Player Ratings: Inter Miami vs the Houston Dynamo

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A nearly three-hour rain delay couldn’t stop the inevitable.

Inter Miami suffered their fourth straight loss of the season as they fell to the Houston Dynamo 3-1. Though Phil Neville made a formation switch to a 4-3-3, that wasn’t enough to overcome a potent Dynamo attack.

Led by Fafa Picault, Houston took advantage of an emotionally fragile Miami to carve through the midfield and capitalize on the Heron’s defensive mistakes.

As Miami continues to go winless, it’s natural that alarm bells start to ring. With the rest of their schedule increasing in difficulty, there’s the potential that the team could go winless in April.

Before that happens, let’s take a look back at Saturday’s game. Here are the player ratings from Inter Miami’s loss against Houston.

*Anything under a six is below average/poor. A six is average and or good. A seven through ten is great and or excellent.*

Goalkeeping

Nick Marsman – 5.9: Though Dutchman looked sharp in his Inter Miami return, he gave away a foul that led to a Houston penalty. Before that, he had several good saves that kept Miami in the game. Had the Herons put away a couple of offensive chances, he wouldn’t have been put under so much pressure.

Defense

Noah Allen – 6.0: The 17-year-old had a decent outing against Houston. He tried his best to make something happen on Miami’s left-hand side, but none of the attackers could capitalize on their chances. He also held his own against a physically demanding opponent.

Damion Lowe – 5.5: Had a strong passing game which saw him end the match completing 88% of his passes. Unfortunately, failure to hear Marsman claim a high ball at the back saw Miami give up a penalty.

Chris McVey – 6.0:  Shaky at times, but grew into the match. Completed 91% of his passes and ended the game with four recoveries and two clearances.

DeAndre Yedlin – 6.0:  Was quite lively down Miami’s right side where he combined well with Ariel Lassiter.

Midfield

Jean Mota – 6.6: Had more attacking freedom in this game compared to previous ones. Alongside two other central midfielders, Mota had the space to drive up the pitch to create and or have a shot on goal. Finished the game with four key passes and five shots.

Gregore – 6.4: Did well in the first half as the single pivot. He screened the backline while putting out fires and was decent as a holding midfielder in the 4-3-3 setup. Ended the game with seven recoveries and three interceptions.

Robert Taylor – 7.1: Defensively sound for an attack-minded player. Won a penalty and had the best chance of the game.

Attack

Robbie Robinson – 7.0: The only Inter Miami player besides Taylor that looked like scoring. Ended the game with three key passes and five shots.

Gonzalo Higuain – 6.5: Combined well with Robert Taylor in the 40th minute that nearly ended in a goal. Scored the only goal in the match, but once again was outshot by his teammates.

Ariel Lassiter – 6.3: Was a nuisance on the right side with his speed, but just could finish his chances. Combined well with Yedlin and ended the game with four key passes.

Subs

Leonardo Campana – (n/a): Didn’t do much in his 10-minute cameo. Only had nine touches.

Mo Adams – (n/a): Like Campana, didn’t have too much to do when he came on. Had a couple of nice interceptions, but nothing more than that.

Emerson Rodriguez – (n/a): Desperately wanted to make something happen. Had 12 touches and a successful dribble. Perhaps if Neville put him on earlier in the match, Miami could’ve salvaged a point.

Coaching

Phil Neville – 5: Got the formation correct, but waited too long to get the substitutions on the field.  Defensive lapses in concentration and inability to finish in the final third have been reoccurring mistakes during Neville’s reign. Miami has only scored three goals in five matches, with only one of them coming from open play.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Raptors

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The Heat didn’t seem to be in a great spot early on against the Toronto Raptors, yet fought back with an impressive win behind a bunch of guys.

Tyler Herro played a complete game, Max Strus provided the spark, and Victor Oladipo came up huge.

So, here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: Heat having trouble stopping this lengthy, quick Raptors team early on.

While the offensive end is always looked to first, it was clear that Miami’s defense had to be the focus when reflecting at the half. For one, Fred VanVleet was just able to go to work possession after possession, going for 17 first quarter points to kick off the game. But the true issue is those surrounding VanVleet. We talk about this Raptors team’s length being a defensive thing, but they provide hard things to defend on the opposite side of things. They love to run a single PnR to draw that smaller defender, then go full clear-out mode. Guys like Barnes or Siakam were able to get decent looks in that mid post area, which leads to Miami’s weak-side wing defenders edging down. Now that slight double comes, and the kick-out is made. Their offense was simple, but when they’re shooting at that level over a certain stretch, it looks much more complex.

