Panthers acquire Ben Chiarot from Montreal, Trade Frank Vatrano to Rangers

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The Florida Panthers got an early jump on NHL trade deadline week with a pair of trades on Wednesday afternoon.

 

Earlier in the day, Florida sent long-time Panther forward, Frank Vatrano, to the New York Rangers in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2022.

 

This trade cleared over $2.5M in cap space for the Panthers, giving them more flexibility to add another player prior to the March 21 trade deadline.

 

Florida wasted no time getting their guy as they made another trade Wednesday night, acquiring defenseman Ben Chiarot from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for prospect Ty Smilanic, a first-round pick in 2023 and a fourth-round pick in 2022.

 

Montreal is retaining half of Chiarot’s $3.5M cap hit for this season. Chiarot will be a Unrestricted Free Agent this summer.

 

With the acquisition of Chiarot, Florida gets a left-shot defenseman that can slot anywhere in their top-six. Chiarot, 30, helped Montreal to a Stanley Cup Finals appearance last year. The 6’3, 234-pound blue liner has played in 469 career NHL games. He has appeared in 56 playoff games with Montreal and Winnipeg.

 

Multiple reports have also said that this trade does not take Florida out of the running for Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux.

According to David Dwork of WPLGLocal10, a Giroux to Florida trade is ” still very much a possibility, per source.”

 

Giroux is expected to be traded prior to the deadline, he is set to play in his 1,000 NHL game tomorrow.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Pistons

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The Miami Heat played a weird one against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night, yet came away with the win in wild fashion.

Tyler Herro and Max Strus keep the team afloat throughout on the offensive end to get Miami over the top.

Some takeaways from this one…

#1: Tyler Herro can score the basketball, but doing it in the first half mud is something else.

The Heat offense in the first 24 minutes was probably the worst half of offensive basketball I’ve seen from them this season. Over-passing, Jimmy Butler’s obvious struggles, and an inability to trigger any base sets. But then, Tyler Herro happened, per usual. We’ve seen Herro scoring out-pours before, but this one was different. Being able to do it in a clunky offense, and in a game that is completely in the mud, is some of the most promising things we’ve seen from him this year. With the Pistons swarming, he made it his only objective to get to the rim, and consequently get to the line. That kept Miami somewhat afloat offensively before the end of second quarter perimeter scoring spree. He’s doing big time stuff, but finishing that muddy first half with 20 points somehow is simply different.

#2: Navigating the good and the bad of Heat combos.

When looking at the way the first half developed in this one, there were some clear offensive combos that aren’t meshing at peak levels. The one I’ve monitored, and mentioned, quite a few times is the Butler-Tucker-Dedmon front-court. Not enough creation, not enough spacing. Yet since Bam and Lowry usually exit together first, we see it frequently. Oladipo and Herro are still trying to find their way of balancing on-ball reps, but that shouldn’t be a worrisome note. But on the positive side of things, during Herro’s second quarter spurt, the front-court in those minutes were Tucker and Morris. Now that’s a lineup that has plenty of spacing for the creators to work, yet may be troublesome on the boards in certain match-ups. But not tonight, and it’s something that was peaking right before Morris went down with injury.

#3: A minor note: a 2-3 zone best case scenario.

When watching Oladipo’s placing in the 2-3 zone since returning, it wasn’t as simple as slotting into the Gabe Vincent role. He was playing that bottom box often, as Herro rotated to the top of the zone. Tonight, on the other hand, Oladipo played at that top spot next to Herro with Caleb Martin out. Simply, that’s the spot you feel much more comfortable with him playing due to his natural quickness and activity. That said, it gets you thinking about a healthy rotation. In a perfect world, Oladipo and Martin headlining that bench 2-3 is best case scenario. Two guys with total speed, defensive skill, and length is the ultimate dictionary description for a dominant half-court zone. Yet it may be kept on the low, as a playoff surprise that we know Spo likes to keep handy…

#4: Jimmy Butler struggles, Jimmy Butler goes out.

When harping on offensive struggles, Jimmy Butler has to be the headliner to say the least. An offense that relies on his on-ball attack, needs him to actually be able to convert on those downhill attempts. His first half concluded with 2 of 9 shooting, which always seems to blend into something like this: 0 of 2 from deep. When he can’t convert inside, it’s a mind game that leads to an unwillingness to get back to that attacking grind, which ends in some three-point chucks. Aside from that, on one of his drives in the second quarter, he tweaked his right ankle which left him hobbling. He stayed on the floor but ultimately was held out in the second half. That was the right call for obvious reasons, but this team’s reliance on his downhill juice is evident. Tyler Herro can only get them so far as a scorer.

