, I’d say that’s a pretty decent fit.

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The defensive side of things doesn’t have much of a film dynamic. There just doesn’t seem to be much tape on that side of the ball for him aside from some blocks here or there, which makes this very interesting.

Jovic mentioned being “a big guard who can switch everything,” but that may be a bit of a stretch. There won’t be much expectation for him on that end, but I’m just curious if he will be a drop big or indeed switch in most scenarios.

After Pat Riley hammered home the defense point in a recent press conference, I asked him about where he thinks Jovic can develop on that end. “I think the kid’s athletic enough, quick enough, long enough to be able to play defense the way that we want.”

But much like anything, only time will tell. The Heat’s Summer League will kick off July 2nd as we get our first look at the twin towers of Jovic and Yurtseven.

I don’t know if this was the expected pick, but it’s absolutely intriguing to say the least. There’s a lot of potential sitting there, and the perfect place for it to be molded is in the Miami Heat’s developmental program.

 

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Marlins sweep the Rockies in three-game series: 5 takeaways

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The Miami Marlins have finally obtained a series sweep against a team not named the Washington Nationals. 

After losing three out of four games against the New York Mets in their previous series, Miami needed to win the series against the Colorado Rockies to regain traction in the standings.

The Marlins would have been happy with a series win against Colorado, but a sweep was the cherry on top. Although Miami managed to win all three games, the series was full of back-and-forth action and wasn’t exactly smooth sailing for the Marlins. 

Here are five takeaways from the series.

 

Pablo Lopez bounces back

It’s been a rocky couple of weeks for starting pitcher Pablo Lopez. 

After a tough outing against the New York Mets last Friday where Lopez allowed eight hits and six earned runs in 5.1 innings of work, he knew that he had to be much better in his next start. 

Lopez started Game 2 of the series and pitched lights out. In seven innings, Lopez struckout six batters and had no earned. He also gave up just four hits to the Colorado hitters. 

It’s no surprise that Lopez played much better than his last start. He’s one of the best pitchers in baseball and given the fact that the Marlins were playing a struggling Rockies team at LoanDepot Park, it was almost a given that Lopez would be locked in. 

His numbers at home are great so far this year. Lopez is 3-1 with a 2.41 ERA at home compared to a 2-2 record with a 2.81 ERA away. His numbers when he pitches away are still phenomenal, but it’s interesting to see how well he pitches in Miami. 

 

The bats erupt

Was this series in Coors Field or Miami? Because it sure felt like they were playing in Denver with all of the home runs and extra-base hits the Marlins were producing. 

Over the three-game series, the Marlins hit five home runs and 12 extra-base hits.

Miami exploded right out of the gates with nine runs in Game 1 and seven in Game 2. In Game 3, the Marlins had just three runs but they did get the win, which is all that matters. 

In Game 1, the Marlins tallied 13 hits with big performances from right fielder Avisail Garcia and center fielder Jesus Sanchez. Both Garcia and Sanchez managed to hit a home run over the center field wall. Garcia went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and Sanchez was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. 

In Game 2, Miami got 13 hits and put together back-to-back home runs from second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. and left fielder Jorge Soler in the bottom of the seventh inning. 

“He (Soler) can hit a ball way further than I can,” Chisholm said about the back-to-back home runs. “It’s just fun playing with these guys and I’m just enjoying it.

Although the Marlins had just three runs in Game 3, they did have nine hits. What does that tell you? They’re still struggling to score with runners in scoring position. They did well in the first two games, but it would be nice to see them have success in that category on a daily basis. 

 

Brendan Rodgers loves to play against Miami

Colorado second baseman Brendan Rodgers has been giving the Marlins fits all season. 

Going back to the last series in Denver where he hit three home runs in a game that included a walk-off to left field, Rodgers was right back to crushing the ball against Miami pitchers.

In the three-game series, Rodgers batted .461 (6-for-13) and had three RBIs. Rodgers also produced three doubles and two triples. 

It felt like Rodgers was the life of Colorado’s offense during the series and he made it difficult for the Marlins pitchers to throw to him. Luckily, guys like first baseman C.J. Cron and right fielder Charlie Blackmon didn’t get going or else Miami would’ve had some problems shutting down the Rockies hitters.

 

Garrett Cooper continues to hit the baseball

First baseman Garrett Cooper has been hot in the month of June. This month, Cooper is batting .386 (27-for-70) with 13 RBIs and an OPS of .962. 

