10 Tips for Your Offseason Training

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While it may not feel like it, the off season can be just as critical to success as the regular season itself. Even though you may not be competing, the off season presents the perfect opportunity to up your game, so we’ve rounded up 10 tips to help you take your off season training to the next level. What are you waiting for? Grab your sports guard and get training!

  • Review your past performance.

Assuming that you are planning to compete competitively in the upcoming season, the off season marks the perfect time to review your past performance and identify any weaknesses. Review your recent competitions and practices to see if you can identify any patterns in your activity. Looking them over with your personal coach or trainer (if you have one) will allow you to get an outside opinion and see your performance with new eyes.

  • Set goals for your training.

During the off season, you need more concrete training goals than a vague aim of staying in shape. Based on your performance review, identify a couple goals that could help improve your performance: building your strength, improving your stamina, increasing your speed, enhancing your balance, increasing your flexibility, and so on. Then design an off-season training regimen that is specifically created to help you work on these goals. Make sure that you set some measurements for yourself to keep track of your progress, too.

 

  • Consult with an expert.

If you don’t normally work with a coach or personal trainer one-on-one, then the off season is a great time to change that. Getting personalized help from an expert, even if just for a few weeks or months, can give you the boost you need to take your training to the next level. If you feel like you’ve plateaued on your own, then ask your fellow athletes for recommendations for trainers who they trust, and book a few sessions to see how it goes.

  • Do something different.

Many athletes are understandably hesitant to try a new exercise or workout during the regular season. What if it doesn’t help their performance or, even worse, impacts their performance negatively? That’s why the off season is the perfect time to experiment with a new training regimen that you wouldn’t want to risk when you’re regularly competing. If you feel like you got into a training rut during the season, now is the perfect time to try to snap yourself out of it.

  • Perfect your form.

The off season is a great time to get technical and really focus on the small details. Go back to basics and really focus on your form, whether that’s on a deadlift or a tennis serve. Take things slow and focus on doing them right instead of fast. Even minute changes in your form can significantly enhance your performance during the season, especially once you practice them so often they become second nature.

  • Focus on active recovery.

Yes, the off season is all about recovery, but that doesn’t mean that you should hang up your moldable mouth guard for good and spend your days only sitting on the couch. Instead, focus on active recovery, such as yoga, that will strengthen your body and improve balance and flexibility without exhausting you physically the way the season does. You should include a couple of low-intensity days each week for active recovery to make it a regular part of your training schedule.

  • Stay consistent with workouts.

During the off season, many athletes (especially aspiring pros in high school or college) tend to slack off and do less and less training as their break wears on. It can be especially hard to keep going in winter, when the days are shorter and the weather is colder, which can make it difficult or even impossible to train outside. That’s why it’s so important to make a schedule and stick with it: Having a plan ahead of time will encourage you to stay consistent instead of skipping your workouts often.

  • Prioritize function, not aesthetics.

It’s tempting to take the off season to slim down, bulk up, or otherwise embark on a training regimen that will help you achieve peak beach body. However, if you’re serious about your sport, then you should use the off season to focus on function over aesthetics. For instance, big muscles will do you no good — and may even hinder your performance — if you’re an endurance athlete who needs to be able to go the distance during the season.

 

  • Upgrade your gear.

The off season is also the ideal time to upgrade your gear and get used to it before the season starts, such as breaking in new shoes and customizing a new boil and bite mouthguard. Examine all of your gear for damage it has sustained during the off season. Repair it if you can. If it can’t be salvaged, then toss it and replace it. Make sure to take your new gear out for practice runs before the season starts so you can get used to it and adjust your playing style as needed.

  • Don’t forget to rest.

While it’s true that you shouldn’t spend the entire offseason loafing around, most athletes like to take between two and four weeks completely off from scheduled training. They may do some light workouts as they feel like it, but they mostly spend this time resting their bodies, as well as de-stressing mentally after the pressure of the season. Make sure that you set aside some time at the beginning of your off season to decompress — then dive back into your offseason training.

 

Photos by Shutterstock.com 

Zylan Cheatham Shows Signs of a Miami Heat Guy

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After taking a look at the clip above, what stands out?

An explosive roller who can slip screens with ease? Maybe. A quick trigger around the rim? Possibly. But the main thing that sticks out to me here: physicality.

When looking at the Miami Heat’s G-League scouting in the past, they never go for that killer scorer who can’t be stopped. It’s not that flashy on-ball guy who they want to put the ball in the basket. Instead, they look for certain team’s glue guys, who possibly are setting up that big time scorer.

In many ways, that seems to be the job of Zylan Cheatham. A tough guy, rebounds the basketball with great enthusiasm, takes most of his pride on the defensive end. That’s a Heat guy.

Looking at the Heat’s current situation, they’re down 5 rotational guys at the moment, who are all front-court defensive minded players. With that said, it was clear what kind of player they’d use their 10 day contract on.

When I mention Miami searching for “glue guys” or certain set-up players, these are the plays that stick out to the Heat scouting group. A guy that can be relied on down on the defensive end, while being able to stick in the middle of a 2-3 zone to find the open man. Honestly, looks like a young version of current and previous Heat come-ups.

That one pass may look simple in the clip above, but it’s something that guys like KZ Okpala have struggled with over this recent run. Now, this is against G-League talent, so Okpala may be able to do something similar in that setting, but if he can have similar control at the next level, that’s all he needs to be serviceable.

The other part of his game, as I mentioned before, that sticks out is his rebounding. Since Bam Adebayo went down, the Heat are 27th in the league in rebounds per game. Although Cheatham’s height seems to differ depending on what website you look at, it’s clear that his length isn’t what makes him a good rebounder.

