Answering Your Questions: What is Next for the Miami Heat?

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Well, it’s officially the off-season for the Miami Heat, which means the focus now shifts to the roster for the 2021-2022 season. There are plenty of decisions to be made by the front office, and still plenty of time, but why not dive into it immediately.

I’ll be answering some of the questions that you guys had about this upcoming stretch, so let’s just hop right into it.

This is a question that many seem to want an answer to, but I feel the answer depends on the person.

The two options seem to be a big next to Bam Adebayo or a true point guard to run the offense, and I heavily lean in the direction of the latter. My reasoning does not derive from short term memory, since many seem to immediately remember the one-sided battle in the rebounding category once again.

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But if we’re looking at this past series, the actual issue was the offense. Of course shots weren’t falling and players didn’t show up, but the true point guard element changes some things for this team’s stars. Jimmy Butler and Adebayo playing primary facilitator in this series truly caught up to them. The best players have to be able to put the ball in the basket, and yet, that didn’t occur.

A point guard takes some of that weight off of their shoulders to a certain extent. Both of them have that unselfishness locked inside them already, but it still felt like they didn’t have any other play-makers to lean on if they went away from it. The guard situation will be one of the most intriguing this off-season, since many of them may be on the move, and possibly, others coming in.

When discussing the players that will be on this roster next season, my answer is Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The rest remains questionable to a certain extent.

As mentioned before, plenty of contracts will be up this season and decisions will have to be made. Young guys may look to have some potential, but the trading block seems to be the place they will find themselves for a long period over the next few months.

The reasoning for that: the building mindset of this roster is to acquire win now guys. This has been a topic over the last couple months, and this off-season falls under that category even more. After getting swept in the first round, it’s pretty obvious this team will look different by the time training camp begins. Adebayo and Butler are the guys to complement, even after a terrible showing in the post-season.

If the whale is available, you do everything in your power to get him. And if it’s a guy that Butler heavily approves, you get that guy as well.

After touching on the point guard vs big man debate a bit, I feel it’s necessary to go in a different direction: A half-court scorer.

Victor Oladipo was the intention to fill that role, putting pressure on the rim and creating his own shot to help Butler a bit offensively. There’s a clear need for that, and this first round series further proved that. When Butler and Adebayo can’t get rolling, there aren’t many other options offensively, leading to 36 point halves.

Forget the positions on a team that Erik Spoelstra likes to call position-less. They just simply need a bucket getter, and more importantly, a bucket getter who can create for himself. It’s a bit too early to point out specific names, but I’ll be sure to dive into that a bit more in future articles.

To keep the theme, it definitely seems a bit too early to call it, but I’d say it’s very possible.

As stated earlier, they’re going to make major changes to create a contending roster, and the sign and trade market may become their best friend depending on what goes down in free agency. If the front office feels that’s the direction to go, I’d expect them to opt in and possibly use as salary fillers.

I feel the Goran Dragic side of things makes things very interesting. The personal element. The Jimmy Butler element. But well, I think that decision becomes the Kyle Lowry element. Yes, Butler loves Dragic as a teammate, but he also seems to like the idea of Lowry.

Once again, I can’t pinpoint those things at this exact time, but something I do know is that Butler will be very vocal this off-season, as a player that wants to win with this franchise.

This is another question that can interchange depending on the person, but it just feels like the Heat would lean stretch big.

We’ve seen time and time again that this team loves to stretch the floor and size down, even if that gets them in trouble at times on the boards. We finally got to see a rebounding big next to Adebayo in the playoffs, yet the situation was when the team trailed by 30.

Also, a stretch big is not the same as what they’ve used lately. Trevor Ariza and Jae Crowder are the stretch fours that Miami’s comfortable with, but if there’s a stretch big on the market, I’d expect Miami to go after him.

Obviously Dewayne Dedmon is not a long-term plan, but I would expect him back next season. So, if they have a rebounding big to roll off the bench, that doesn’t seem like the direction to go starters wise.