It’s refreshing to see Cooper giving the Marlins much-needed consistency at the plate. It feels like he’s always locked in and rarely swinSet News Imagegs at pitches outside of the zone. As soon as he finds the pitch he likes, he unloads on it and produces hits. 

Over the three-game series, Cooper was 4-for-13 with three RBIs and a home run. Cooper had a hit in each game, extending his hitting streak to eight games and his on-base streak to 15. 

In Game 1, Cooper came up clutch with a tie breaking double in the bottom of the eighth inning that led to a 9-8 Marlins victory. In Game 2, Cooper found his home run swing, as he sent a ball 413 feet over the center field wall in the bottom of the third inning. Game 3 was a bit quieter for the Marlins’ first baseman, but he did get a hit to extend his hitting streak.

 

Jon Berti makes history

Third Baseman Jon Berti has been a base-stealing machine. 

Berti currently leads the MLB in stolen bases with 21 and he is yet to be caught. In the fifth inning of Game 3, Berti stole his 21st base without being caught which broke Emilio Bonifacio’s Marlins record back in 2012.

“He plays with a toughness and an understanding of the game and when to run and when not to run,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said about the benefit of having a player like Berti on the team. “The more guys you have like that, the better off you are.”

And it’s not like the opposing pitchers or catchers aren’t prepared for Berti’s speed. They’re well aware that Berti is an excellent base runner because every time he’s on first base, the pitcher would throw at least three times to the first baseman to keep Berti close and prevent him from getting a big lead and ultimately stealing a base. But of course, Berti still manages to do it successfully.

“We kind of won in different ways every single game,” Berti said following the win. “We came ready to go this series and we’re onto the next one.”

The Marlins look to extend their home winning streak as the New York Mets come to town for a three-game series this weekend. Those games will be played from Friday to Monday.

Miami Hurricanes

Miami Hurricanes: 2023 WR Lamar Seymore decommits from program

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The Miami Hurricanes are losing a commitment, as wide receiver Lamar Seymore committed from the program on Thursday morning.

Seymore was one of the first recruits in the 2023 class. He has a numerical rating of j 87 per the 247Sports Rankings. He was a three-star recruit. Seymore initially committed to the Hurricanes back on April 16, 2020 during the Manny Diaz era.

A lot can change in recruiting in two years, and it looks like that is what has happened with Seymore. Since his commitment to Miami, he has received interest from a bunch of big-time schools. Most recently, he received an offer from UCF on May 4.

He also has received offers from Florida State, Penn State, West Virginia, and UCF.

It’s also important to note that things really exploded for him on the field as well. Last season, he caught 26 passes for 550 yards and seven touchdowns. The Miami Central Rockets went 12-2 and won the Florida 5A Championship. He was a key offensive piece in helping them get there.

Miami Hurricanes have options at wide receiver

To me, this is not a big loss for the Miami Hurricanes. They are linked to several big-name recruits including five-star wide receiver Jalen Brown. Nathaniel Joseph is also coming this weekend, though Miami may have difficulty landing him. They are getting some big-time talent to come visit Coral Gables, particularly these next couple weekends.

Now that Mario Cristobal and his staff are out on the recruiting trail, it is a whole different ballgame than the previous regime. In my opinion, this was a smart move for both sides. The coaching staff can get a wide receiver that they’ve recruited into the class. Seymore can find somewhere that is more comfortable for him.

Recruiting is constantly moving and changing. This latest news is the perfect example of that.

 

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Miami Hurricanes

Miami Hurricanes ’23 targets Jalen Brown and Jaden Rashada on campus

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The Miami Hurricanes have been busy on the recruiting trail over the past couple of weeks. They have been able to get some big-time recruits to come to campus, and Wednesday was no exception. Four-star quarterback Jaden Rashada was on campus, and five-star wide receiver Jalen Brown was also in Coral Gables.

Brown posted on his Instagram story Wednesday afternoon, with Rashada in a Miami uniform.

Rashada is the seventh overall quarterback in the 2023 class, and  the seventh overall player in his class from the state of California per the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Brown is the fourth overall wide receiver in the 2023 class and the eighth overall player in his class from the state of Florida per the 247Sports Composite Rankings.  He is set to announce his commitment on Sunday, June 26.

Right now, Brown has several major offers from big-time programs. In addition to Miami, he also has offers from the likes of LSU, Michigan, Florida State, and Texas A&M. Those programs figure to be the most involved in his recruitment.