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#5: Max Strus doing Max Strus things.

After Bam Adebayo got himself in some foul trouble and Butler went out with injury, the rotation was forced into a major shift in the second half. Vincent started, Morris jumped into Adebayo’s minutes to start the third, and Strus entered in Morris’ spot. Strus had a quiet 4 minute finish to the third, but then the 4th quarter happened. 13 points in 3 minutes just defines both Strus and his role. Slipping screens is his specialty, but Detroit was nonreactive to it every possession, which reflects the pressure Herro puts on a defense. And once Strus gets one to fall, more are coming. He doesn’t see contests, and even doesn’t see weak-side defenders as he tried to punch one down in that stretch which got denied. Either way, he’s a “situational player” as Spo likes to call it, but he plays with a very Heat-like chip on his shoulder every night. That small stint we saw tonight, will be his playoff role. Game in the mud, time for Strus to try and get them out of it.

 

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Four Observations From Inter Miami’s Loss To LAFC

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Inter Miami suffered their second loss of the season with a 2-0 defeat to LAFC.

Though the Herons played better than they did against last week’s opponents Austin FC, the South Florida club still couldn’t manage to get a win.

Much like the weather that day, it’s starting to get a bit ugly in Fort Lauderdale.

Here are four observations from Inter Miami’s loss to LAFC.

Higuain The Playmaker?

Where does Gonzalo Higuain fit into this team?

Going into 2022, there was talk (mainly from media and fans) about the 34-year-old taking on a more creative role on the pitch.

Three games in and it’s not going as planned.

While Higuain’s passing ability is arguably the best on the squad, when he’s not providing dangerous passes into the final third, unfortunately, there appears to be no real upside besides that.

The match against LAFC was a perfect example.

Higuain ended the match with only 25 touches (the second least out of the starting eleven) and zero key passes. When he wasn’t on the ball, oftentimes you could see him walking around, not pressing and when he did have the ball he would get caught in possession and cause a turnover. His poor performance on Saturday saw him substituted out in the 68th minute. 

However, despite all this, Phil Neville has insisted that the 34-year-old “hasn’t changed positions.”

Looking through the statistics, this doesn’t seem true. Through three games this season, Higuain has had more key passes (11) than total shots (2).

It seems as if the Argentine has taken it upon himself to be the main playmaker for the team even though Neville has said this isn’t what he wants him to do:

Inter Miami has a dilemma. 

These comments suggest that there is a tad bit of miscommunication between Neville and Higuain. 

On the pitch, Higuain is playing as a creator when Neville wants him higher up the field. In order to accommodate that in previous games, Miami deployed a 3-5-2 to counteract some of the Argentinian’s weaknesses. But, seeing as though Neville has gone back to a more traditional four at the back, that experiment looks to be over.

Whatever change Neville does next needs to be quick. Miami’s next opponents are FC Cincinnati. Though they had a slow start to the year, Pat Noonan’s men are talented enough to be able to hurt the Herons – especially at home:

Damion Lowe

The return of Damion Lowe can’t be understated. The Jamaican international played a key part in keeping LAFC’s offense at bay. Not only did he play as a “sweeper” effectively tackling every LAFC player in his path, but he was also a calm and steady presence that got the best out of his teammates:

When fit he is, arguably, the first name on the team sheet.

The Endless Cycle of Route One Football

Playing with four of the back may have helped Miami in defense, but offensively, once again the Herons seemed lost.

Looking at the statistics, LAFC had more possession in Miami’s half of the field:

Miami’s passive defensive tactics and lack of inability to play out of the back have been a recurring theme during Neville’s reign.

A majority of Miami’s touches came in their defensive half:

That doesn’t bode well for the offense.

The long ball style that the Herons have been playing is antithetical to possession. Saturday’s passing maps tell an even bigger story:

The disconnect between the attack and midfield is evident.

Miami struggles to play through their middle third. Because of this, they will resort to punting the ball upfield with the hope of a central forward winning the header, only for them to lose possession and start the cycle all over again.