#2: Tyler Herro’s counter to so many different coverages is a unique approach.

Evaluating Tyler Herro against a team like the Raptors is a good benchmark in terms of tracking his individual success. As I’ve mentioned all year, length is one of the best counters to his high level offensive display. But when there’s quick and switchy length, it makes it even tougher. You can’t effectively drive to the basket with them lurking, but they also play high in the PnR since they can switch basically everything. So, what’s Herro’s move from there? Well, it isn’t a schematic shift that is made. It’s simply tough shot making. Time and time again, that’s his relying force as a scorer. Weaving in that mid-range, taking tough step-backs, or working that transition pull-up 3 due to the fact it’s the only shot that won’t see a contest. We know everything Herro provides, but being able to have that elite level tough shot making label is impressive.

#3: Victor Oladipo minutes, Victor Oladipo production?

With Miami lacking Jimmy Butler, PJ Tucker, Gabe Vincent, and Dewayne Dedmon, plenty of slots were opened in the Heat rotation which includes Victor Oladipo. His early offensive success was that release valve three, as many of his minutes came next to Herro and one of Bam or Lowry. But more specifically with Herro, the Raptors were making sure to send two at him no matter the circumstance. That meant open looks were presenting themselves for Oladipo, which he took advantage of in his first stint. We know he can have moments, but the common question is if he can have consistent moments. Yes he can knock down wild step back triples through pure skill, but we’ve also seen that turnovers have been linked to him at times by rushing on-ball creation a ton. That comes with the fact that he hasn’t played many basketball games due to injury recently, but that would be the ability that’d push him into comfortable rotation status. But with the big time shot making displayed tonight, he’s inching closer and closer to that state.

#4: Max Strus: the ignitable piece.

As Miami seemed a step behind entering the second half offensively, it was clear there were only certain players who could push them into winning position: Max Strus or Duncan Robinson. The common denominator there was that they needed one of their primary shooters, who had yet to make a three, to bend the defense a bit on the perimeter. And well, that guy was Strus. After not attempting a shot in the first half, he exploded in the third quarter for 14 points and 4 triples, which helped Miami basically get over the hump. It’s not about Strus’ 14 in itself exactly, but it’s what those shots open up. The move to put him in the starting lineup felt like a placeholder, but it’s feeling more and more like a sticking point. As Spoelstra always says, it’s his ignitability that makes him so special, and when a guy has the potential to win you a playoff game, you go with that player.

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#5: Scrapping their way into one of their grittier wins of the season.

In terms of big time gritty wins this season for the Heat, this game is up there. Their offense was flattened out, Lowry mentioned his emotions would be everywhere, and Toronto’s size was causing problems. Yet, they battled through. I talked about both Herro and Strus previously, but there needs to be context of them together, specifically in the 4th. Strus kept getting more looks and kept capitalizing, but it’s not crazy to say that Herro was the reason. He continued driving and attacking, meaning Toronto kept sending bodies at him and helping down. Therefore, Strus took advantage. The other guy I already touched on who took advantage late was Oladipo. A big dunk got the team into it, and one deep three put Miami over the top. What felt like a statement game from Lowry turned into a statement game from Oladipo, leading to some interesting conversations late in the season.

 

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Bulls

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The Miami Heat faced the Chicago Bulls on the front end of a back to back, and came away with a comfortable win in Chicago.

Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro all stepped up at different moments, showcasing a minor switch being flipped as they edge closer to the playoffs.

So, here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: Jimmy Butler’s jumper revived?

Watching Jimmy Butler in the first half, two things were noticed. The jumper looked like it was peaking, and his play at the 4 is rising rapidly. Why is that important? Well, those two things go hand in hand. His play at the 4 has opened up his scoring lanes at another level, specifically in that mid-range area. There’s less crowding going on with only one of Adebayo or Tucker occupying the dunker spot, and spreading out three shooters. But the fact of the matter is this: the jumper is looking better than it has all year. However you may feel about the three ball, his teammates have been in his ear to shoot more of them, and he’s not shying away from it. There’s been less of that one-legged fade and more of that slight rise off two feet, and that’s the formula. And it’s clear, his jumper falling raises the ceiling of this offense majorly.

#2: The Heat’s first half adjustments from Erik Spoelstra: a product of 3 straight triples from Herro.