Once again, something the Heat absolutely love. Just ask some Heat personnel about PJ Tucker’s recent presence.

As Jonathon Givony of Draft Express said about Cheatham, “I think will have a chance to stick if he can show that his 3-ball is for real, because he does everything else.” And man, that isn’t the first Heat prospect I’ve heard that description for.

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The thing about his current role over the next 10 days is that threes won’t be an absolute necessary factor. He will be an elbow guy, a dunker spot guy, and asked to slightly facilitate the ball around the perimeter, while semi-pulling a big from the basket on guard drives to the basket.

It’s simple. Miami loves to simplify guys games like himself when put in this setting, but the difference now compared to any other circumstance, his opportunity should come immediately. This Heat team is rolling out the same 9 guys every single night, just because they only have 9 available guys.

If that drops down to eight, or even if it stays at nine, Cheatham will get his shot.

Speaking of a dunker spot role, there’s no better player to throw in that spot than an explosive high flyer like himself.

(Derrick Jones Jr anyone?)

We can talk about many things the Heat lacked against Detroit the other night, but one of the major factors was the void of energy, excitement, and enthusiasm. And well, as wild as it may sound, Cheatham could potentially provide that if he gets going upon immediately being scooped up.

One fast-break 360 dunk from Cheatham, and the energy around a game could flip. I guess we’ll see where this goes over the next week and a half, but there’s no doubt this guy is a Heat prospect.

Not about total scoring, defensive minded, energetic rebounder, and a guy who has come up through the mud.

Who would’ve thought?

 

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss to the Pistons

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The Miami Heat dropped this one to the Detroit Pistons, as fatigue shines through as the leading factor. Short on jumpers, late on rotations, getting out-rebounded. All factors of a tired group at the end of a road trip.

Anyway, here are the five takeaways from this one…

#1: Duncan Robinson’s expanding bag creating more lineup flexibility, yet individual shot-making restricting.

Little by little, the fits surrounding Duncan Robinson are coming together. Robinson himself, on the other hand, is a completely different story tonight that I’ll have to wait to discuss. On paper, it’s one of these easiest combinations to make work. One of the league’s top 3 point specialists is a simple pair for any NBA player, but extra avenues are being explored. We’ve seen Robinson’s inside game more and more lately: the mid-range pull-up, pin-downs/back-cuts, and now dribble penetration. He drives down the lane, 3 Pistons collapse, and hits Max Strus in the corner off a hammer screen. That’s big time for Robinson, since as I said, it changes the equation for certain lineups to push a Strus and Robinson for longer minutes. Another example of flexibility is within the scheme. To start the game, he came up to screen for Kyle Lowry, Detroit blitzed, and well, that’s the last thing you want to do with Robinson as the screener. He hit that three, but none seemed to follow. And that’s tough when you’re without Butler, Adebayo, Herro, Morris, Martin, etc.

#2: The Max Strus conversation continues.

Max Strus happened again. 15 points at the half for Miami, while the second leading scorer in the entire game was Hamidou Diallo with 9 points. When talking about future lineups for this Heat team when fully healthy, it’s clear Max Strus has earned his stay. I don’t know if that means he will crack that rotation, but it should definitely take some strong consideration. On a team where the two best players don’t shoot the three-ball, Strus feels like the perfect bench piece at the back-end of the rotation. He’s consistent, he plays a simple game, and as we’ve seen over the last 2 years, his teammates are very comfortable with him on the floor, and even more importantly, highly confident in his abilities. Robinson’s degree of difficulty is unmatched, but in an open gym, Strus is evenly aligned with him. But adding the steady efficiency recently with the tougher looks he’s getting equals a rotation player on this team.

#3: Three-point attempts continue to skyrocket.

Erik Spoelstra in tonight’s pregame media availability made sure to note that it’s much more than just three-point shots rising. But in the big picture, it’s clear that is the only true outlet at this time. It’s not just about the correlation of no Butler or Bam meaning more threes, but it’s much more about being without those two leading to less rim pressure overall. Guys like Gabe Vincent and Kyle Lowry are still generating it at a high rate, but that downhill scoring presence hasn’t really been displayed. The team’s new paint touches are worked more through quick passes off back-cuts than pure drives, which leads to a higher rate of three-point shots and quick kick-outs off spiraling defensive rotations. And when the three isn’t falling, it’ll be a long night for Miami no matter who they’re facing.

#4: Does Miami act as if Bam Adebayo is on the floor too often?

When talking about losing a franchise player for a few months, it’s hard for a group of guys to fully adjust at the snap of a finger. But with some weeks lingering by, it feels like there continues to be a reliance on finding the big on the floor in an unorthodox way. It has been the case with Dewayne Dedmon as he’d lurk sideline to sideline for hand-offs, but now Omer Yurtseven turned into that guy. For an entirety of the third quarter, the ball just kept being worked into him, which is an area of his game he’s not comfortable with at this moment. Why have PJ Tucker-KZ Okpala lineups worked seamlessly in the past? Because the team knows there isn’t a big on the floor to overwork. That’s going to be key as they move forward, and much of that usage can flip when Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler get back in the mix.

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#5: The importance of PJ Tucker shines.

I hinted at it slightly in the last takeaway, but this topic needs its own section. A Caleb Martin can pick up for Jimmy Butler some nights. A Max Strus can pick up for Tyler Herro some nights. But only PJ Tucker can pick up for Bam Adebayo. When Tucker went down to begin that third quarter, as I highlighted in the last section, an over-reliance on others occurred. Simply, I don’t see a way to overcome the loss of Adebayo and Tucker, even against teams like this. I can go through the catalog of guys they are missing, but everything seems to get flushed without that steady offensive rock who can get them into their sets. Without that “rock,” perimeter play is spammed, the one outlet of rim pressure with off-ball cuts is eliminated, and that three-point surge is put on display even more. I’d expect Tucker to be fine, but Miami wasn’t fine tonight.