The team doesn’t have a true creative midfielder that could help connect defense to attack. That’s the main reason why Higuain took it upon himself to drop deeper in order to collect the ball, but it’s just not clicking for the Herons.

The match against LAFC was just another case of Inter Miami’s tactical setup going poorly.

Mota and Mo impress

Lastly, the midfield duo of Jean Mota and Mo Adams impressed. 

Adams had his best game in an Inter Miami kit. The Englishman ended the match with the most duels and the most tackles. He also completed 86% of his passes and had seven recoveries. 

Deployed in a right-wing role, Mota was equally as impressive. The 28-year-old had the most key passes in the match (2) and had six recoveries. 

 

What Does Kyle Lowry in the “Real Season” Look Like?

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“I’m just getting prepared for the real season,” Kyle Lowry stated after the Heat’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.

It’s one of those things that you love to hear, but have to see before completely believing. Lowry has been huge all season in terms of team impact, just through the ways of both calming and setting up this Heat offense in a fashion this group hasn’t seen in recent years.

When projecting forward into that “real season,” the ceiling of this group seems to rely on one player much more than the rest. Of course certain match-ups can be discussed, but this team’s success is going to mirror the things that lie under Bam Adebayo’s offensive umbrella come playoff time.

But it’s up to those around him to elevate that element even further, which is exactly what would enter this group into that true championship tier.

And that elevation element has a lot to do with veteran point guard Kyle Lowry.

Many will focus on the shot attempts solely, because it’s the easiest thing to point to, but it’s more about where and when he’s taking specific shots. Looking in recent years, there’s never been a major jump in shot attempts from him when comparing the regular season to the playoffs.

For example here, when watching his 4 for 12 night against Minnesota on Saturday, this shot stood out from the rest. Part of it is that it’s there for him way too often not to take advantage of, and secondly, this is the shot that can change Miami’s half-court offensive attack in the post-season, specifically in that starting unit.

A simple Lowry-Bam PnR in the middle of the floor takes place against another form of drop coverage that we see so often. Duncan Robinson plants on that strong-side wing, which spectator mode from him is enough impact on the possession already. The reasoning is that spacing immediately eliminates any type of help at the nail on Lowry’s attack.

The defender dips off that corner shooter instead, in Gabe Vincent, which would usually be Jimmy Butler in a healthy lineup. Yet, the spacing would look quite similar.

All of that said, the way the defense is positioned basically enhances Lowry into that bounce back mid-range jumper, which is a shot he is surely comfortable in taking. Here, he buries it, but it’s much more about taking it whenever it’s sitting there in the “real season,” since that causes defenses to adjust quickly.

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But realistically, that specific shot will only be sitting there in certain scenarios, while the primary element of his shot profile is sitting right in front of our eyes each and every night.

Scoring off the attack.

When Lowry was brought to Miami, running pick and rolls next to Bam Adebayo was the immediate clip that played in every Heat fans head. Forcing 2-on-1’s and lobbing up the perfect lob pass to Adebayo with his insanely elite passing skill.

And well, that projected illustration has been seen quite frequently this season.

But is it crazy to say we’ve seen it too* frequently?

Lowry is averaging 7.8 drives per game so far this season. Yet among players averaging at least 7 drives per game, which includes 89 players, Lowry is dead last in shot attempts within those possessions at 2.2 field goal attempts.

When we talk about Lowry magically transitioning into the “real season,” that’s the wild shift that is coming. A 1 of 4 finish in a win against Cleveland may stand out, but the issue was that all 4 shots came from beyond the arc.

For this team to truly take that next offensive level once Lowry starts to increase his scoring aggression, the jump in paint touches and scoring at the rim is the key.

Back into the film, the way that this begins to change possessions is that it puts so much pressure on defenses to have multiple attackers/play-makers on the floor, which will lead to an uptick in outside shooting that ranks dead last in spot-up frequency at this point in time.

Evaluating the play above, this was a drawn up play from Erik Spoelstra after some free throws were taken by the Timberwolves on the other side. Max Strus and Duncan Robinson in the game together for this possession so they can camp out in each corner, simply daring the defense to dip off of them in the slightest.

Three-man game at the top between Lowry, Bam, and Herro.

Herro inserts to Lowry, flies off the Bam screen as Lowry hits him in stride, and the first downhill contact is seen.