When looking at the first stint for Tyler Herro, he kicked off his opening stretch by getting blocked 3 straight times. Patrick Williams specifically was helping over a ton on that strong side to make impressive plays with his athletic build. But then came the adjustment. How do you eliminate that? Well, for one, you go to more empty corner stuff since that eliminates that type of help at the nail, and basically bends an entire defense. They shifted the ball into the hands of Jimmy Butler, since they noticed this over-helping combined with the extra shooting on the floor. The help came, a Herro corner three came out of it immediately, which is essentially the reasoning Miami was getting so many corner triples. The following two plays were driven by an attack by Butler or Bam, and a kick-out for an eventual swing. Both Herro threes again. Tyler Herro may have been the effect, but Coach Spo was the cause. Adjusting early was the key to this one.

#3: So, a healthy group in tact. Who’s the 9 man rotation?

One of the main things I had an eye on heading into this game was the new look rotation. Yes, Victor Oladipo and Markieff Morris are certified situational players right now, but there are still decisions to be made. The bench options consisted of Herro-Vincent-Robinson-Martin-Dedmon, yet it’s clear they want to go 9. So, who was the odd man out? Tonight, that guy was Martin. It feels like they’re trying to get Vincent into an offensive rhythm anyway heading into the post-season, so maybe that decision was predictable. But it wasn’t the final decision for sure. When looking at the options off the bench, I don’t know if it’s Martin or Vincent anymore like we’ve displayed it often. Could it actually be, Martin or Robinson? Yes, they’ve needed spacing, but Miami’s kind of figured it out with the alterations. Not saying that’ll be the case, but I’m sure it’ll go through some minds.

#4: Kyle Lowry’s shot attempts continuing to rise.

When Kyle Lowry previously said he would use a short ramp up period to prepare for the “real season,” he wasn’t kidding. Game after game, now that there’s a handful of games left, his shooting numbers fail to decline. As I’ve said after many games this season, and more specifically lately, that pull-up three shifts everything. Just taking it. Teams begin to worry about that, and the skip pass he was throwing early in the season sees a lot more space now that two are flashing to the ball. Fast forwarding to the third quarter, what may have seemed like a minor possession stuck out to me. Lowry-Bam pick and roll ends in a deep floater for Lowry trotting down the lane. The reason it stuck out is that he was passing that in the pocket a month ago. His shot attempts within the pick and roll were staggeringly low, but now he’s hitting strides at the right time. Just like he said.

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#5: Dewayne Dedmon providing solid minutes.

In a game that Bam Adebayo got in some early foul trouble, it meant an extended look at Dewayne Dedmon consequently. And well, after he’s had some rough nights as of late consisting of piled up moving screens, he had a really good night overall on both ends. He was active on the boards, moving as a roller, and scoring around the rim efficiently. But most importantly, he looked like he was moving really well, which is they key to his play in small stints. In the playoffs, if Adebayo is pushing 38 minutes, they just need two solid 5 minute stints from Dedmon to move the needle. He was their best post-season performer a year ago, but that was because he only played 16 regular season games before entering playoff mode. Now it’s a different circumstance, but they’re hoping for a similar form.

 

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Breaking: Miami Dolphins Agree to Extension with Xavien Howard

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The Miami Dolphins have agreed to a contract extension with cornerback Xavien Howard, per his agent.

Contract terms

The deal will keep the disgruntled Howard in Miami for an additional five years and give Howard an additional $50+ million in new money. The deal also reportedly contains the most guaranteed money for a cornerback in NFL history.

A step in the right direction

The Dolphins have clearly gone into “all-in” mode this off-season. It started with a revamp of the coaching staff, spurred by new head coach Mike McDaniel.

McDaniel promises to bring a fresh, new offense to the team. One that should maximize the talents of third-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

From a personnel standpoint, the Dolphins “all-in” approach has seen the team add Terron Armstead, Connor Williams, Raheem Mostert, Chase Edmonds, Cedrick Wilson, and Trent Scherfield in free agency to help bolster a struggling offense and implement McDaniel’s system.

The off-season also brought former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill to Miami in a blockbuster trade. It’s clear the Dolphins think their time is now.

In hindsight, ll the moves on the offense were going to ring hollow if Howard wasn’t wrapped up long-term. The two sides had their dispute last off-season.

What it means

In exchange for Howard signing a one-year extension, the two sides agreed to come back to the table this off-season and once again attempt to get the young star manning the Dolphins defensive backfield for years to come.

Today, those efforts have come to fruition. This extension with Xavien Howard is the feather in the Miami Dolphins cap that is the 2022 NFL free agency period.

Now, the team – and fans – can fully turn their attention to the NFL Draft. Miami doesn’t have a pick in the first two rounds, but there should be plenty of excitement around the event nonetheless.

A new era has come to South Florida as the team is finally starting to keep their developed talent. Xavien Howard’s contract extension is a step in the right direction.