Brown is being recruited to Miami by offensive coordinator Josh Gattis. He has 34 offers in total.

What could Brown bring to the Miami Hurricanes?

Measuring in at six-foot-one, 170 pounds, he would be a big get for the Miami wide receiver room. He has big-play ability and can do it from multiple areas of the field. Brown can make things happen after the catch, as he turns up field as soon as he gets the football. He could also be a viable option on the outside.

Brown is a playmaker in every sense of the word. As long as he gets the ball in his hands, he can make things happen. His versatility and multi-faceted style of play would be a welcome addition for the Hurricanes.

When you look at the 2023 recruiting class, wide receiver is a positional priority. They already have a wide receiver in the class and Lamar Seymore ,and another potential wide receiver fit in Robby Washington. The class itself ranks 33rd overall in the country per the 247Sports Team Rankings.

It’s never a dull day in the Miami Hurricane recruiting world, and Wednesday was proof of that.

 

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The Hypothetical X’s and O’s Fit of Bradley Beal with the Heat

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It almost feels like I’ve written this type of piece before, mostly because I probably have. The name Bradley Beal continues to strike conversations year after year, and the Miami Heat continue to be the linked team for a multitude of reasons.

But when addressing past rumors and situations where Beal and the Heat was potentially a possibility, I don’t think it’s crazy to say that it’s most realistic this time around.

On the Heat’s side, they need an experienced 3 level scorer of his caliber and currently have the assets to acquire him. On Beal’s side, he has the opportunity to relocate to Miami with known acquaintances Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, yet it all comes down to him making that decision.

Could he opt back into his deal, meaning a trade is probably looming? Could he opt out, restructure his deal, and continue to stay loyal to Washington? Both are possible outcomes, but much like I always say, this piece isn’t for that type of speculation.

This is about the X’s and O’s of how things would actually translate from a certain talent to a specific team. So let’s just hop right into it…

The Obvious Scoring Talent and Mid-Range Excellence

Step 1: Pure Isolation Dominance

When addressing Beal’s game, the starting point just has to be the pure shot creation and one-on-one game that he’s shown over time. He really is the linked definition of a 3 level scorer.

Even after having a slightly down shooting year from deep, there’s complete understanding of what he can do as a 3 point shooter off the dribble. If they send two, he can still find ways to hit slots and make plays.

The bread and butter of his game is no doubt the mid-range, though. Looking at some of the clips above, his mid-range game is different than most of the league’s maestro’s in that area.

That’s simply because most inside the arc pull-up shooters operate primarily off screens, since it’s easy to flow into that coveted pull-up against drop bigs. Just think about Chris Paul’s mid-range excellence as he snakes around screens into his comfortable spots.

Now relating that to Bradley Beal, he has an inevitable dribble package that can get him open when going one-on-one, just by thoroughly stopping on a dime, stepping back, or shooting over the top. As seen in those clips, even PJ Tucker and Bam Adebayo had a tough time keeping up with all of his tricks.

Beal had an effective field goal % of 47.1% in isolation this past year, and for some context, Tyler Herro’s mark was 35.7%. That’s probably the one major difference when comparing a growing talent and a current talent. The ability to make plays by yourself against some of the league’s best defenders.

Even with an awkward scoring season for himself this past year compared to his usual numbers, he still shot 46% on mid-range pull-ups, which is totally aligned with some of his best scoring seasons.

The last of the 3 levels is scoring at the rim, and that could be one of Beal’s most underrated elements. We immediately think about his ability to be a perimeter player, but his driving game just sneaks under the radar, while it’s blaring on opposing scouting reports on a nightly basis.

He attempted 8.3 field goals this past season off drives, which ranked as the 4th highest in the league, and still shot 47% from the field in those spots. He’s just simply elite in a lot of areas, and can be plugged into so many different scenarios offensively.

One of those being off-ball, which I will touch on extensively later in this piece. The other one being a chain reaction of on-ball shifting.

Step 2: Elite Screen Navigation

Being able to dominate in isolation is clearly needed when talking about the things this Heat team needs, but there’s still “keeping the main thing the main thing.” By that I mean this team still prides themselves on a heavy dose of on-ball screening, dribble hand-offs, and pick and rolls.

Yet he’s equally as talented in that department.

There are good pick and roll players, and then there are experienced, pro level pick and roll players. When watching the single clip above, you would quickly find out that Beal is the latter.