Naz Reid, who is supposed to be guarding Adebayo on the roll, steps up onto Herro for the help. Anthony Edwards has to help down, Herro zips it back across court to Lowry, leading right back into a misdirection from Lowry into the lane as the defense is in a recovery frenzy.

Ends in a Lowry miss, but this is what attackers do in the half-court. More movement, better shots.

I asked Lowry about the need for rim pressure and trying to make up for it without Butler, which he responded, “We can’t duplicate what Jimmy does. We gotta go out there and do things that we can do to try and win the game…It’s just different. We can’t make up for what that guy brings.”

That stuff is all true, but Lowry’s attacking is going to be mostly predicated on nights that Butler is* on the floor and suiting up.

Lowry has been an elite offensive player for this Heat team without even scoring the basketball in crazy fashion, but change is coming. And as noted, those driving numbers potentially changing could shift the entire offense.

Not at the expense of anybody else. But just in bail out times where this team goes cold. His job is to get them out of the mud, and that specific part of his skill-set will do that.

 

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Timberwolves

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The Miami Heat fall late to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night, even considering Tyler Herro had a 30 point night.

Minnesota got hot from the outside, and they couldn’t counter.

Well, here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: Max Strus making his rotation case yet again.

Max Strus walked away as the player of the half over the first 24 minutes just from a spark perspective. He’s clearly not afraid to shoot it, but he also went 4 for 7 from deep in that span. Part of that had a lot to do with Miami’s attackers, which is a fantastic story-line considering they were without Jimmy Butler. Guys were getting into the teeth of the defense, allowing Strus to thrive as that extra pass in the corner or wing. Aside from that, his shot creation goes under the radar a bit in terms of screen navigation. One play to start off his offensive night began with him refusing a screen with a spin, turning into a wing pull-up. His catch and shoot is his base, but the on-ball creation is what makes his rotation case interesting. But simply, once the playoffs get here, a potential offensive spark when needed will be his primary role.

#2: Bam Adebayo making a small offensive critique.

Looking at Bam Adebayo’s offensive punch as of late, we’ve seen it in a different light. We’ve seen the big time performances when the jumper begins to fall, but this interior stuff is new. I talked about his presence down there against the lengthier Cleveland, but he wasted no time going right at the bigger Karl Anthony Towns. And it’s one thing to score frequently inside, and another thing to do it with complete authority and bully ball. That’s the key. Everybody highlights the need for more post-ups in his game, but when he’s going strong and using his body before going up is essential. The foul calls will come, but not shying away from that size is important. And man is he using that right shoulder before going up in the painted area.

#3: Heat edging away on the boards.

When monitoring the rebounding situation from Miami in this one, the Heat kept chipping away against a Timberwolves team that didn’t have Vanderbuilt who is one of their better rebounders. This isn’t to say that the simple Markieff Morris insertion means they need to go big to win that battle, but part if it was on Bam Adebayo, and the rest was just pure team crashing. We’ve seen Miami’s defensive plan against teams like Minnesota, where PJ Tucker and Bam Adebayo switch every pick and roll on a talented combo, like Towns and Edwards. The issue is that sometimes means Tucker is battling on the boards against that much bigger center. Yet tonight, I felt like there are some positives to getting by that, mostly through Bam sagging off the shooter immediately after that ball goes up, leading to the crash.

#4: Tyler Herro silently sliding under the scoring radar, but not from the Timberwolves’ perspective.

When going down the Heat roster tonight, many guys popped in the scoring column from the eye test. Strus was shooting really well, Adebayo was attacking. But somehow Herro’s 21 first half points outdid them all, and from my perspective, it didn’t feel like he was the leading scorer by that margin at that point. The reasoning: it’s the typical at this point. He was facing a Minnesota team that doesn’t allow many mid-range jumpers, meaning he would have to alter his shot profile slightly. Cutting that mid-range out is a quick indication to Herro that he’s going to get his three-ball up, which led to a plethora of pull-up jumpers. We saw that against Milwaukee about a week ago, which is a good sign for the playoffs. When it becomes half-court basketball and they limit him, stretch out into high pick and rolls then go to work. And if they throw extra bodies at him like Minnesota did, it all comes down to the supporting cast hitting shots.

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#5: Markieff Morris return: sticking to an offensive base.