Changes will be made, but I feel like that mindset will stay the same.

 

This is a fair question. The issue is not that they have guards who only play on one side of the ball. It’s that they have a bunch of them. And they all play on the exact same side of it.

Like I said before, the guard play of this team could see many changes, and I feel it could be to this point of broadening the skill set of that position.

They clearly need scorers with what occurred lately, but they need guards who can score in different ways, instead of a semi-copy and paste version that we saw recently.

They’re looking to improve, and that will be the one point that we always come back to when evaluating where they go next in that specific position.

 

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5 Takeaways from Heat’s Series Ending Loss

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Well, that’s all from your 2020-2021 Miami Heat. The Bucks finish off the Heat in game four to fulfill the sweep, which was far from an expected outcome. Anyway, here are my last takeaways of the season…

#1: Miami’s early offense based around Jimmy Butler in a passing fashion, but maybe too much.

The story of game three was that Jimmy Butler came out aggressive, but he was the only one able to knock down shots. The exact opposite occurred in this match-up, as he was getting to his play-making spots to really get others going. Six assists in the first quarter didn’t tell the whole story, since he was doing absolutely everything he could to find the open man. One of the main sets they went to for Butler to begin the game was side PnR’s with Bam Adebayo. That’s usually their late game go-to, but it was necessary to start off with their peak abilities. It led to an Adebayo floater and a Butler mid-range bank shot, which allowed Miami to expand back into everyone else. The issue was that the third quarter was a different story. Shots weren’t falling as often, and Jimmy’s motto seemed to stay the same. When that occurs, the aggression must become the primary ability once again, instead of being the number one facilitator.

#2: Trevor Ariza steps up to begin the game.

One of my takeaways from the last game was the non-existent play from the four spot with Trevor Ariza, but well, that changed in the first quarter of this game. Three triples and eleven early points gave Miami a great boost, since he was simply making the shots that were given to him. Through the first three games of the series, Miami’s had 102 open threes and made only 32 of them. If that Ariza three ball becomes a threat for Milwaukee’s defense, things shift for Miami offensively and lead to many good things. Many were wondering if Nemanja Bjelica would step into that starting spot after Ariza’s struggles, but Spo stuck with him and that was the right move. As the post-game story becomes off-season discussion, Ariza is important to note.

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#3: Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn do their job early: making shots in the dead spots.

There have been clear dead spots in the Bucks’ drop coverage that I’ve discussed time and time again, but Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn finally took advantage of it. Nunn, specifically, had some bounce to him when he was inserted, getting to the areas of the floor that he did all regular season. Pull-up mid-ranges on the move is the shot that was open all series, and it was falling in the first half. Herro got some good looks as well from beyond the arc, showcasing why the home crowd seems to play such a crucial role in his offensive rhythm. Of course, there were plenty of defensive lapses that occurred from each of them, but that was expected heading into this match-up. The key was that they do their part on the side of the ball that falls under their strengths, allowing the others to takeover from there. Spoiler alert: that didn’t occur.

#4: Offensive slippage leads to defensive slippage to begin second half, but then Nunn happened.

The Heat had a 7 point lead coming out of the half, but the offensive rhythm did not carry over to begin the second half. Shots were not falling for anybody, which always leads to defensive slippage. Once players start to notice the trend of clank after clank, it blends into the other end of the floor, which can’t happen against this Milwaukee team who has plenty of guys who can get going. Khris Middleton was the guy in the third who began to knock down the shots that he did in the first three games, while Miami had no answer. Well, until Nunn was subbed in. I discussed in the previous takeaway that Nunn was taking advantage of the open spots on the floor, but a late stretch in the third was primarily on-ball stuff. Back to back pull up threes and a baseline reverse led to a Bucks timeout, which didn’t seem possible with Miami on their heels. Clearly, it didn’t ultimately matter, but this would’ve looked very similar to games two and three if he didn’t show up.

#5: Well, Miami gets something they haven’t had in a while: an off-season. 