 

*** This article was originally posted on the ATB Network by Chris Spooner ***

Hussam Patel is a Miami Dolphins contributor at Five Reasons Sports Network, Director of Scouting at PhinManiacs and Editor at Dolphins ATB. Follow him on Twitter at @HussamPatel

Miami Hurricanes

Miami Hurricanes make top four for four-star offensive lineman

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The Miami Hurricanes made the final four for 2023 offensive tackle Olaus Alinen on Friday afternoon.

Alinen is a four-star recruit. He is the 14th overall tackle in the 2023 class, and the top player the state of Connecticut per the 247        Sports Composite Rankings. Miami is part of a top four that includes Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State.

Alinen moved from Finland to the United States for his junior high school season.

What could he bring to the Miami Hurricanes?

He is very quick as soon as the ball is snapped. He is able to extend his hands quickly, and that allows him to engage in blocks quickly. Alinen can play either the right or left tackle positions, and that could be a plus for the Miami Hurricanes offensive line.

Measuring in at six-foot-six, 315 pounds, he is a very sturdy lineman. Particularly in the red zone, his size allows him to create space quickly and give running backs extra yards to the end zone. He is a sturdy lineman, who is able to push his matchups around with ease.

Alinen could also have a chance to work with Alex Mirabal if he were to commit to Miami. This would undoubtedly help with this development given Mirabal’s track record of producing and developing talented lineman.

Currently, the 2023 Miami Hurricanes recruiting class ranks 19th overall nationally. They rank third overall in ACC per the 247Sports Team rankings. This class has the potential to be filled with talent.  The Miami Hurricanes coaching staff will get their first full crack at a recruiting class.

The expectations for this 2023 class are extremely high. With Alinen placing the Miami Hurricanes in his top four, that gets them that much closer to landing a premium offensive lineman. He has to make his final decision of course, but the Miami hurricanes are in a good position to land him.

 

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How Tyler Herro has Elevated the League’s Top Scoring Bench

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The raw numbers speak for themselves when it comes to Tyler Herro this season, averaging 21 points a game on 44% shooting along with 5 rebounds and 4 assists, plus he’s producing 23 a night since the All Star break.

But when zooming out a bit, this Heat bench has gotten them to this point, and now it’s time for the main cast to push them over the edge as they blend into the post-season.

The interesting part about that: Herro is starring in both that hot bench group and that main cast.

Miami currently averages the most bench points a game this season at 40 a night, which has bumped up even further post All Star break to 46 a game. But frankly, it isn’t just about the box score watching of how many points these guys are putting up.

They’re generating extremely positive minutes when plugging in for starters.

When looking over some of the best offensive two man combos for the Heat since the All Star break, here are the top five in offensive rating with at least 100 minutes played: Caleb Martin and Gabe Vincent, Martin and Max Strus, Martin and Herro, Bam Adebayo and Strus, then Strus and Herro.

That’s five combos, or 10 players, with only one Heat starter named. That simply isn’t a normal occurrence.

In terms of the X’s and O’s differences, one of the main reasons that those numbers looked like that is due to Miami’s spacing looking best in the second units night in and night out. Prolonged minutes of the Butler-Tucker-Adebayo front-court constantly meant a spaced out second unit was about to enter.

Now, they’ve spread it out evenly as we’ve been talking about a ton over the last 48 hours. Herro entering for Butler, maximizes spacing in those early minutes, as well as his shift to the 4 has opened things up.

In many ways, not only has the Heat’s depth gotten them to this point, but they were the trial runs for the coaching staff to gain clarity on what works best for this team offensively.

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Having that spacing off the bench is one thing with Strus’ outside shooting or Vincent and Martin’s surges this season into legitimate two way players, but it all comes down to having that head of the snake who knows what to do when actually given that space.

Tyler Herro has been that guy.

I mentioned that Herro insertion for Butler around the 6 minute mark over the last two games, and here was the very first offensive possession in both instances.

Herro comes off the hand-off, Jaylen Brown funnels him inside, Marcus Smart helps down off the corner, and Herro hits Bam on the roll for the eventual dunk. The primary element there, though, is the space that Adebayo had on the roll.

It’s one thing to have the space, but you need a guy in Herro to not only make the pass, but force three to collapse onto him on the ball.

Rewinding back to the game against the Kings, it was pretty much the same exact look, except Tucker standing in the strong-side dunker spot now meant even more room for Adebayo as the roller to operate.

How valuable is Herro to that bench unit, you may ask?