Markieff Morris returned essentially out of nowhere hours before tonight’s game, as some other key wings took the night off. I think we know what he is at this stage, so no major surprises, but I’m pretty sure the reliance on him as a play-maker would need to decline, even though I’ve highlighted his previous comfort in mid-post sets. Either way, that “mid-post” phrase is the key to anything involving Morris. His three-ball isn’t a consistently trusted piece of his offensive package, and the rolling reps are a bit uneven, other than transition. But a simple slip at the top of they key into the mid-range is his home, and Kyle Lowry will hit him in his “home.” He still provides obvious components defensively and on the boards, but his role moving forward is still in question. Another big man insurance piece to potentially insert in, since it still feels Caleb Martin has his rotation spot locked up.

 

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Mateo’s Hoops Diary: Starstruck With Favorites

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The NBA and its partners laid a dud when they set up the national TV schedule for the 2021/2022 regular season. Market size and star power is a factor in the decision making but it seems as if the NBA has its favorites to promote.

As expected and for good reason, there are regulars who the league must show nationally to efficiently promote the product.  It’s in the best interest of the NBA to present Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and others consistently.  But when the league forgets some of its other quality teams with rapidly developing stars, they do the fans a disservice.

Fans are not dumb.  In some cases they know more than people like me who write what you are reading.  Supporters understand well enough because they have passion for what consumes their time. Surely, it’s not hard to figure out that the NBA is more than a handful of regulars on ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV.  Call me crazy, but I find the idea of exposing the casual fan in moderation to different up and comers, a fine method for hooking the part-time observer for life.

The Denver Nuggets, the team with the reigning MVP of the league (Nikola Jokic), has been on prime time TV 19 times this season and will have four more of those national TV gigs.  Ten other teams will be on national TV more than them.

According to Sports Media Watch, Denver is the 16th largest TV market in the United States. However, they are on track to have the lowest NBA local rating in 15 years because of a dispute with Comcast, per Axios.  Still, there is something terribly wrong with the picture of possibly the best player in the world and his group getting second billing on the prime time pecking order.

At the top spot in TV markets are the New York teams.  One of those two are the Knicks, an outfit so deprived of prosperity and direction who gets close to top billing on TV (32 games) this season.

One might ask, why did the NBA gift the Knicks the fifth most national TV games?  Well, because  the league bet on an outlier.  To bolster its case, in 2021 while the NBA saw its local TV ratings drop for most teams, the Knicks had their best numbers in the previous three years as they made their first playoffs in eight seasons, according to Sports Business Journal.

This season has been a trip to Dante’s Inferno for the Knickerbockers and everyone who afflicts their eyes watching them.  Their record clearly shows they didn’t deserve the opportunity to embarrass themselves routinely on the biggest stage.  In their last 10 games on national TV, the Knicks only have one win, while dropping every other match by an average of 11 points.

 One might wonder, why doesn’t the NBA just cut some of their national TV dates?  There is only some flexibility for those measures.  If travel and crews are already paid for, it isn’t an option.

Another oversight in TV scheduling was not having the Memphis Grizzlies on more often.  Their group is spearheaded by perhaps the most exciting player to watch in the NBA (Ja Morant) and they are the second seed in the west.  So far, Memphis has gotten centerstage eight times with seven more left on the books.

Morant is a skywalker who defies gravity on a regular basis when assaulting the rim. When the NBA awards come out and fans and media see his name on First Team All-NBA, they’ll likely wonder how 15 teams got more love than Morant’s on national TV.

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Add the Heat to the list of underpromoted squads. Miami is one of the deepest bands in the NBA.  Their collection of veterans and developing diamonds rank second on ESPN’s Kirk Goldsberry’s Efficiency Landscape for the last 15 games played, as of March 11 (not counting Miami’s win on Friday over the Cavaliers).  With or without their All-Stars (Adebayo, Butler, Lowry), Miami puts together one of the finest products in the league under the direction of one the top 15 coaches of all-time (Erik Spoelstra).  

Maybe next year the league will show some more respect for the eastern conference’s top seeded team through 4/5s of the season.  I’d only count on it if Miami goes on a postseason run similar to what it accomplished in the bubble two seasons ago.

Come playoff time, it will be obvious who merited the national spotlight.

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Cavs

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The Miami Heat faced the Cleveland Cavaliers for the third time this season on Friday night, and things looked differently.

Not only that it ended with a win for Miami, but Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo matched up with them for the first time this year.

So, here are some things that stood out in this one…

#1: Heat offense stagnant early, but Tyler Herro breaks that statement solely.