Comes off the screen, gives Bogdanovic the bump from behind, and still keeps a slow paced dribble alive as he snakes inside for a paint touch. He gets to the back of his rolling big, and immediately flows into shooting motion for the floater.

That type of control is just a different layer of offensive savant.

Much like I discussed in my latest Donovan Mitchell piece, the goal will be to take as much pressure off Jimmy Butler in the regular season as possible. Give Beal the keys during many of those pockets, instead of running so many of the team’s vets into the ground.

And well, this pure mix of an isolation bag and screen navigation is the exact type of player that can be trusted to get your team to a certain checkpoint.

This is a guy that just averaged 31 points per game for two straight seasons prior to this past year. It’s game changing for a coach like Erik Spoelstra to incorporate so many new wrinkles to the offense.

The Underrated Passing Element

If you followed this Heat season rather closely, just think back to November 20th. The Heat just beat the Wizards at home on the 18th, but took a flight right up to Washington to meet them again two days later.

The Heat were dominating that game as well, but Washington stormed back. The game got close, the Heat’s defense was focused on one player and one player only, and that one player made Miami pay for that.

Heat are up 96 to 93 with 2 minutes left and Wizards have ball. Caldwell Pope is being guarded by Bam, yet slips the screen for Beal to the right wing. Beal now has both Bam and Tucker standing in front of him as the focus was all eyes on him.

Swing to Pope. Tie game.

Fast forward to the next offensive possession, Beal begins to take Herro one-on-one on the left wing. Tucker knowing what’s about to happen, shades all the way over to the top of the key for maximum help. Beal then lobs it over the top to Dinwiddie on the right wing who was supposed to be guarded by Tucker, and he hits the triple to eventually beat Miami in an impressive comeback.

Why did I go through this entire dialogue from a random regular season game in November? Well, all that to say Beal’s passing has not only improved this past season, but he showcased it in big moments, which is intriguing to any contending team out there.

If you like base stats, Beal went from averaging 4.4 assists last year to 6.6 this season. Some of that has to do with a change in usage and role, while adding in the fact he played less games, but it’s still another proposition to a Heat offense that could use that type of play-making scorer.

Kyle Lowry had the ability to feed Bam on the roll quite a lot this season, but there wasn’t enough scoring pressure in those reps to make the combo elite.

Butler provoded more than enough scoring pressure in those PnR sets with Bam, yet the ratio of feeding him on the roll wasn’t a great number.

Now add in a guy like Beal who can clearly score out of the pick and roll, while also being able to feed Adebayo frequently following a screen. That’s how Bam Adebayo’s offensive game gets elevated.

Just look at the late season success of the Herro-Adebayo PnR. Herro was peaking as a downhill scoring threat, and most of all he was confident while only seeing single coverage. For the first two games of the 76ers series, neither one of them could be stopped, until adjustments were made.

The idea would be to create a similar formula without the worry of their water being turned off, since it’s just harder to do so against a guy like Beal.

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Excelling in Miami’s Movement Offense

So to save the best for last, this is why I believe Beal is the best option of the bunch when discussing guys like Mitchell and Zach LaVine. (Not that the Heat can choose the “best option,” but I guess we can still speculate that.)

After discussing all of the things that Beal is as a player, the main reason he fits the Heat’s offense best is because he’s equally as effective as an off the ball threat.

No, this doesn’t mean standing in the corner while Butler creates since he can hit the spot-up triple. It actually means that he can be freed up off the ball to flow into his best looks.

It’s hard to do this as a one-man show in Washington since all the focus is on him even if he doesn’t possess the ball at a given time. Yet we have seen some flashes from him over time that could be expanded upon.

How can it be expanded? Insert him into a nonstop movement offense next to a pure point guard (if the deal can be made without including him), a star powered Butler, elite screeners like Adebayo and Tucker, plus some level of shooting on the weak-side.

For some examples, let’s start with the first clip above. Beal swings the ball to the left wing and clears. The ball finds the big in the middle of the floor, just to set up Chicago action, which is just a weak-side pin-down into a dribble hand-off.

Beal flies off the pin-down and receives the DHO from Gafford, knocking down the pull-up three from the top of the key. We can watch highlight crossovers and crafty finishes from him all day, but this is the type of stuff that makes it effective in theory. This is the stuff that the Heat organization would be eyeing.