That’s enough talk about a game that ended in a sweep for the Milwaukee Bucks over the Miami Heat, but now it’s time to take a step into the next stage. An off-season isn’t the most familiar thing in the world for the Heat, after a quick turn-around led them right into another season. Saying this series loss is a result of fatigue is a semi-lazy take, but it was clear that the locked in mentality wasn’t the case, except for a handful of stretches. One thing that they missed occurred in the fourth quarter when Goran Dragic got in a skirmish with Khris Middleton. That was one of the first times in this series that I saw some type of fire, and they’ve missed that type of action to spark some energy. Anyways, this off-season will be so interesting due to their being so many different decisions that must be made by the Heat front office. So it begins…

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5 Takeaways from Heat’s Game Three Loss to Bucks

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The Miami Heat drop game three to the Bucks, reflecting how they played in the first two games in Milwaukee. Some of the same general issues loom, mostly due to the Bucks being a much different team from the one we saw a season ago. Anyway, here are five takeaways from this game….

#1: The shooting woes continue for Miami.

A key for Miami in this series, when I previewed it a week ago, was the element of controlling the pace. And well, that pacing has been fully controlled by Milwaukee since the start of the series. That lack of pacing combined with a swarming Bucks defense leads to forced offense for Miami. We discussed taking advantage of the mid-range jumper, but not only the mid-range jumper. There’s been nothing else, and even when there’s been open looks generated, they just haven’t found the net. Aside from Jimmy Butler, everybody else was 8 for 33 from the field in the first half. Duncan Robinson didn’t have a shot make in the first half, which usually mirrors how the offense was flowing. Scoring 36 points in a half just doesn’t win you a playoff game, but it’s what occurred tonight.

#2: First half recap: Jimmy Butler.

When looking at the Heat’s lackluster first half, there was only one guy who was semi-clicking in that stretch, Jimmy Butler. 16 points on 50% shooting was his stat-line at the half, and a major reason for that was he was knocking down the shots being given to him. Everybody else was fighting to get to their usual spots that aren’t available, but Butler was making the shots when defenders went under screens. Not only from the mid-range area, but also behind the three-point line with two triples through the first 24 minutes of basketball. They got the aggressive Butler that many have been awaiting, but the supporting cast just couldn’t get anything going. Butler can only take them so far with his bully ball offensive mentality, but when shooters can’t make shots, it’s usually a long night.

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#3: One play summed up the offensive side of the ball for Miami and defensive side for Milwaukee.

To continue on the offensive theme, there was one play that summed up that side of the ball for Miami. I’ve touched on shots not falling, but Milwaukee’s defense deserves credit. The play consisted of Dewayne Dedmon at the extended elbow, looking for somebody to hand it off to. There was only one issue with this: he couldn’t find a person to give it to on the perimeter. The Bucks do a tremendous job of denying off the ball, not allowing Miami to break free to flow into their usual actions and offensive sets. That play ended in Dedmon turning twice, then facing the basket for an uncomfortable jumper that clanked off the rim. Even on their home court and in front of their home crowd, they were playing on the Bucks terms, and that’s an issue.

#4: One of the many holes not filled for Miami.

It’s hard to magnify one position or player in this game and series for Miami since there have been so many issues. But one interesting element has been the four spot. I hate the Jae Crowder discussion since it’s semi-useless, due to Miami making the right decision by letting him walk. But it’s not him that they miss, it’s what he brought. Crowder was clearly playing above his head for Miami in the beginning of the bubble, but it was a major push for Miami in many games in that Milwaukee series. Now, Trevor Ariza gave them pretty good minutes to finish the regular season, but hasn’t played to that level in the post-season. Once again, pinpointing Ariza in these three games isn’t fair due to everybody struggling, but it is something that hasn’t carried over into the playoffs.

#5: Umm, why was Nemanja Bjelica the best player not named Jimmy Butler tonight?