Although the Heat found themselves with a 1 point lead at the half, 58-57, I wouldn’t say you walked away feeling comfortable about their offensive attack. You felt comfortable with Tyler Herro’s offensive attack. After Miami came out the gates with a 9-0 start, stuff began to tail off. PJ Tucker’s recent struggles mean that weak-side defender can loom around a bit more to force you into that skip, while there was a general lack of movement across the board. But Herro’s 3-level scoring boost keeps Miami in games nightly. Not only is he reading his defender at another level in terms of screen navigation, but he’s getting into the teeth of the defense in a way that makes up for Miami’s stagnant possessions. That’s major for this team, but it also raises an eyebrow that if Herro doesn’t provide that one game in a playoff series, what happens?

#2: Darius Garland foreshadows players Miami will see in playoffs, but Heat adjust well.

Watching Darius Garland in that first half, then looking at a stat sheet at that point may not seem like linking factors. It may have said he had 14 points, but he was also 2 for 8 at that point in the game. Translation: he was getting to the line in similar ways that Butler likes to do nightly. The reason I bring this up is that Garland being so slippery in open space provides such problems against teams like Miami that double and blitz. While it may look like they have him in a box, his ability to turn corners at abnormal speeds can counter Miami’s rotation reliance rather quickly. Looking forward, there are teams like Boston or Chicago that have similar players in that sense. It just comes down to backing out of that coverage before it’s too late, which is exactly what Miami did in the third. They used it much more situationally, which threw off the Cavs offense for a decent stretch, triggering a 12-0 run for Miami.

#3: A minor, yet major, first half reflection: a lack of shot attempts from select few.

We’ve had moments in the season where we constantly discuss the lack of aggression from Heat center Bam Adebayo. The lack of taking advantage of opportunities is just as bad as an inefficient night, which caused plenty of discussions. Yet when reflecting back at halftime, Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry combined for the same amount of shot attempts in the first 24 minutes as Dewayne Dedmon. That can’t be the case. Butler was at least able to counter some of that by getting to the line, but that length still was clearly deterring his strong attacks. But more importantly, the scoring factor of Lowry’s game is going to need to be seen more often. His structure in the offense is definitely noted, but there are too many times where the pass is forced instead of trusting his skill. With as many PnR’s as he runs, the pocket pass just can’t be the outcome in every one, which will need to be the post-season tweak.

#4: Aggressive Bam, patient Bam, interior Bam.

When looking at this match-up with the Cavs, there were two components that were in question: Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. Why? Well, neither of them have matched up with this team so far this season, while obviously Cleveland is without Jarrett Allen on the other side. That said, Bam Adebayo was decently aggressive throughout this game, but it doesn’t end there. Schematically, it was a nice change of pace to see him catching, posting, and sealing in the interior, which said that his initial touches they wanted much lower than normal. With that, it’s one thing to highlight aggression, since that always feels linked to quick scoring bursts, but that wasn’t how he was doing it. He was patient on the catch, worked his pump-fake, then rose up with aggression for plenty of buckets around the rim. That was a third quarter synopsis, since he was a big reason they were able to make that run.

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#5: A game of runs. A team of runs.

We often hear about how the game of basketball is a game of runs, but there are teams within that bracket that fit the description much better. The Miami Heat this season have shown to be one of them, as many of their bench pieces are offensive sparks that can create runs. But as much as the offense may stand out when seeing a 25-6 run, the defense is equally as important to hold the opponent to 6 points over an extended stretch. And that’s the theme of this Heat team. Yes, Herro’s pull up triples and side step crowd explosions may seem crucial, but back to back possessions of Jimmy Butler steals on the perimeter for transition dunks transcends that. The playoffs may be a half-court game for sure, but that only makes this point more valuable for this team defensively. The offense may have a low floor in certain droughts, but the defense has as high of a floor as it gets.

 

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Five Teams to Look Out For at March Madness 2022

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March Madness is about to begin – the best time to watch college hoops. But which teams could go all the way in 2022 and emulate last year’s winners Baylor? Read on to find out

 

 

March Madness brings out the best in college basketball

It is that most wonderful time of year again. No, not Christmas and the holidays, March Madness is about to begin. The best of the best of college hoops come together to battle it out to leave one remaining champion.