Fast forward to the second clip above, it seems as if we could be seeing a similar thing. Beal gets off the ball, looking to flow into the weak-side as a relocation point. Instead, he reverses direction back to the strong-side corner with Gafford ready for the pin-down. The angle of his cut forces his defender to fly up to the wing, giving him an open corner three off the catch.

That’s exactly the Heat’s offense. Just re-watch that imagining Bam as the passer, Tucker as the hammer screener, and well, Beal as the movement shooter. This is what I mean when I say Spoelstra can add these extra wrinkles when bringing in a player of this caliber.

Once again, things will have to break just right for this Beal thing to be a real possibility, since it comes down to him opting in and saying his preferred destination is Miami. Trade packages would be rumored, the timing of things would be important.

But there’s no reason not to talk about fit this time of year, and even though star players can fit in any system, it’s pretty evident that Beal fits Miami more than many of the guys in social media jersey swaps.

 

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Miami Hurricanes land 2023 gunslinger in Emory Williams

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More good news continued for the Miami Hurricanes on Monday as they were able to land a commitment from 2023 quarterback Emory Williams.

Williams is a three-star quarterback. He was recruited by offensive coordinator Frank Ponce, and had a sizable offer sheet.

In addition to Miami, he also held offers from Arkansas State, Indiana, and USF.

This is a commitment that has come full circle in a way. Miami was one of the first programs to extend Williams an offer back in April. Now, they have him in the fold.

Williams passed for 2,202 yards, 18 touchdowns and two interceptions in nine games played for Milton High School last year. He had a 64% completion percentage, and passed for 245 yards per game. He also had four rushing touchdowns on the year.

Williams is a gun-slinger. He throws the ball with tremendous accuracy, particularly on the deep ball. This is in line with the types of other quarterbacks the Miami Hurricanes have recruited. He is a pass-first quarterback, and doesn’t have the running skills that many college football quarterbacks have in today’s game. He is not that type of quarterback.

Miami Hurricanes are building out their offense

When you look at the 2023 recruiting class, Miami is doing a good job of trying to round out the entire offense. They have tight ends in Jackson Carver and Reid Mikeska. They also have a wide receiver in Lamar Seymour. One of the traits of a good recruiting class is adding talented pieces that fit with each other. I am seeing a plan on the offensive side of the football.

With this commitment, the Miami Hurricanes now have eight in the 2023 class. The class itself ranks 29th overall nationally and seventh overall in the ACC. I expect that number to improve as the weeks and months go on.

The Miami Hurricanes got a player that they have been wanting. This is a classic case of the coaching staff identifying a player, and making sure they get him. Williams is a type of player that can become a cornerstone of a class. Now, it’s all about the results.

 

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Inter Miami CF

Scouting Report: How Can Inter Miami Improve In The Summer? Part One

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Inter Miami is in a transition phase.

After botching the roster build in their first season, they’ve spent the last two years trying to fix those mistakes.

With Chris Henderson at the helm, the South Florida club has transformed into a hard-working team that hits their opposition on the counter.  However, there still is plenty of room for improvement.

This summer will be a potential game changer for The Herons:

As Inter Miami pushes for a playoff spot, the more reinforcements that the front office can bring in, the better.

Below is a compiled list of players that could help Miami as they take those first steps to the next level. Not all of these selections are necessarily DP-caliber players, but they fit the personnel Miami needs at the moment.

In part one of this two-part series, we’ll be focusing on creative central midfielders. Attacking midfielders will be added in the following weeks leading up to the opening of MLS’ Secondary Transfer Window on July 7th.

Without further ado, here are several players that can help strengthen Inter Miami’s squad.

Creative Central Midfielders

Miami’s midfield has improved significantly over the last few months, but, it’s not perfect. The trio of Duke, Gregore, and Mota have done well, but Miami if wants to get to the next level they’ll need more of an impact at the number 8 position. A player who can comfortably go box to box while supporting the attack will give Neville some more tactical flexibility.

Here are three central midfielders that fit that criterion:

1. Benjamin Bourigeaud, age 28 – Stade Rennais F.C

Bourigeaud is a silky central midfielder that is a bit of a swiss army knife. He can play just as well on the wing as he can through the middle. The Frenchman is excellent on the ball and has phenomenal vision and spatial awareness. He loves to switch the point of attack with his long passing range and fancies plenty of balls in behind the defense to get runners into scoring positions:

A mezzala type of player, the 28-year-old can play as a left or right winger, which will be advantageous to Neville and his coaching staff seeing as they love players who can play in multiple positions.