Well, a minor evaluation is that one of the last games he sat out, against the Golden State Warriors on the night of the bench blow-up, the Heat scored 13 bench points while 7 of those came from Victor Oladipo on 3 of 11 shooting.

It goes without saying, but Herro’s value to this team, and more specifically to this bench, is higher than anybody could’ve expected coming into the season.

For example, Martin and Strus have recorded an offensive rating of 114 this season when they share the floor without Herro, yet when Herro enters next to them, it bumps all the way up to 119.

It’s one of those things where the X’s and O’s completely are aligned with the stats. And well, if many want to all of a sudden drift away from the raw numbers for the 6th man of the year award this season, advanced statistics back up Herro’s outstanding season as well.

The bench unit continues to shift around Herro, but it continues to produce due to his strong level of play. From Martin to Vincent to Haywood Highsmith to Omer Yurtseven to Kyle Guy, for some reason Miami never looks shorthanded.

A big part of that is the Heat’s developmental program shining, but an even larger part of it is that Herro’s game has risen to a level that anyone can plug in next to him.

And well, that’s the exact definition of what a 6th man of the year winner should be made of.

 

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Marlins Bullpen

Marlins Bullpen In Question as Opening Day Nears

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The Miami Marlins posted a 6-4 record through their first 10 games of Grapefruit League play in 2022. The team’s focus on adding offense provided immediate dividends in Spring Training, evidenced by their plus-13 run differential. But as Opening Day approaches, questions linger regarding roster construction, specifically with the Marlins bullpen.

Miami’s Offseason Approach Focused on Lineup

Marlins majority owner Bruce Sherman announced prior to Spring Training: “We have money, and we will spend it.” That said, the Marlins still find themselves in the bottom-5 of the MLB in payroll for 2022.

But the fact is, Miami did spend this offseason. The current $67 million payroll is about $10 million more than 2021. The free-agent additions of Avisail Garcia and Jorge Soler cost $89 million. Extensions for Sandy Alcantara, Richard Bleier, and Miguel Rojas added another $72 million. Couple those moves with the $7.1 million assumed in the Jacob Stallings and Joey Wendle trades, and Miami’s on the hook for more than $168 million this offseason.

This much-improved lineup will no doubt help keep the Marlins competitive this season, but the lack of bullpen moves remains frustrating to fans.

Back in December, Marlins general manager Kim Ng admitted the bullpen was not the team’s primary focus and that the reliever market was typically slow to unfold.

But last Wednesday, Ng admitted “now we’re definitely focused on relievers” following the team’s signing of Soler. The remaining free-agent relievers, though, are underwhelming, and the team has yet to execute a trade to bolster the bullpen.

Last season, the Marlins bullpen sported a 3.81 ERA, seventh-lowest in MLB, and a 1.26 WHIP, eighth-lowest. And although Miami relief pitchers posted the sixth-fewest saves (33) in 2021, they registered the ninth-fewest blown saves (25). Many of those relievers have returned, but there’s not an established, high-leverage closer among them.

Miami is prepared to ride the early part of the season with what they have, opting for an offense-first approach (much like the Phillies).

Marlins Bullpen Remains in Question

Further complicating matters for the Fish, Dylan Floro, Miami’s closer last season, might not be ready for Opening Day after dealing with arm soreness.

An IL-stint to start the season may force the team’s hand in a trade, but it also likely signals Anthony Bender taking the closer role early on. Bender registered three saves last season, though he did blow two opportunities. The 27-year-old righty registered 12 holds and posted a 2.79 ERA with a 1.06 WHIP over 61.1 innings pitched.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly’s track record indicates he prefers players to have set roles, especially in the bullpen. But injuries and uncertainty may force his hand toward a closer-by-committee approach.

“I think we’re going to be more of a mix-and-match club,” Mattingly said recently when asked about save situations.

If that’s the case, Anthony Bass may get another turn as closer, too. Bass was brought in last season to anchor the backend of the bullpen but blew his first two save chances. Yimi Garcia took over, and Floro from there, once Garcia was traded to Houston. However, over Bass’ final 67 outings last season, he managed a 3.05 ERA, with 19 holds and only two blown saves.

Beyond those names, Bleier could get a turn if the opposing lineup is loaded with lefties. But he’s struggled this spring, giving up seven hits, including two homers, and six earned runs over 1.2 innings pitched. Other holdovers from last year’s Marlins bullpen include Steven Okert and Zach Pop.

Miami’s confident in its developmental system and is leaning toward internal options for their ‘pen. The team’s ability to groom Major League-caliber arms remains evident in its starting rotation, where four of the five projected starters all spent significant time in their system. But the Marlins bullpen is another matter.