 

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

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Goldie’s Best Bets Week 15: Brady Breakthrough, Pats Streaking

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Goldie:

All Time Record: 247-125-1          

Vs. Spread: 186-186-1

 

21-22 Season:  121-70-1               

Vs. Spread: 97-97-1

 

Week 14 Record: 13-0                

Vs. Spread: 11-2

 

Guarantee Record: 14-14

Upset Record: 15-12              

 

Crazy Uncle Jeff 

All Time: 33-10              

21-22 Season: 17-9       

Week 14: 1-0

 

Goldie’s Guarantee: TB -11.5

New Orleans Saints (6-7) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-3)

Vegas Picks: TB -11.5

Goldie’s Take: Buccaneers Win 30-10

One of the only reasons this game is on SNF is because the Saints have been Brady’s kryptonite since joining the Bucs. Brady is 0-3 regular season against the Saints, but keep in mind that two of those losses were to Drew Brees and the third was against Jameis Winston. The Saints don’t have either of those guys at QB this Sunday, so I think the Bucs should have an easier time. Tampa clinches the division with a convincing win at home in Primetime, I GUARANTEE IT!

 

Goldie’s UPSET of the Week

Cincinnati Bengals (7-6) @ Denver Broncos (7-6)

Vegas Picks: DEN -3

Goldie’s Take: Bengals Win 31-26

Lots of playoff implications on the line in this one, a win keeps you right in the thick of the race, whereas a loss makes the path to the postseason incredibly difficult. Cincy fell just short of a great home win last week losing to the Niners in overtime. That marks two straight losses for the Bengals who were once sitting pretty at 7-4. Now they head to Denver to face a very inconsistent Broncos team. Trusting Burrow and highflying Bengals offense to outpace Teddy B and the Broncos. Cincy pulls off the UPSET and gets the win in the Mile High.  

 

Crazy Uncle Jeff’s Lock of the Week: NE +2.5

New England Patriots (9-4) @ Indianapolis Colts (7-6)

Vegas Picks: IND -2.5

Goldie’s Take: Patriots Win 23-20

In our rare Saturday NFL showdown, we have what should be one of the most interesting games of the weekend. Many storylines here: breakout of Johnathan Taylor, breakout of Mac Jones, heavy playoff implications on the line, but the biggest of them all is definitely how red hot the entire Pats team has been. Since starting 2-4, the Pats have completely figured it out and have been setting the league on fire with seven straight wins. Jeffy and I have bet against the GOAT in the sweatshirt too many times, Pats keep surging with a win in Indy. 

 

Tennessee Titans (9-4) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6-1)

Vegas Picks: PIT -1

Goldie’s Take: Steelers Win 24-21

Since losing Derrick Henry this Tennessee offense has rapidly declined. Soon after Henry went down, AJ Brown got injured and they were forced to put him on IR. The Titans are putting too much responsibility on Tannehill’s shoulders. Meanwhile, Steelers coming off a TNF game, should be well rested and will be getting stud pass rusher TJ Watt back as well. Pitt defense should give T’s offense fits, and Big Ben will be able to do enough to get the victory. Steelers stay right in the thick of the playoff chase with a home win in the Big Ketchup Bottle.

 

Carolina Panthers (5-8) @ Buffalo Bills (7-6)

Vegas Picks: BUF -12

Goldie’s Take: Bills Win 34-21

Remember when everyone was talking about how the Bills were going to dethrone the Pats and take over the AFC? Welp, all that is now out the window as three straight losses has Buffalo needing to win just to keep their playoff hopes on track. However, this is the perfect game to get back on track. The return of Cam Newton to Carolina has not worked at all to put it lightly, and the entire Panthers team seems to be in flux right now. Expecting Josh Allen and the Bills to tighten up the screws at home this week as they try and get moving back in the right direction.

 

Houston Texans (2-11) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (2-11)
Vegas Picks: JAX -5

Goldie’s Take: Jaguars Win 26-23

The toilet bowl takes place in Jacksonville this Sunday between two of the leagues four teams with double digit losses this season. The biggest storyline in this one is about someone who actually won’t be at the game, as the Jags fired HC Urban Meyer earlier this week. I believe the Jacksonville players will band together to get a win now that the cancer has left their locker room. Jags win what should be a close game between two bad teams. 

 

Dallas Cowboys (9-4) @ New York Giants (4-9)

Vegas Picks: DAL -11

Goldie’s Take: Cowboys Win 27-17

Cowboys have owned this matchup recently, on an 8-1 run against the G-Men. Giants will once again be without starting QB Daniel Jones, as Mike Glennon will continue to start in his relief. Glennon should have a really tough time moving the ball against a stout Cowboys defense. Struggling Dak also gets a good opportunity to bounce back in this one with a weak opponent like the Giants. Cowboys should get the win, but can definitely see Giants slipping in under the Vegas odds with a home cover. 

 

Arizona Cardinals (10-3) @ Detroit Lions (1-11-1)

Vegas Picks: ARI -13

Goldie’s Take: Cardinals Win 30-20

Cards head to Mo-Town undefeated on the road this season, and a win away from clinching a playoff berth. Even with Deandre Hopkins supposed to miss Sunday’s tilt, still like Arizona to cruise past the lowly Lions. However Detroit has shown the ability to keep fighting this season: After each of their previous four double digit losses this season, the following game has been decided by a single digit margin. Fully expecting Cards to win this one, but picking Lions to keep it within the fat betting line. 