Bourigeaud is no slouch in defense either. Being a number 8 requires a player to be strong in tackles as well, something that he can do flawlessly:

Bourigeaud is an offensive menace.

He’s in the 92nd percentile of shot-creating actions vs all attacking midfielders/wingers in Ligue 1. He’s also in the 95th percentile for progressive passes:

The Frenchman would be a standout addition to Miami’s midfield with his high work rate and ability to play across several positions.

2. Jordan Ferri, age 30 – Montpellier HSC

A slightly different type of midfielder, Ferri is more of a tough tackling deep-lying playmaker with a touch of elegance.

The Frenchman is a little on the older side, but that doesn’t mean his qualities have diminished. The former France international has an eye for a long ball which would suit Miami’s route one, over-the-top style:

He’s also adept at winning the ball back quickly and launching his team on the counter, something that The Herons do often:

He’s technically gifted in tight space and has a low enough center of gravity to keep the ball close to his feet. Inter Miami has struggled to keep possession for most games this season. Ferri’s ability with the ball would help Neville and his coaching staff gain a bit more control centrally:

Though he does play deeper, Ferri’s skillset would bring some calmness to Miami’s midfield.

2. Branco van den Boomen, age 26 – Toulouse FC

Branco van den Boomen is a 6’3 central midfielder that’s a powerful set piece specialist. Throughout the season Inter Miami has not settled on a set piece taker. With van den Boomen’s skillset, their worries would be put to bed:

The 26-year-old has a wicked whip to his crosses which saw him rack up a whopping 21 assists in the 21/22 season.

Being on the taller side, van den Boomen’s height will give Inter Miami an advantage through the middle and provide them more physicality in the trenches. But, that doesn’t take away from his ability to play quickly and get his teammates the ball when they’re in ideal field position:

The Dutchman would be an interesting piece in Miami’s midfield. Having a player as tall as him next to Mota and Gregore would intriguing to see – especially with his skillset.

In part two, we’ll look at potential attacking midfielders that could help give some more creativity in the center of the pitch.

Miami Hurricanes land Reid Mikeska as loaded ’23 TE room takes shape

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The Miami Hurricanes had a big Sunday, receiving two commitments from offensive players. They landed wide receiver Colbie Young to begin the day, and they finished the day with a commitment from 2023 tight end Reid Mikeska.

Mikeska is a three-start tight end. He is the 29th overall tight end in the 2023 class, and has a numerical rating of 86 per the 247Sports Rankings.

He caught 24 passes for 229 yards and four touchdowns in the 2021 season for Bridgeland High School. The Cyprus, Texas native was part of a team that reached the Class  6A regional final.

His offer sheet was extremely impressive. The Miami Hurricanes managed to beat out several top programs for his services. Oklahoma, Clemson, and Alabama were some of the bigger programs to send an offer his way. Florida, Florida State, and Oregon were others. He was recruited in Miami by Stephen Feld.

This marks the second commitment in less than a week for Feld, as he also helped Miami land Jackson Carver last Wednesday.

What could he bring to the Miami Hurricanes?

Mikeska measures in at six-foot-five, 233 pounds. He will give the Miami Hurricanes a competent weapon in the passing game as well as somebody who’s not afraid to block. He can make things happen after the catch, and uses his size to bulldoze over defenders. This could certainly help Miami in a variety of ways, as that will allow them to have a player that can block for the running backs.

This offer is an interesting paradox in terms of Miami’s tight end commitments over the past week. Carver is more of a playmaking weapon. I see Mikeska as somebody that can handle more of the blocking duties. That’s not to say he is one-dimensional. Blocking was just something that really popped out on his highlight tape.

Miami has liked having two playmaking tight ends at the position over the years, and that trend continues with this commitment.

With this commitment, the 2023 Miami Hurricanes recruiting class ranks 37th overall nationally. Mikeska’s commitment makes the tight end room that much deeper for Miami.

Time will tell how Mikeska is going to be utilized. Chances are he will be able to make a positive impact in Coral Gables.

 

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What Would Donovan Mitchell’s On-Court Fit with Heat Look Like?

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Is a better world coming? If you read way too far into quotes on hats while sitting next to your team’s franchise player, then maybe so.

But it’s more than just that silly quote.