The Other Names in Play

The Marlins added to their bullpen this offseason by trading for right-hander Louis Head from Tampa Bay. The 32-year-old reliever made his MLB debut in 2021, posting a 2.31 ERA over 35 innings out of Tampa’s ‘pen. Head has three appearances this spring, allowing one earned run over four innings.

Miami signed righty Jimmy Yacabonis to a minor league deal and there’s a chance he makes the club, too. Over 104 career MLB innings with the Orioles and Mariners, Yacabonis posted a 5.71 ERA. He’s made four appearances this spring, pitching to a 1.80 ERA over five innings.

Right-hander Huascar Brazoban also came on a minor league deal. The 32-year-old has yet to make his MLB debut, but he’s thrown four innings and allowed one run so far in Grapefruit League play.

Another minor league deal brought left-hander Grant Dayton. The 34-year-old has a 3.43 ERA over 102.1 MLB innings in his career. The Marlins drafted Dayton in the 11th round in 2010, and he spent five years in Miami’s system before being traded.

The Marlins like Shawn Armstrong, a non-roster invitee this spring who’s pitched 2.1 innings so far. He has no walks, two strikeouts, and is yet to give up a run over three appearances so far.

Miami claimed right-hander Tommy Nance from the Cubs this week, too. The 31-year-old made his MLB debut last season, posting a 7.22 ERA over 28.2 innings. Although he struggled for Chicago, Nance posted a 2.35 ERA over 15.1 innings, with a walk rate of just 5.3 percent at Triple-A.

25-year-old lefty Sean Guenther is also with the club this spring. He pitched with the Marlins late last season, posting a 9.30 ERA over 20.1 innings. Guenther’s made two appearances this spring, with no earned runs over two innings.

Filling Out the Marlins Bullpen

MLB and the players union agreed to a series of rule changes recently, including expanded rosters in April. Teams will have two extra spots following the abbreviated spring training. This should help the early-season workloads for pitchers. FanGraphs projects the Marlins to carry 15 pitchers coming out of spring.

With the extra roster spots, and considering the versatile utility players on their bench, the Marlins bullpen could get a couple more arms. Miami will more than likely need at least one long reliever in the mix, especially early on.

Paul Campbell, Daniel Castano, Braxton Garrett, and Cody Poteet all remain with the big club this spring, and all have MLB experience that could translate to the long reliever role. The Marlins optioned Nick Neidert to Triple-A Jacksonville recently, despite Neidert’s change to reliever.

Miami may opt to give one of those players the role, but if Edward Cabrera makes a bid for the starting rotation, the Marlins could move Elieser Hernandez to the bullpen.

The 23-year-old Cabrera threw three scoreless innings, with three strikeouts, in his Grapefruit League debut earlier this week. After being delayed to start the spring with a visa issue, Cabrera’s emerged as a darkhorse to open in the starting rotation.

Hernandez seems well-suited for long relief, considering the struggles he’s had the third time through an opponent’s order. Over his career, Hernandez sees his batting-average-against jump to .346, with an OPS of 1.185, when batters get a third plate appearance against him in the same game. Batters sport a .233 and .230 batting average in their first and second at-bats versus Hernandez.

Closing Thoughts

Floro struggled at times last season in high-leverage situations, as evidenced by his six blown saves. What’s more, he made 32 appearances last season in “save situations” and pitched to a 5.53 ERA with a 1.66 WHIP. In high-leverage situations, opposing batters hit .252 against him, with a .658 OPS. The Marlins are banking on his experience and overall effectiveness as a reliever (3.18 career ERA) to get them through.

Bender could be best suited for the closer role in the long run. Although it’s a small sample size, Bender pitched to a 1.10 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in save situations last season. His batting-average-against in that spot was .203.

Some scouts foresee 2020 first-round pick Max Meyer eventually becoming a reliever, maybe a closer, but the Marlins don’t see it that way. At least for now. Mattingly admitted Meyer could probably pitch out of the bullpen at this point, but the Marlins continue to groom him as a starter, a role he should thrive in for the Jumbo Shrimp with his solid three-pitch mix.

Adding an established closer (who performs well, obviously) puts this Marlins team in striking distance of the playoffs. Toss in an established centerfielder on top of that, and Miami’s a legitimate postseason contender.

Check Out Man On Second

Don’t miss Man On Second’s Early Spring Training Takeaways, including a discussion about the Marlins bullpen!

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over the Celtics

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The Heat played a big one on Wednesday night against the Celtics in Boston, and they stood strong in many of the weaknesses they had attached to them.