 

New York Jets (3-10) @ Miami Dolphins (6-7)

Vegas Picks: MIA -9.5

Goldie’s Take: Dolphins Win 21-13

Miami has owned this matchup in recent memory, currently on a 9-2 stretch (4-1 under B-Flo) against their division rival. Fins also enter as one of the hottest teams in the league, winners of five in a row. However, the pesky Covid wave has made its way to the Miami locker room. The entire running back room has been put on the Covid list, to go along with stud wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. Still believe in Flores and the defense to hold strong, but wouldn’t be shocked if Planes kept it just within the hefty betting line. 

 

Atlanta Falcons (6-7) @ San Francisco 49ers (7-6)

Vegas Picks: SF -9.5

Goldie’s Take: 49ers Win 28-21

Niners have found their rhythm after their tough start, winning four of their last five. Jimmy G has settled into the starting QB role, and has been very efficient. That’s what the Niners offense is based upon, efficiency. They’re not too flashy but they get the job done when paired with a solid defense. San Fran should get the win in this one, but it is worth noting that Dirty Birds are 5-2 this season on the road so wouldn’t be shocked if we see a Matty Ice road cover. 

 

Green Bay Packers (10-3) @ Baltimore Ravens (8-5)

Vegas Picks: GB -6

Goldie’s Take: Packers Win 28-24

Given Lamar Jackson is good to go on Sunday (ankle), this would mark the first time that ‘19 MVP (Jackson) faced off against ‘20 MVP (Rodgers). Lamar is a strong 12-2 against NFC teams in his career, so going against the Ravens at home was not an easy decision. However, Rodgers is my guy and the Pack have looked like the best team in the NFL this season. Wouldn’t be surprised at all if the Ravens upset in this one, but safer play is to pick them with the points. 

 

Las Vegas Raiders (6-7) @ Cleveland Browns (7-6)

Vegas Picks: LV -1.5

Goldie’s Take: Raiders Win 26-20

Playoff desperation is starting to set in for both teams, but especially for the Raiders coming off back to back losses. After getting obliterated in KC last week, the Raiders should come out firing in Cleveland to prove that they’re still valid. It’s also worth noting that the Browns had the Covid wave hit them this week. Both Baker Mayfield and Kevin Stafanski (among many others) have tested positive this week, so Cleveland could very well be without their HC/QB combo this weekend. Case Keenum has the ability to keep the Browns in this one, but I expect Derek Carr and the Raiders to go into the Dawg Pound and leave with a victory. 

 

Minnesota Vikings (6-7) @ Chicago Bears (4-9)

Vegas Picks: MIN -6

Goldie’s Take: Vikings Win 28-23

This is a Primetime matchup where I don’t trust anything about it. The Vikings have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the league this season, plus Kirk Cousins on Primetime is another red flag. However, I don’t have any faith in the Bears either. Rookie QB in Primetime is a huge question mark. Picking Minny because Vikings need this win to keep their playoff hopes alive, but wouldn’t be shocked if the Bears play spoiler. 

 

Washington Football Team (6-7) @ Philadelphia Eagles (6-7)

Vegas Picks: PHI -8.5

Goldie’s Take: Eagles Win 28-17

With 23 members of the WFT currently on the Covid list, this game becomes very difficult to analyze. Who knows who’s going to be available on Tuesday night? However, based on what we now know, all signs point towards an Eagles victory. I personally would give Philly the edge even if both teams were at full strength. So, with Covid decimating a large portion of Washington’s team, AND Philly having home field advantage for this one, yeah, I’m picking the Eagles. 

 

Seattle Seahawks (5-8) @ Los Angeles Rams (9-4)

Vegas Picks: LAR -4.5

Goldie’s Take: Seahawks Win 26-23

The Rams had a very inspiring win last week in Arizona on MNF. Even with many of their guys getting Covid,they adjusted and were still able to perform, and even manage to dominate at that! However, this will mark the second straight week where the Rams are going to be heavily short handed. It’s too much to ask for the reserves to keep up that level of high play. Also the desperation is there for Seattle. The Seahawks are still hanging by a thread in the NFC playoff race, but a loss would end them. Russell Wilson and the ‘Hawks swoop in for an UPSET in LA on Tuesday night.  

 

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Magic

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The Miami Heat take down a banged up Orlando Magic squad on Friday night, as guys like Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro add another recovery day to the catalog.

The two-ways of last season, Gabe Vincent and Max Strus, come up big as Miami coasts to another much needed win.

So, here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: Oh hey Max Strus.

A 20 point second quarter was just Max Strus’ way of making Erik Spoelstra’s life much harder from a long term sense. But in all seriousness, it is something to keep track of with Strus, Caleb Martin, and Gabe Vincent switching off big time nights. Whenever we talk about Strus getting hot, the funny thing is his film looks so similar side-by-side. Why is that? Well, his simple methods keep it looking so identical. He’s not navigating as many screens as Duncan Robinson, or feeling out screens on the ball like a Kyle Lowry or Tyler Herro. He’s just either pulling up with a defender right in his face, or he utilizes his slight pump-fake and pull-back to get just enough space to fire. Max Strus is a simple guy, who plays with a simple style. And looking at some of the guys on this roster, simple is great as a plug-in guy.

#2: My nightly takeaway without Bam Adebayo: Dewayne Dedmon’s high level production.

Even after writing a Dewayne Dedmon piece early in the day, it still isn’t enough praise for this solid spot starter. At halftime, he had 11 points on 5 of 7 shooting, just continuing to take whatever the defense was giving him. For example, above the break transition threes. To dive into his three-point shot profile a bit more, it’s pretty clear the corners should be avoided with him. His comfort looks right at home from the top of the key, or right/left wing, almost as the anti-PJ Tucker from beyond the arc. Being able to be relied on from night to night in this way, after only playing 16 regular season games the season prior, just isn’t a normal occurrence. Dedmon has headlined the drop coverage phenomenon over the month of December for Miami as well, almost providing an unlocked door to Adebayo’s defensive role upon returning.