It feels like the name Donovan Mitchell has come up often when it comes to the Miami Heat searching for the biggest stars around the league with a subtitle of the possibility they could break away from their current organization.

Yet with so much unknown around Mitchell and the Utah Jazz at the moment, it creates an intriguing dynamic.

This should be prefaced by saying that all things must align to initially kick off this process of getting Mitchell out of Utah and onto a team like the Heat. He would have to ask out, say Miami is his preferred landing spot, and Pat Riley and company would need to put together a good enough package that the Jazz would be willing to accept.

So, there are some obstacles. But as Riley once said, there also are none.

Even though it may be a bit early in off-season time, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t prepare for the scenario that this process accelerates quickly. This isn’t about mock trade packages or silly updated Finals odds. Let’s just look into what this may look like on the court if it got done…

The Driving Game: Elite Control/Paint Touches

Finding that three-level scorer seems to be on many minds when it comes to the Miami Heat. Could that be internally? Yes. Could that be through a trade such as Mitchell coming available? Absolutely.

When looking over some Mitchell film a bit more, one thing is blatantly clear: his pick and roll attack and control in those paint touches is simply second to none. Turn-around jumpers, little floaters, physical attacks (which I’ll discuss next), and pure athletic finishes.

But more importantly than that, there’s a certain number that has stuck out on this Heat roster that is a Mitchell strength across his entire career.

The Heat ultimately fell short in the playoffs because the shooting tailed off, but another thing that occurred was that driving numbers were slowly decreasing from Jimmy Butler’s supporting cast, including Tyler Herro having a tough time getting to the rim once that post-season switch was made.

In Mitchell’s five seasons in the NBA, his attempts less than 10 feet from the basket have increased from the regular season to the playoffs. His role is clearly different when it comes to his usage sky-rocketing in general, but it isn’t easy to continually get those paint touches and high efficiency looks when teams lock in on that game-plan to stop you in a specific series.

In the playoffs this year, Mitchell shot 55% from the field off his drives, while averaging the 4th most drives per game in the league.

We had a similar discussion about rim pressure when Kyle Lowry arrived on the scene last off-season, but that was one expectation that didn’t come into fruition since his burst wasn’t at the usual standards for extended pockets of time. He did great as a lead play-maker, but rim pressure was noticeably not a consistent element.

Yet for Mitchell, that’s exactly what this would be for Jimmy Butler, which flows into my next point…

Physicality as a Second Attacker?

If this move was hypothetically made, I think there would be a big expectation for Mitchell to be the first offensive option as an attacker for the majority of the regular season. Emphasis on regular season. The goal would be to give a good chunk of usage to the young blood, so Butler’s skill can be preserved for the long haul, before he picked up the name-tag of primary option once game 82 passed by.

So if that time came, a secondary attacker of Mitchell’s caliber would be scary to say the least. As much as I talked about on-ball control and crafty finishing, he’s just as physical as it gets when talking about straight line drives.

Getting to the second level is one thing, which many guys on the Heat’s current roster possess, but the ability to strongly take it up on that drop defender or help-side guy instead of immediately going for the pull-up is a change of pace.

In the Heat’s system, I’d imagine we’d see a lot of those drive-kick-drive scenarios to maximize personnel and keep the defense totally at bay. Butler drives in the right slot with help at the nail, kick-out to Mitchell on the left wing with the second drive coming and a rotating defense. That type of stuff is tough to beat with two star level players and physical attackers, which would make those offensive wrinkles interesting for Coach Spo and the coaching staff.

The Pull-Up/Self Creation Dynamic 

Now, when people think about Mitchell or any star powered three-level scorer on the market, this is the stuff being imagined. Just a hooper making things happen with the ball in his hands.

Isolation buckets, some flashy cross-overs, and most importantly, a solid pull-up game to fully balance out the previous stuff discussed off the attack.

This past season, Mitchell avergaed the 5th most pull-up threes per game in the NBA, while shooting them at a 36% clip. For some context, Steph Curry attempted the 4th most pull-up triples and shot them at a 37% clip.

Now for even more context, Herro had a great pull-up shooting season as well this past year while shooting 37.5% on pull-up threes, yet he only attempted 3.4 a game in comparison to Mitchell’s 6.2 a night.

Once again, this all feeds into the usage and role thing when it comes to his current position in Utah, but it’s always expected that those numbers would further increase in Miami’s current offensive system next to guys like Butler and Adebayo.