Max Strus came up huge after shaky moments, Kyle Lowry took over, and the Heat stepped up big in clutch time.

So, here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: Tyler Herro and Miami making adjustments to start.

As Miami walked into the locker room at halftime, it was clear a 1 point lead was a win for them. A second quarter run from Boston raised an eyebrow at Miami potentially bouncing back, but the adjustments for Tyler Herro were interesting to me in general. There’s still much less comfort against switching than drop, but lucky for him, it’s a pick your poison thing with this impressive Celtics defense. Herro was being swarmed a ton in his early minutes, mostly since he was running into easy switches with guys like Jimmy Butler or PJ Tucker screening. Simply, he needs Bam Adebayo to set him up. The reasoning was that he needed to gain a rhythm by going at Al Horford in that drop. He did climb up to 10 points at the half, and it leads to a takeaway that Spoelstra seems to feel most comfortable shifting Herro around offensively than anybody.

#2: The broad idea of pace fluctuations.

Speaking of that Boston run in the second quarter, it looked like Miami was rattled for a minute. Turnovers were peaking, they began to play faster as Boston had transition success, and the lead began to swing. Aside from this game in itself, I truly believe it’s something to keep an eye on. Why? Well, the person that controls the pace in a game that the Miami Heat are involved seems to be a bigger swing than it should be. When Miami starts trailing the play-style of the opponent, things don’t lean in their favor. It doesn’t matter if it’s that they need to slow it down or speed it up in a certain span, but just having that control is an important element of this basketball team.

#3: Bam Adebayo’s defensive importance: something you know already.

While many were probably screaming at their TV at times in the first half for Bam Adebayo to begin attacking Boston’s bigs, it must be reminded that there are two sides of the ball. And for a portion of the game, Adebayo was wrecking first options for the Celtics very often. Many times we see it through Miami’s game-plan of forcing Tucker and Adebayo to switch onto the respective guard and big on that team, but they went the Giannis Antetokounmpo route in this one. What I mean by that is he shifted to weak-side excellence in this one, and his help was pretty elite for what he had to deal with on the other side, in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. You may hear a lot about Smart and Williams on the ESPN broadcast for defensive player of the year, but the ability to move Bam around defensively will be Spoelstra’s key defensive card in the playoffs.

#4: Kyle Lowry’s “real season” coming alive?

When zooming in on the third quarter specifically, Kyle Lowry was the definition of their offense from start to finish. He kicked off with two pull-up triples out of the high pick and roll, which is one of the most important elements of this team. Yes, not just Lowry, but this team. Defenses worrying about that shot gives Lowry all of his powers to dissect coverages in the half-court with his passing. That led to an immediate zip to Bam Adebayo in the middle of the floor, and a perfect feed on a backdoor cut to Jimmy Butler to begin the 3rd. The one question that I had walking away from that quarter was this: what happens when Lowry exits? That’s how big he was in terms of total control, which ties into recent discussions about spacing. It’s clear that when the playoffs roll around, Lowry needs the ball in his hands. A lot.

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#5: Late-game offense evaluation time.

When heading into this game, I said on a Five Reasons Sports pregame show that the topic of the game would be late-game offense. For one it’s just that type of match-up, and second of all, there are two high level shot creators to create in clutch time during the Heat’s biggest time of weakness. As the score stayed close and the time trickled down, we saw Miami staying in base sets for a decent amount of time starting at the 6 minute mark. As Lowry checked back in the 4th, it was clear that the clutch time offense starts now in a game like this. But more importantly, the base sets were familiar since there was space to operate, as Butler stayed at the 4. Miami continued to spam one thing and one thing only: Lowry/Bam PnR, Strus/Herro spacing in each corner, Butler looming. That’s the formula to good looks in the clutch.

 

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Miami Hurricanes

Miami Hurricanes to host five-star QB Jaden Rashada on two-day visit

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The Miami Hurricanes have continued to recruit at a torrid pace, and they will have a quarterback from California coming in later this week. 2023 five-star quarterback Jaden Rashada will be at Miami this Thursday and Friday per Matt Shodell of CaneSport.com.

Rashada is the best overall quarterback in the 2023 class. He is also the fifth overall player in the class from the state of California per the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He does not have any Crystal Ball predictions at this time. Boasting over 30 offers, Oklahoma, Miami, Oregon, and Tennessee are all ones of note.

Measuring in at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds, Rashada is a pocket-passing quarterback. One of the strengths of his game is his arm strength. Mobility is not something that he brings to his game necessarily. However, he has other skills that make up for it.