#3: My microscopic takeaway: Heat are zone providers, but being tested as zone consumers.

In games where the opposing team’s entire bench just got signed to some 10 days from the Lakeland Magic squad, microscopic views are necessary. The one I picked up on tonight was the way Miami handled the zone when it was thrown at them, since before Spo called the timeout, it surprised them the same way they do to others. Much of the issue had to with personnel at the time. KZ Okpala was immediately used as the middle man on the insert pass, which led to a turnaround mid-range fade-away with nobody on him. And down so many guys, the name I brought up was Max Strus. That’s a guy you can trust to hit that elbow turnaround or make the easy kick-out read, but overall, Spo getting some of these ATO and set-up reps against it is important. The zone is rising rapidly across the league.

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#4: The Gabe Vincent game turns into the Gabe Vincent stretch.

This type of play from Gabe Vincent was definitely unexpected, but it was kind of inevitable. Shooters don’t just forget how to shoot. Slumps occur, tweaks are made, then in a matter of time, the shot returns. But the difference with Vincent is that he elevated every other part of his game throughout the struggles. He shifted his strengths in many ways, turning into a defensive first guard, with an ability to switch on and off the ball with ease. And like I said, now the three-point shot is here, and the confidence is the headliner. All that is needed for shooters like himself is a reference point, and that is what this week will be for Vincent as he moves forward. This isn’t a temporary thing. Of course he won’t always shoot the three-ball at this clip, but he’s officially found himself as a rotational NBA player.

#5: Heat rolling through the easy December stretch.

Yes it’s only 2 wins in a row for Miami, but this is just the beginning as an easy slate of games lie ahead: Detroit twice, Indiana, Orlando, Washington, San Antonio, and Houston. Jimmy Butler or not, that’s a lot of very winnable and favorable games for this Heat team as they enter the new year. Erik Spoelstra’s continued phrase throughout the season, “we have enough,” is in full effect at this time as well, since while many would question the Heat being “favored” in many of these games, it wasn’t expected that Vincent and Strus would go from two-ways to starter level products. After completing this next slate of games, they should be hovered right around that three seed, in a period that was supposed to be a state of survival.

 

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

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Dewayne Dedmon is Indeed the Mechanic: He Just Fixes Things

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It’s December 1st at 3 pm. You may have been leaving school, bored at work, or if you’re like me, preparing for the drive up to FTX arena for the Heat vs Cavs game, as Miami awaited an inevitable emotional and physical collapse.

Then ‘Bam.’ Literally.

The notification hits our phones that Bam Adebayo has torn his UCL and will undergo surgery. No specific timetable at this moment in time, just a quick blur of what the rest of the season would look like for the Heat.

Luckily shortly after, we learned it wasn’t season ending. Just around a 4 to 6 week process at best case scenario, which was far from the worst possible outcome after the immediate thoughts.

Then we all turn to evaluating the Heat’s roster. And the crazy thing is all of our minds went in the same exact direction. We didn’t question the guy stepping up into the role of Bam Adebayo. We instead questioned who would fill the role for the guy stepping up, Dewayne Dedmon.

Why is that? Why did so many of us not question the way he would at least help Miami survive many nights as the starting center? Well, it was simply his ability to just be solid.

Ever since entering the starting lineup 8 games ago, he’s averaging 9 points a game on 56% shooting, 60% shooting from three, 10 rebounds, a block, a steal, while throwing in 2 assists. That’s the definition of a trusted back-up big in this league.

Every challenge that has been thrown his way, he has hit out of the park. How is Miami going to deal with the inability to switch in the majority of their lineups? Oh, Dedmon will just play some of the best post defense of his career, while blitzing like a young version of himself.

How will Dedmon be able to slow down Joel Embiid in a game Miami shouldn’t even be in by halftime? Well, holding him to 3 of 10 shooting looks like he found a decent defensive outlet.

Will the offensive restrictions be noticeable with Dedmon and PJ Tucker in the starting front-court? Yet that can’t happen when Tucker becomes an interior/rolling powerhouse, and Dedmon starts stretching the floor with an above the break three-ball.

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Over the last 8 games, the Heat are .500, which is essentially the formula to surviving over this period. The young guys have produced at a high level, Duncan Robinson is getting his shot back, Tucker is playing over his head. But the reason the Heat have gone 4-4 instead of 3-7 or 2-6 is due to Dedmon being the “mechanic.” Fixing things when asked.

It felt like there have been long periods where Miami’s tried to utilize Dedmon like Adebayo too much. News flash: that just can’t ever happen. You can get away with that with Tucker, but Dedmon needs to be Dedmon on a night to night basis.

Against switching teams, they’ve found the release valve. Screen, roll, occasional pop, repeat.

Against heavy drop teams, they’ve transitioned him closer to a Bam role. Screen, roll, hand-off, repeat.

That is how Miami was able to exploit the 76ers on Wednesday night, and how Robinson was able to catch fire. Two wing threes in the first quarter from Robinson came from Dedmon laying out Danny Green or Matisse Thybulle, so Robinson gets a clear lifting area.

On the other side of things, the Heat have been a much better defensive team when Dedmon is on the floor, going from a 106 defensive rating when he’s on the floor to a 113 rating when he’s off.

Want to take a guess at what that is? Fixing things.

The Heat went from staggering the minutes of Jimmy Butler and Adebayo last season to staggering the minutes of Tucker and Dedmon this year. And I’d argue that method is even more important in this year’s setting.

They’ve gotten decent deep bench production as of late, but they plainly can’t survive without their guy in the middle. His build may not scream versatility, but his role absolutely does.