Yet to close off this section, it’s probably more about creation than it is actual pull-up numbers. Being able to make a team pay if Butler gets doubled, while also having counters for doubles himself when that time comes. Simply because he can create off the dribble at a high level mainly through the defensive fear of a strong attack or blow-by being his next move.

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Oh, the Mitchell-Butler Pick and Roll

Finally, I must say when it comes to certain pairings, some of us may be focused on the wrong one. Many immediately think about the Mitchell-Adebayo pick and roll, which does make you think a bit.

Mitchell loves operating out of the high pick and roll because open space is his closest friend, simultaneously thinking about the success Herro and Bam had late in the season with the high PnR pairing.

But for some reason, the Mitchell-Butler sets feel to be the most intriguing.

Two seasons ago, what was the best PnR pairing for Miami? Goran Dragic-Jimmy Butler pick and roll.

What set was run late in games this past season when a fully healthy Heat team was on the floor? Kyle Lowry-Jimmy Butler pick and roll.

Butler has been incredible in every category since joining Miami, but he’s been unlocked as a pretty dominant force on the short roll, since he can bull-doze, turn into a post-up, or make reads as his play-making skills make its way into the picture.

Now add a scorer of Mitchell’s caliber, who just averaged 26 points a game this past season, into that PnR equation. Looking at some of the clips above, we saw Mitchell’s role in the playoffs turn into a roll man feeder to his role players, since Dallas did a fantastic job of trying to stop his one-man game in the half-court.

He continued maximizing the court with 4-on-3’s, which shifts back to my thinking of inserting Butler into those spots: how do teams generally choose to defend that combination in an empty corner?

Giving Erik Spoelstra those type of outlets in the half-court, and more specifically in clutch time, really could be the fix to the Heat’s offense in itself.

Now, I know the other thing everybody’s thinking about is that this is completely offensive centric and there’s another side of the floor. Yes, it’s pretty clear that Mitchell has been a negative defender during his tenure in the NBA so far, but there are two points that must be made.

For 1) surrounding him with a cast of characters like Butler, Tucker, and Adebayo make things look much different, just as they’ve done for so many role players over the last few years by turning them into serviceable defenders. And 2) if he keeps up this offensive success that I discussed in this entire piece, the defensive stuff doesn’t stand out as much.

It has stood out for guys like Herro this past playoff run because the scoring averages weren’t completely transferred over from the regular season to playoffs. If Mitchell does what he does best which is score the basketball at an extremely high level, that topic isn’t even probably being discussed.

Anyway, this is still extremely hypothetical. As I said earlier, things will have to completely fall into place this off-season to even get this thing started. But in this fantasy world of predictions, I would say that this Mitchell fit wouldn’t be half bad for what Miami is trying to do next to Jimmy Butler.

 

 

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Miami Hurricanes

Miami Hurricanes land downfield threat with Colbie Young commitment

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The Miami Hurricanes picked up a commitment on Sunday from JUCO wide receiver Colbie Young.

Young comes to the Hurricanes from Lackawanna Community College as a member of the class of 2022. He is not ranked in the 247Sports Composite or regular rankings.

He was recruited to Miami by offensive coordinator Josh Gattis. The wide receiver will join the program at the end of June, and adds to a 2022 class that ranked 16th overall nationally, as noted by InsideTheU’s Gaby Urrutia.

Young recorded 24 catches for 472 yards and nine touchdowns last season, averaging 19 yards per reception. It was enough to garner him offers from the likes of Florida State, Tennessee, and Penn State.

What does he bring to the Miami Hurricanes?

This gives Miami another downfield weapon for Tyler Van Dyke. At the conclusion of the spring, many fans were not convinced that Miami had a reliable weapon. They certainly have a lot of depth pieces and players that can be developed. As it stands right now, they don’t have many that can provide instant production.  It’s worth noting that they lost a guy who had that capability in Mike Harley.

Young has the opportunity to be that downfield weapon. He is in a position where he may need to be relied upon heavily. He has enough skills to where it shouldn’t be a problem if his number is called upon  frequently. Young has three years of eligibility, which could help him develop over the next couple of seasons.

This was a big commitment for the Miami Hurricanes, as it gives them production for a number of seasons, as well as a player that fits the offensive style they want to bring to the table. Half of the key to a good offense is surrounding the quarterback with players that fit his style. Miami is doing a good job of building out their class and finding players that fit.

 

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