With that being said, he can step up in the pocket and make throws , especially if he feels the pocket collapsing. He can throw the deep pass with ease, and he also does so accurately. He is the type of quarterback that you need in today’s game, as he can stretch the field and get the ball down the field in a hurry.

Rashada would give Miami get yet another tool in the chest at the quarterback position. The 2023 recruiting class is shaping up to be a very strong one. It ranks 19th nationally and third overall in the ACC per the 247Sports Composite Rankings. The class itself only has four commitments, but more will undoubtedly be on the way.

With this being a two-day visit, this could work in the Miami Hurricanes favor. If they were able to land Rashada, this would give them another big-time weapon for the future. Stability under center is a hallmark of successful collegiate programs. A commitment here would point Miami in the right direction.

 

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over the Kings

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The Miami Heat had their roughest week of the season by far this week, but took care of business on Monday night against the Sacramento Kings. Some changes were made, the top guys elevated, and Miami got back in some type of a rhythm.

So, here are some of my primary evaluations from this one…

#1: The rotation changes in this one for the Heat.

Thirty minutes prior to the game, it was announced that Max Strus would start over Duncan Robinson, which raised an eyebrow. Other than some reasoning that involves allowing the starters to figure stuff out together, it was clear Spoelstra wanted some different looks and ultimately flow into a new look rotation. Gabe Vincent and Duncan Robinson came off the bench with the usual Tyler Herro and Dewayne Dedmon combo, which left Victor Oladipo and Markieff Morris out of the mix. To look even further, I don’t believe this will be the end game nine man rotation. Caleb Martin needs to play off the bench, meaning it all comes down to two players: who gets the final starting spot? Duncan Robinson or Max Strus.

#2: Another change that could be even more important: substitution patterns.

When looking at Miami’s usual substitution pattern, Jimmy Butler stays in the game to start as Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry exit, allowing him to run with Tyler Herro and the second unit. Tonight, though, Butler exited first. For Herro. That shift makes things look a lot cleaner for a few reasons. It means Herro and Adebayo can get a longer look together early on, plus it’s one of the lineups that allows Tucker at the 4 to fit in well. But more importantly, it means that Butler re-entering is him at the 4 with shooters, instead of him at the 3 next to Tucker and Dedmon. Certain patterns can change, but the point is more about zooming out. This team has revolved things around the depth all season, but now it’s time to make the changes that benefit the top four guys on the roster. That’s how they excel in the post-season.

#3: The constant question: how to maximize Butler and Adebayo offensively?

I’ve talked a lot about rotations and stuff of those sorts to start this piece, but one play kind of said a lot about how to maximize Butler and Bam together at times. Tyler Herro sets up the offense on the right wing, as two shooters line up on the weak-side, and Butler and Adebayo begin their action. As both are under the goal, Bam screens down for Butler to rise up, as Herro hits him in stride. But as I explained, this down screen wasn’t the usual look. The lower you screen for two guys of this caliber, the harder it is for a defense to manipulate. They can’t just recover by going under a screen, since there’s no room for any of that. Butler rises up for the and-1, which signifies a lot about how they can be used, beginning with Butler playing at the 4. Putting 3 shooters around them is always the way.

#4: Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry controlling.

To carry on the theme of how things were being handled offensively for Miami, Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro seemed to take total control of the handling duties for their half-court sets. Part of that ties into Herro entering for Butler, but this was a Spo change as he had to regroup after the 4 game losing streak. As the third quarter came to a close, Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro had 6 assists a piece, and both of them had enough moments. Well, Herro had plenty at least. Watching him play with his food against this Kings’ defense was a sight, as he did it at all three levels. He’s specifically doing most of his work at the first and third level, which is interesting since the second level is probably his best area. Simply, the team needs those two guys to have the ball in their hands. That’s when things flow, and guys get their best looks.

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#5: Some of my most notable Heat set combos.

The Heat’s two man combo has been a staple of theirs for years. Even thinking in really recent years, the Robinson-Adebayo DHO basically got them through their season in the bubble year. But looking at some positive two-man combos at the moment, aside from the obvious ones, I’d start with the newly adjusted Tucker DHO. It’s just something he does quickly when the shot isn’t there, to basically trigger an action, but way too often was Butler on the receiving end. Defender goes under, Tucker in no man’s land, and a 24 second violation is on the way. In this one, we saw some Tucker-Lowry DHO’s which is as good as it gets. Defender has to go over and two are forced to go to the ball, leading to the floater. On the obvious side, as the spacing tries to be fixed around Butler, him screening for Herro is the way in the middle of the floor. Shooters waiting for the spray if they tag, and it’s a win-win all the way around.

 

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