 

Fans across the country will be eagerly filling in their brackets and preparing their best March Madness bets. Baylor took the championship last year in what was an incredible tournament. But which teams should you be keeping a close eye on this year? Who can go all the way and win the NCAA Tournament? Read on to find out.

 

Baylor Bears

 

Baylor became the second consecutive first-time winner in 2021 as it rounded off a tournament of shocks and surprises to beat Gonzaga 86-70 in the National Championship game. Only seven teams have come back and won a second title straight away – so can Baylor become the eighth?

 

The Bears are one of the best teams in the country and could be good to be one of the four number one seeds. But repeating last year’s incredible triumph will be tough as they battle against other programs looking to take down the king. Baylor will be there towards the end of March Madness – but maybe not on the final day.

 

Gonzaga Bulldogs

 

You’ve got to feel for Gonzaga. It is twice in five years now that the Bulldogs have come up just short and lost to the eventual winner in the National Championship game. Gonzaga was outstanding last season, winning its first 31 games – it just couldn’t beat Baylor when it mattered.

 

The Bulldogs have been installed as the favorites to win in 2022 and could well go into the tournament as the number one overall seed for the second year running. Freshman Chet Holmgren has added another aspect to the Bulldogs’ dominance this year and could be the difference in the Final Four in New Orleans.

 

Duke Blue Devils

 

It was a huge shock last year when Duke missed out on the NCAA Tournament altogether – the first time the Blue Devils had not made an appearance since 1995. Repeating that just wasn’t an option this year after Coach K announced that this season would be his last.

 

But can Duke make sure that Mike Krzyzewski bows out at the very top of the college game? It was all looking good earlier this season as the Blue Devils blew away the opposition. But then came that double-digit loss to UNC. It was not the final home game that Coach K would have wanted – so now his players need to go all out to win the championship.

 

 

Who will make the game-winning shots this year?

 

Arizona Wildcats

 

Oregon State was the surprise team from the Pac-12 last year, winning the tournament and reaching the Elite Eight. But it is Arizona that most people will be the main hope from this conference in 2022. After missing out because of the self-imposed postseason ban, the Wildcats are hungry for glory.

 

Not many outside of the program really believed that Arizona would be one of the favorites this year but new coach Tommy Lloyd is in charge of a team that has excelled on both sides of the ball. He spent 20 years at March Madness perennial Gonzaga before taking on the Arizona role, so he should have a good idea about how to deal with the NCAA Tournament.

 

Kentucky Wildcats

 

Kentucky is regarded as one of the regulars of the NCAA Tournament but it has been a while since these Wildcats went and won it. That was back in 2012 when UK beat Kansas to take the title. John Calipari was the same coach in charge for that victory and Kentucky celebrated in New Orleans where this year’s Final Four will be held.

 

Kentucky is number three seed in the SEC Tournament and will be hoping for a good display there to see them into the excitement that is National Tournament. 

 

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to Suns

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The Miami Heat faced the Phoenix Suns in a potential Finals preview on Wednesday night, and it didn’t go as planned.

Suns without Chris Paul, Heat without Jimmy Butler. There were some key advantages in Phoenix’s favor through this matchup tonight, and that starts and ends with size.

Plus Miami couldn’t counter that with offensive firepower, since missing Butler meant a total absence of attacks and rim pressure.

Anyway, let’s get into that a bit more…

#1: The Duncan Robinson-PJ Tucker offensive combination.

Watching Duncan Robinson explode for an immediate 3 triples to start this game, and 5 in the first half, definitely leaves you with some positive opinions on the shooting of Robinson. But how was he getting those looks? Some of Kyle Lowry as he glided to 5 assists in about 5 minutes of play, but the answer is PJ Tucker. Last season, it felt like Robinson had to be glued to Bam Adebayo to be effective with that DHO. A pretty great development has been that Adebayo doesn’t have to worry about it as often, since Tucker has it covered. If Robinson has an open corner look, it’s because Tucker is setting a hard hammer screen. If Robinson is dominating against drop, Tucker is laying out that single perimeter defender. Robinson was shooting that thing with confidence and deserves a ton of credit, but Tucker is so crucial for his offensive success.

#2: The Suns interior force in the first half.