His attempts have been rising. His production has been rising. His stock has been rising.

“He gives us a different kind of feel at that center position than Bam,” Erik Spoelstra said earlier this season. “Couldn’t be happier about the minutes and productivity he’s given from that position.”

And I think many would agree. Usually when a guy like that enters for an injured star, expectations are really low. Other times when a guy enters for a struggling starter, expectations are really high. But with Dedmon early this month, expectations were leveled across the board.

Dedmon is who he is at this stage of his career, and Miami in particular isn’t trying to change anything about him.

“I’m just here to have fun,” Dedmon said last season. And now Miami’s starting to have some fun as they brought their car into his shop to fix.

 

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

Visit them at EverythingTradeShows or call 954-791-8882

How To Find Trusted Sites To Bet On Your Favorite Team

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The sports betting industry is a lucrative business and more and more people are getting involved in it. The surge in the popularity of sports betting can be attributed to a number of reasons. Firstly, people have always been interested in gambling and sports betting provides an opportunity to gamble on something they love. Secondly, with the advent of the internet, it has become easier than ever to place a bet on your favorite team or player in a trusted sports betting companies. Most importantly, people have seen a lot of their friends and family members make a lot of money from sports betting. They want to learn more about this exciting opportunity and try it out for themselves.

If you have been thinking about taking up sports betting as a profession, the first thing you must do is find reliable sites.

We all know that there are plenty of websites out there claiming to be trusted, but which ones really are? When you’re looking for a site to place bets on your favorite team, the last thing you want is to find out later that it turned out to be a scam. It can be hard enough trying to figure out who will win in any given game without worrying about whether or not the website will pay up if they lose. So how do you know where to go? To help sort through the chaos, here are some tips for finding sites that actually offer trustworthy services and aren’t just after your money.

Affiliate Sites Don’t Always Offer Trustworthy Services

As you may have already noticed, some of the most popular websites that use affiliate links are also some of the least trustworthy. The reason for this is that so many affiliate sites are focused on flashing ads in your face and pointing you toward whatever site they have advertisers for that day. If a site is only interested in profit without caring about whether or not their customers get a fair deal, then their incentives simply aren’t going to line up with yours.

Look For Sites That Offer Steep Odds

There are a lot of websites out there that claim they offer the best odds, but you need to be careful. The truth is that there are websites out there that will actually give you better odds by placing wagers directly with bookmakers or other betting sites, rather than dealing through a middleman. This means that comparing the numbers isn’t always enough because it won’t tell you how much of a difference there is. To find out how much of a difference there really is, you need to look at the implied probabilities each site offers for each event. The higher these are, the better it will be for you.

Check The Licensing And Reputation Of The Site

Before you sign up with any site, it’s important to do a bit of research on them. This includes checking to see if they have the appropriate licensing in your jurisdiction and whether or not they have a good reputation. One way to check this is to look for online reviews from other customers. If you see a lot of complaints about not getting paid or about the site being a scam, then it’s best to steer clear.

Look For Sites That Are Easy To Use

One of the telltale signs of a trustworthy site is that they take user experience seriously. This means that they will have a simple and easy-to-use website that makes placing bets a breeze. If you’re struggling to find what you’re looking for or if the website is cluttered and confusing, then it’s likely not a site you want to use.

Check The Fees And Terms Of Service

Another thing to look for when trying to determine if a site is trustworthy is how transparent they are about their fees. Ideally, you want to find a site that offers low percentages and reasonable odds. If they’re not upfront about the percentage they take out of bets or what they charge for withdrawals, then it’s likely that there are other shady elements at play. You should also look at their terms of service because they tell you how they handle disputes and what the consequences are for backing out of a bet.

Conclusion

There are a lot of things to take into account when trying to find a trustworthy site to place bets on your favorite team. By following the tips above, you can narrow down your options and be sure that you’re dealing with a reputable company. Just remember that it’s always important to do your research before you sign up with any site.

Differences Between NBA and NFL Betting

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Gambling is such a very huge industry. So if you think you can only gamble in casinos, you’re wrong! In fact, sports are also enjoyed by many gamblers as much as athletes and enthusiasts are enjoying watching the games. That’s why sports betting is widely practiced wherever gambling is allowed.

 

Among the most sought-after leagues are the NBA and NFL. Take note, betting on these leagues isn’t only popular in the US, where these games happen, but also around the globe.

 

If you’re not familiar with how betting on these sports works, you may want to consider these major differences they have:

Number of games and schedules

Among the key differences between the two is the number of games per season and the schedules.

 

For the NFL, teams will play one game per week, a total of 16 games, in every regular season. Meanwhile, NBA teams will play 82 games in a regular campaign for multiple games per week. For that reason, NBA teams will be on the road most times to follow the schedule, while NFL teams can have more time to rest and relax before getting ready for another game. That’s also the reason why the term “scheduled losses” is prominent in the NBA.

 

With that, bettors should know more about the condition of every player in the NBA before betting than in the NFL. Some bettors may just take it lightly but a game can turn sideways for just a single player who experiences fatigue. And that leads to another difference…

One player can change the game results in the NBA

One player may turn the tables in minutes and change the outcome of the game in the NBA. 

 

A roster in the NBA is typically made up of 15 players, and among them, 10 players may play anytime. On the other hand, an NFL roster will have 53 active players where 46 of them may play anytime. NFL players will be assigned whether in offense or defense, while basketball players are required to excel at both.

 

With that, it only takes one basketball player to change the outcome of the game, which wouldn’t be possible in football. Although an Elite QB or any player in the NFL can have a huge influence on the team’s success, an NFL team can’t win without the whole team effort.