Yeah, this headline will tell you how odd this game was for Miami. Coach Spo decided to throw Nemanja Bjelica into the mix, and he gave them better minutes than anybody not named Jimmy Butler. Some much needed triples, good looking play-making, and even some decent defensive possessions. Dedmon and Bjelica being two of the biggest positives in this series so far is quite interesting, since both were unexpected mid-season acquisitions. “Positive” may be a bit of a stretch since it reflects negatively against the rest of the supporting cast, but that’s just how this series has gone, and more specifically, game three.

Heat’s Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn Entering an Awaited Environment

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This has been far from an ordinary two year NBA career for the rookies of last season, and more specifically, Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn. The only normality that they found over this past stretch of time was a Summer League in Las Vegas, where they first entered the scene for Miami.

After being thrown into the fire in their rookie season, it led to them trying to blend into a post-season environment like no other, the bubble. Herro stepping up and Nunn stepping down didn’t tell the full story of the futures of each prospect.

Playing in front of fans on a zoom call was far from being the real thing, and it’s something that Herro specifically has thrived off of his whole entire life. No matter if it was overrated chants in high school or doubters telling him he wouldn’t play when he got to Kentucky, the one place he always proved himself was in front of his home crowd on the big stage.

And well, he has that tonight.

Kendrick Nunn may not have the apparent bounce that Herro has in that environment, but it very well impacts him too, just in a quiet manner. When asked about the fans tonight, he responded, “I know it’s gonna be exciting, and we’re gonna feed off their energy.”

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Aside from the story-lines and boosts that these two will get, they’re in a unique spot at the moment. Both of Miami’s second year guys were the focal point in attacking the Bucks’ drop coverage in this match-up, since they’re the ones who can truly get to the dead spots on the floor in the mid-range area. But that hasn’t been the case up to this point.

After the struggles in games one and two, this game holds high importance for their post-season hopes. As Herro described it, “Our backs are against the wall and tonight is obviously a make or break game for us.” If they don’t take advantage of this opportunity tonight to get back into the series, the organization’s focus may have a major shift.

So, that seems like a lot on the shoulders of two inexperienced guys who are still adjusting to this fast-paced league. When I asked Goran Dragic about his advice to Herro and Nunn heading into this unique setting, his message was much simpler than expected: “Enjoy.”

That response may seem a little cliche, but that’s honestly the most useful advice that he could give. Both of them are at their bet when they’re confident and in rhythm, which is why enjoying the moment without getting caught up in the stakes is more important than anything else.

As Dragic said, if they do that, “I believe they’re gonna be ready.”

It’s not only on them to be ready, since the Heat’s stars, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, will have to bring it after their struggles in Milwaukee. And if they do, that opens up the shooting of Herro and Nunn, which one shot dropping through the net is the only thing they’ll need to see to be fully effective in this environment.

There was pressure in the bubble, but this is much different. And yet, much more beneficial.

 

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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Tua Tagovailoa

Breaking down the Miami Dolphins first open 2021 practice

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For the first time since last December, the Miami Dolphins held their first open practice for the media to watch. With that first practice comes the opportunity to see and hear from the players in a real football environment and get an idea of where they stand.

As OTAs are voluntary, it’s no surprise to see that some players opted not to attend. The most notable absences were Xavien Howard, Byron Jones, Jason McCourty, Emmanuel Ogbah, Justin Coleman, Jerome Baker, Benardrick McKinney, Will Fuller, and D.J. Fluker. Just looking at the list, it’s mostly veterans who didn’t show up. This is a regular pattern across the NFL and ultimately means nothing. It’s only when mandatory mini-camp arrives that attendance will matter.

“Like I’ve told them, you don’t just roll out of bed and jump back into it as if you’re in midseason form, so there’s a lot of working through some kinks, I would say, even just from a basic fundamentals, footwork, hand placement standpoint.” Head coach Brian Flores said before practice. “It’s good to get them out here and work through some of those things. We’ll see them these next few weeks to include minicamp.”

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Albert Wilson and Allen Hurns attended practice, with video being taken of Wilson catching a pass from veteran QB Jacoby Brissett.