To simplify this down to 24 minutes of basketball, as great of a start that the Heat had, how did the Suns just immediately storm back from that? Well, Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges came out aggressive offensively for different reasons. Ayton found the openings on Miami’s planned defensive agenda in Booker-Ayton PnR’s, leading to quick slips for interior dominance. Bridges on the other hand had some favorable match-ups with Miami going small for long spurts. Bridges may not be a post-up guy, but that mid-range jumper over a smaller defender was becoming a staple. And of course, the Heat were losing the rebounding battle 27 to 15. Some of that was the product of Adebayo switching out to the perimeter, but a lot of it was back-up board dominance from JaVale McGee over Dewayne Dedmon. These two teams have similarities, but there are also major differences. That is one of them.

#3: Some minor evaluations on both sides of the ball.

Once again, there always has to be a segment to discuss some small elements that I noticed from the Heat. The first part of that included Miami’s 2-3 zone, and that relates back to Monday against Houston as well. When that zone has been utilized, the top of it doesn’t look so familiar. What used to be headlined by Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin, who exited tonight’s game with a left knee injury, quickly shifted to Tyler Herro and Martin at the top as Victor Oladipo slotted into the lower box. Back to the offensive side of the ball, we saw the advantages in certain Heat sets. This team can trail you on the ball at a high level, meaning off-ball movement is the only way to score at a high level. For example, the Robinson shooting, that one Oladipo cut and lay-in, etc. But as soon as Miami got in some post split reps, we saw higher effective offense. Obviously you don’t throw everything out there at once, but in a potential Heat-Suns finals (?) that’ll be seen frequently.

#4: The back-up four question marks put on blast.

Caleb Martin came out in this game exactly like he has in every big game this year. Absolutely everywhere on both ends, as I tweeted in the second quarter. But as he came down on the left knee, ending his night early, that same question came right back up about this roster. Their depth may be a major part of this team’s identity, but as Martin exited, that was a blaring hole on this team. Markieff Morris has been that looming piece all year, and who knows what his role would even be when he did return, but that’s the task. Martin has locked up that job, but they’re one injury away from being very thin in the front-court, specifically with size. So a Morris return would actually be quite helpful in the long run.

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#5: The importance of Jimmy Butler’s rim pressure.

This isn’t one of those things where you focus on the guy that’s missing in a team’s loss, even though it may seem that way. In actuality, it’s focusing on a player that receives some unfair criticism when broadening things to a big picture sense. Watching this Heat offense tonight without Butler, and more specifically that starting unit, one thing was more clear than anything else: Jimmy Butler *is* this team’s rim pressure. It’s one thing to bring up free throw attempts and pace dictating, but it’s another thing when they don’t have those initial paint touches to trigger all of the other actions. I brought up earlier that off-ball movement is the exploitable area here, but the only way to get a Suns defense in a frenzy is to pull them away from shooters on the initial attack. It may be as simple as they missed Butler in this one,  but the interior forces and rebounding numbers were probably happening either way.

 

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Miami Hurricanes land physical four-star OL Antonio Tripp

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The Miami Hurricanes were able to land a commitment on Tuesday afternoon. Four-star offensive lineman Antonio Tripp committed to the program. The commitment came following a two-day visit to Coral Gables.

Tripp is the 19th overall interior offensive lineman in his class, and the seventh overall player in his class from the state of Maryland per the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

All of the 247Sports Crystal Balls for Tripp pointed towards Penn State. The majority of them were low-confidence ones. not only that, they were put in a while ago.

Nevertheless, Tripp still had interest from many schools.  This just speaks to the job that the coaching staff can do in terms of recruiting. It seems like the Hurricanes are always in the mix for a certain prospect. This staff gives them a chance to go toe-to-toe with anybody.

Measuring in at 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, Tripp will be able to bring several skills to the Miami offensive line. he is a very solid technique player. He is able to extend his hands quickly and stay square on passing plays. Athleticism is also something he brings the table. Particularly on screen plays, he is able to get out in front and  set up blocks for the running back.

Tripp is also able to bring physicality to his game. With that physicality, he can set up running lanes and allow the running back plenty of room in order to make a play. The way he is able to pull and set up blocks will undoubtedly be an asset to the Miami Hurricanes offense.

With this commitment, the 2023 Miami Hurricanes recruiting class continues to get stronger. This marks the third commitment of the 2023 recruiting class, and the class itself is just starting to take shape.

Tripp is undoubtedly going to help the Miami Hurricanes offensive line. He is the type of lineman that Alex Mirabal can work with and make into a great player.

 

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