 

For that reason, bettors should always consider each payer’s value for the games. So if a star player for an NBA team is injured or suspended, a bettor should take it into consideration.

 

If a team loses 2 players, that’s about 4% loss for the football team while 13% for basketball.  

What about the odds?

Surely, the odds for each sport are totally different. Not only that, but there’s also a big difference in when these odds will be made available to bettors. 

 

As mentioned, since the NBA games happen at a faster pace than the NFL, NBA becomes a daily sport. While every player won’t play every day, they will be on the court most days every week. Some days may have many games, some may not, what’s certain is that there will always be hoops to bet on from time to time.

 

Betting lines for the NBA come out every morning before the games, or on some occasion, on the night before. The numbers will continuously move as bets come in until the game time. But for the NFL, it’s different. Each football team will only play once a week and there will be allotted broadcast windows for the contest. As a result, odds are typically released in advance – some a week before the game.

 

The distance in between games will leave more time for line movement and for handicapping. In that respect, football attracts more betting volume, so it’s natural to see decent-sized shifts from the initial release to the kickoff.

Parity for NFL

What’s good about the NFL is that teams have the same odds of winning any given game, or as they say, at “any given Sunday” – regardless if it’s in the regular season or for the Superbowl. In fact, no NFL team has ever won more than 6 championships since the year 1967.

 

On the contrary, some NBA teams consistently win for several seasons, such as the LA Lakers and Boston Celtics who have combined for 33 championships and appeared in 51 Finals for about 68 years.

 

That’s the reason why NFL’s parity keeps the fans engaged in every season. However, that could also mean that it will be hard for bettors to project who ends on top in each week, in every season.

 

Those are the major differences in betting between the two sports. You should always remember those differences to level up your betting strategies on both NBA and NFL.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over the 76ers

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The Miami Heat were in the mud from the jump tonight. After the flurry of guys out, they added Tyler Herro to the mix, as Philly added Joel Embiid back in.

Led by Gabe Vincent, the Heat won this one in the mud, even when things got tough late. And that says a lot.

Anyway, here are five takeaways from this one…

#1: Duncan Robinson figuring things out.

Duncan Robinson has had an interesting season thus far. A struggling overarching theme, while mixing in a good shooting three point game here or there. The difference as of late: he’s figuring out the formula for success. His previous formula used to be the see the ball go in early, then others will pour in. Now, it’s get inside the arc a bit with an improved midrange jumper, handle, and passing vision, then expand out. And yet, that has worked. That led to an early explosion with guys right in his face beyond the arc, finding a clear path to success. The other way he was used that proved to be highly successful was through his screening, specifically on-ball. Constantly spamming Lowry-Robinson pick and rolls is the way to go on a night like this, and they did that repeatedly.

#2: The Marcus Garrett evaluation.

Marcus Garrett got some minutes tonight all of a sudden due to the broad group of guys that were out, leading to quite the evaluation period. He’s known for his hounding defense on the ball, but as we know in this league, it’s a different beast when you make that jump up to the real thing. He was pressing baseline to baseline in a unique way, but there were some bumps throughout as well. As we continually see with young, talented on-ball defenders, off-ball positioning can be a bit shaky early on. We saw that tonight. Staying to his man on the wing instead of splitting the difference with the corner can cost your team open threes, which it did a few times, while other times they got lucky with a miss. This stuff is expected with inexperienced guys like himself, but just something to note as we track as development on that end moving forward.

#3: Omer Yurtseven providing some more clarity on his game.

A trend we saw from Erik Spoelstra early on was that he wanted to stagger PJ Tucker and Dewayne Dedmon out the gate. Why is that? Well, those are your toughest Joel Embiid defenders for the night, so they must handle their own lineups defensively. That also meant Omer Yurtseven would have his minute mirrored with Andre Drummond, which took quite the turn to begin the game. Yurtseven was dominating the matchup with picture perfect post positioning and fantastic touch, but something else stuck out more: his defensive activity. It was a knock on him coming in, but he’s handled himself nicely over this last stretch. He really understands his role in that drop coverage, and his blitzes have been timed perfectly in his minutes most of the time. If that is sustainable, then Miami has something there potentially.

#4: Gabe Vincent continues to be the saving piece for Miami.

This is not the first game that I’ve walked away from saying that Gabe Vincent has saved Miami. Most of the time it’s been his trust in that 2-2-1 press or his sustainability in certain lineups, but tonight, it was the thing we originally expected from him when he first joined the team: three-point shooting. Most of the time I have some schematic things to note when a guy gets hot like this, but this game was an instance of a player just completely coming together throughout a season. His jumper has changed for sure, as he talked about in my conversation with him during training camp, and it’s officially showing. It looks faster than it once was, which is a big deal when chucking up half of your shots off that catch and the other half on the ball. He saved them tonight, and like I said, it wasn’t the first time.

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#5: Miami needed this.

After talking about a lot of things from this game, this final point must be made: the Miami Heat needed this one. No Jimmy Butler, no Bam Adebayo, no Tyler Herro, no Caleb Martin, and the list is even longer. Yet, they found a way, even on a night that was far from a perfect night from Miami. The Heat just simply did not have these wins last season throughout tough stretches without their best players, and that’s the difference maker. When you can get big games from your inexperienced young guys, previous two-ways, your struggling three-point shooter, and your 35 year old point guard, that’s a major win. Some huge shots from PJ Tucker halfway through the fourth was the biggest moment of the night, further proving his worth in this team’s success so far.

 

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

Visit them at EverythingTradeShows or call 954-791-8882

Inter Miami’s First Three Off-Season Moves

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Co-authored By Alex Windley

 

In what’s set to be the one of, if not the biggest off-season’s in Inter Miami CF’s short history, the club has already kicked off with several big moves before the 2022 campaign. Trading a fan favorite, signing another Brazilain midfielder, and re-signing a depth piece are a few of the many moves to be made before the club’s 2022 home opener against Chicago Fire FC on February 26th at DRV PNK Stadium.