However, Wilson will need every opportunity he can get to prove he still deserves a roster spot with all the weapons that have been added. This Miami Dolphins regime has shown over and over that no player is safe, no matter how good or respected they are.

Speaking of Brissett, it was reported that he and rookie Jaylen Waddle were getting extra work in after practice was over. This is a good sign considering Waddle is projected to be a big contributor to the offense in 2021. Why wasn’t it Tua Tagovailoa instead? One possible reason is he was preparing for a media session.

The offense and defense never faced each other in Wednesday’s practice. Both sides kept to their own work during practice and the players’ only real opponent was the grass in front of them. Part of the agreement the players reached with Brian Flores stated that OTAs would be a much lighter workload. So the session focused mainly on teaching and fundamentals.

After practice was over, players spoke with the media and dropped some interesting tidbits regarding their mindset and the surrounding chatter. One of the most candid of them all was tight end Mike Gesicki.

This is likely in regards due to the recent chatter coming from the likes of Colin Cowherd and others. The criticisms regarding Tagovailoa’s health, arm strength, durability and comparison to fellow QB Justin Herbert has dominated national airwaves. Fortunately, it seems that Tua Tagovailoa isn’t fazed by this talk and appreciates his teammate’s defense of him.

Later, Tua offered some insight on his strength and conditioning.

Obviously, this is excellent news. After all, one of the main concerns of 2020 was Tagovailoa’s health. Now instead of focusing on healing, he can focus on raising his peak physical shape. Everyone has seen the images and videos of Tua Tagovailoa working out, and it’s obvious that he looks much stronger than he did last season.

However, the quote that will likely make the national news regarded Tua Tagovailoa’s level of comfort last season. It was speculated by many that Tagovailoa looked lost at times in the huddle and wasn’t sure where to go with the ball. Tagovailoa confirmed these suspicions in Wednesday’s virtual press conference.

To clarify, Tagovailoa is not suggesting he did not take the time to learn the playbook. He clarified his comments, saying that when he was in the game, the playcalls were simpler, there weren’t extra alerts or things to take into consideration. He didn’t have the playbook down to such a science that he felt comfortable changing things on the fly, pointing things out, speaking with authority and helping his teammates execute.

Considering he was a step behind all season due to his rehab, this should not be a surprise. He did not get to really focus on learning every detail of the playbook because he had to spend time healing and getting back to his baseline physical shape. Plus, the offense was not catered to his strengths, and neither was the offensive coordinator. Last year’s offense was best suited for Ryan Fitzpatrick, a gunslinger. Not a surgeon like Tua Tagovailoa.

Granted, Tagovailoa takes responsibility for not knowing the playbook as well as he should have. But now things are different, now the offense is being built around him. That has already done wonders for his level of comfort, and it’s showing in the huddle.

As time goes on, there will be more opportunities to see what Tagovailoa is truly capable of. His teammates have made it clear they believe in him and they’re excited to work with him. All the other discussions outside the organization are being scoffed at or ignored.

It will be interesting to see where things progress from here.

Quotes aggregated by Alfredo Arteaga (@Alf_Arteaga), who is one-third of the trio that does the Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) podcast

Summary by Luis Sung (@LuisDSung), who has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for eight years.

 

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.com or call 954-791-8882

Dream come true: 3-star WR Lee commits to the Canes

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Recruiting for Miami in the 2022 cycle has been, well, slow to say the least with fans growing a little restless. The Canes’ lone commit is QB Jacurri Brown, but with the June 1st lifting of the dead period looming, recruiting should pick up very soon. Soon as in Wednesday afternoon, when 3-star WR Quan Lee out of Gainesville committed to the Canes.

 

 

Lee committed to his dream school over West Virginia, UCF, Nebraska, and Coastal Carolina at a small ceremony at his high school. He has alluded to his relationship with QB Jacurri Brown as a big factor in choosing the Canes, having experience playing with Brown on the 7-on-7 circuit.

 

Ranked as the 86th-best receiver in the country according to the 247Sports’ Composite, he’s still a very under-the-radar prospect with limited tape but don’t let the stars and ranking fool you. 

 

Turn on the tape and you’ll see that Lee is easily one of the fastest and shiftiest prospects in the country, all while being a very physical wideout who is very solid at high-pointing the ball.

 

At receiver, he caught 47 passes for 1003 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2020 while also lining up at running back and cornerback for the Bobcats. As a result, he was a Gainesville Sun All-Area first-team selection.

 

Even while committed, Lee still has plans to take all five of his official visits, with trips locked up to see West Virginia, UCF, and Coastal Carolina. Lee will visit Coral Gables during the June 11th weekend, where he will be joined by Brown.

 

This is a huge get for the Canes after they missed out on Georgia-based receiver Isaiah Bond, who committed to Florida recently.

 

Recruiting should get really interesting starting next Tuesday, June 1st, when Miami will host a BBQ Cookout for a star-studded list of 2022 prospects. Expected attendees include the likes of 4-star Miami Central LB Wesley Bissainthe, 4-star CB Khamauri Rogers out of Mississippi, and American Heritage’s elite trio of CB Earl Little, CB Jacolby Spells, and DE Marvin Jones Jr.

 

To stay up to date with anything Miami Hurricanes, be sure to follow @PaulAustria_ and @SixthRingCanes, and stay tuned for a NEW episode of The Sixth Ring this Thursday at 7:30, where we’ll recap the impact of Lee’s commitment as well as BBQ Cookout next week. You won’t wanna miss it!

 

 

Evaluating the Dewayne Dedmon and Bam Adebayo Front-Court Pairing

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There aren’t many things that Miami wants to carry over from game two into game three in this first round series against the Bucks, but there is one thing: a revealed front-court pairing with Dewayne Dedmon and Bam Adebayo.

Many have been waiting to see these two get minutes together, and I kept mentioning that I expected it to be one of Erik Spoelstra’s post-season moves up his sleeve. But I definitely didn’t expect it to come in a game down 30, which shows that he was giving it a trial run before going to it the rest of the series.

It’s definitely been in Coach Spo’s game-plan, since Dedmon mentioned after the game that “It’s definitely something that Coach has talked about doing earlier.” Now that they’ve gone to it, there are plenty of offensive adjustments that can be expanded from those lineups, which I will look into here…

Adebayo was forced to drop with Giannis Antetokounmpo off the quick dive, and it led to a miss. And even more importantly, a rebound.

Rebounds were hard to come by for Miami yesterday as they lost that battle 61-36, and 21-9 on the offensive glass. But if anybody can continually go up and grab them, it’s Dedmon who led the team in that category by a wide margin in game two.

The other reason rebounding is key in these lineups is due to Adebayo being able to freely guard the perimeter, knowing Dedmon is utilizing his space to muck up the paint. A huge reason that the rebounding battle doesn’t fall in Miami’s favor most of the time, is that their center is at the three-point line due to the scheme, meaning it’s on everybody else to crash.

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Anyway, after that missed shot and rebound, the ball found Adebayo to push up the floor quickly. He flows into a DHO for Duncan Robinson who gets a good look, but take a glance at what happened next. Antetokounmpo matched up with Dedmon in transition, but flashed out to the perimeter on the Robinson three, leaving a runway for Dedmon to crash the boards.

He grabbed it and laid it in, giving a quick introduction to how things can look in their minutes together.

Another element to this front-court pairing is the Bam Adebayo offensive discussion. We’ve talked enough about the spacing he’s been given and the lack of comfort in his offensive role, but there’s a good chance this could open him up into different things.

For one, Dedmon was the one running most of the DHO and PnR stuff in these minutes, leaving Adebayo off the ball on the baseline. There’s been a lot of talk about Adebayo worrying about himself more than others, and there’s a chance this could do just that.

Also, this leads to that offensive creativity that I discussed earlier, which allows Erik Spoelstra to do what he does best. This play is a good example, since Dedmon drives on the roll and collapses the defense, leading to an Adebayo pin-down for a Goran Dragic corner three.