Here are the three moves, broken down:

Lewis Morgan Traded to RBNY

Last Thursday morning, the Athletic broke the news that Inter Miami CF will be trading Lewis Morgan to New York Red Bulls for $1,200,000 in allocation money. 

While a surprise to some, the move shows just how Inter Miami is going to have to deal with the upcoming sanctions handed to them by MLS following the result of the Matuidi Investigation earlier this year. 

The sanctions are/were as follows:

  • $2 million fine to club
  • $200k fine to managing owner Jorge Mas
  • $2.27 million reductions in allocation dollars in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. 

What’s noteworthy about this trade is the large sum of allocation dollars that Miami will be receiving as the result of the transaction. The $1.2 million in allocation money that Miami is getting in return does well to help cover the funds reduced by the league (sanctions listed above) for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

When the club announced the trade, it was made public that Miami would be receiving $700k in GAM in 2022 and $500k in GAM in 2023.  Not to mention, following Lewis Morgan’s MVP 2020 season, the club handed him a contract extension that included a pay raise. The salary increase was enough to warrant Lewis Morgan dollars from Miami’s Targeted Allocation Money. Getting that money off the books will bode well to reduce the harm of the sanctions and give the potential to bring in more quality signings.

It is projected that approximately $1.3 million for the 2022 season is being reduced. By receiving 700k in GAM and getting a TAM contract off the books, Miami has indeed freed themselves for more opportunities in terms of bringing in players. As for 2023, Miami has gotten ahead by starting to eat away at the upcoming sanctions that aren’t directly affecting them yet.

Sporting Director Chris Henderson was handed a tall task when he took the Miami job, and this decision about a fan favorite is undoubtedly just one of the many challenging moves he’ll have to make in the coming weeks. 

Lewis Morgan had not only played but started in every Inter Miami match in the club’s short two-year history. After five goals and five assists in the 2020 season and some lights-out play that helped Miami reach the playoffs that year, Morgan was named the club’s first-ever team MVP. In 2021, his production fell way short of expectations under Phil Neville, partly to do with a position switch for a large chunk of the year. Morgan was asked and delivered on playing as a right-wing-back in 2021 and an attacking player. The defensive task asked of him took away a lot of potentials for him to be able to produce on offense; however, the club may still have wanted more from Morgan in terms of production. 

Jean Mota Headed to South Florida

After signing Gregore in early 2021, Inter Miami adds another Brazilian to their roster with the acquisition of 28-year old midfielder Jean Mota.

Mota, a versatile player who can play as a central midfielder or left-back, is the first of many building blocks to be laid during the Heron’s offseason roster overhaul.

The signing of Mota has been a long time coming.

Reports of the Brazilian’s move have been circulating since late October; recently, Miami made those reports official.

Inter Miami Sporting Director Chris Henderson had this to say about the signing: “He’s a well-rounded, versatile and very smart player on the pitch. He checked every box through our diligent recruitment process, and we are excited to see him represent the Inter Miami badge.”

According to reports out of Brazil, Mota’s transfer fee will be around $534,883.20. For a player in his prime and a position of need for the club, this signing is a low-risk, potentially high reward for Inter Miami.

On the field – presumably, Mota would slot in alongside Gregore.

The Brazilian duo should make a formidable pairing.

Gregore, Inter Miami’s 2021 season MVP, would be the more defensive player of the two, which will allow Mota to get up and down the pitch, giving Miami more dynamic movement in a position that has been stagnant since the club’s inception.

While Mota isn’t a world-beater by any means, he’s much more mobile than previous players Miami has had in his position. His left foot can be dangerous when given time and space, and if the Herons are hit by the injury bug again next season, the 28-year-old can comfortably fill in left-back when needed.

Mota isn’t the flashiest player, but his signing is the first step in a long road ahead for Inter Miami.

Miami Re-Sign Victor Ulloa

Though he’s not a name that stands out on the team sheet, Victor Ulloa’s leadership and ability to be a “Swiss Army Knife” for Phil Neville in 2021 saw him re-signed and awarded a new two-year contract.

Following being traded for by Miami from FC Cincinnati in November of 2019, Ulloa has been a staple in Inter Miami’s roster in their first two seasons. As a result of the trade, Miami took in the previous contract Ulloa had been given that saw him making $220,000 a year. Miami then announced that the option to retain Ulloa on that deal was declined for 2022 and has since announced Ulloa on a brand new agreement for potentially less money.

As Miami is set to face financial sanctions, hitting on value deals will be at the forefront of every deal they’ll make this offseason.

Having a player as versatile as Ulloa in a physical league like MLS is key to keeping your season consistent. As Miami suffered an injury bug in 2021, it was the 29-year-old who stepped in to fulfill whatever position was needed.

Be it as a right-back, a 10, or a deep-lying midfielder, Ulloa did all of that and then some.

As Inter Miami head into their first year of sanctions – even though some of that money was alleviated by Lewis Morgan’s trade to the Red Bulls, re-signing a player like Ulloa on a (presumably) less expensive contact will give Miami tons of flexibility.

Although he only started 14 matches on the field, Ulloa showed that he’s capable of making an impact when given the opportunity.

His knack for the high press and tireless work rate made him a player that Neville often relied on.

Not only is he valuable on the field, off the field, but his contributions to the South Florida community also earned him a nomination for MLS Humanitarian of the Year.

The off-season rebuild won’t be easy, but re-signing a player that is a steady presence in the locker room and is an exemplary professional will go a long way in maintaining a club philosophy and DNA.