This stuff doesn’t change the outcome of game two, but it’ll be important for them to apply this in the two games back home.

When Dedmon was asked about playing next to Adebayo, he responded, “I definitely like that pairing…I feel like it worked out well and I’m hoping we can continue more of that.” And I think we see just that.

As much as this can open up Adebayo, it’s another one of those topics that come down to him. In this clip, Dedmon is once again running most of the hand-offs and setting most of the screens, while Adebayo isn’t included at all on the baseline.

If that happens, then the effectiveness of these lineups will fade quickly. But if you’re wondering what I mean by being “creative” in these lineups, why not start with some 4-5 PnR?

We always talk about getting Adebayo downhill with screens, and there’s no one better than your big man being that guy. Butler clearly needs some of the pressure off of him after his struggles in the first two games, and this could be one of Spo’s ways, possibly very early.

Some seem to think it could be the starting front-court in game three, but I don’t believe that will be the case. No back-up big doesn’t seem like a very good option, and he’s currently playing so well in his role that there’s no need to change it.

When Adebayo was asked about their minutes together, he said, “It was good to switch it up. That’s one thing about Spo, in the playoffs he’s willing to switch it up. It was good minutes to be in there with Dewayne, and you never know, you might see more of it.”

Two more losses and this Heat team is out, so it’s time to throw it all on the table. And this pairing will be one of the first things laid out in game three.

 

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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Matt Skura(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)AP

Dolphins center Matt Skura took snapping issues ‘personal’

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The Miami Dolphins had ample opportunity to address the center position in the 2021 NFL draft. But ultimately, much like the running back position, they determined heavy investment was unnecessary. As of now, the clear starter at the center position is former Baltimore Raven Matt Skura, who signed a 1-year contract back in mid-March.

If this were 2019, Skura would be considered one of the best centers in the NFL. His blocking prowess is highly regarded. His ceiling is much greater than Miami’s recent centers (Daniel Kilgore, Ted Karras). However, there is one fatal flaw that has Dolphins fans understandably concerned. After recovering from a gruesome ACL, MCL, and PCL injury in his left knee in 2019, Skura reclaimed the starting center position in Baltimore in 2020, only to be benched late in the season after two straight games of wildly errant snaps in crucial moments.

Following these incidents, Ravens fans went after Skura and his family, which prompted a response from both Skura and his now former Ravens teammates, including QB Lamar Jackson, who spent the most time catching snaps from him.

Naturally, that made the situation very personal for Matt Skura. Eventually he was benched altogether, as ‘the yips’ – to use NFL jargon – continued plaguing Skura. As a result, he had to test the free agent market instead of remaining with Baltimore. Now he finds himself with the Miami Dolphins. With a new environment, Skura hopes to reset himself back to his Pro Bowl caliber self.

“I didn’t really have any problems with it and the things with the snaps; it was the Patriots game where we were having a little bit of a torrential downpour, but I’m someone who really doesn’t like to make excuses. I don’t care if it’s a blizzard, a hailstorm or whatever it is.” Skura said back in March. “That’s something that I have to take responsibility for, so that’s been one of the main things in this offseason literally every day – snapping – whether it’s getting 10 snaps in or 30 snaps in. Whenever I can that time basically permits for myself, I’m doing snaps, doing o-line drills, doing everything I can to make myself feel prepared.”

This past Monday, Dolphins OL coach Lemuel Jeanpierre offered some insight into how he’s handling Skura to ensure the problem doesn’t continue.

“I think it happens in golf, when you’re shooting.” Jeanpierre said. “You’ve got to know your rhythm and you’ve got to first be able to identify the mistakes. I know we’ve talked to you guys about linemen. We don’t make excuses. The difference between an excuse and a reason is very slight. I think it’s just the person who is listening and how they take it. What we do is we just rep it. It has to be multiple reps over and over again. Like when we’re doing drills, he’s doing it pre-practice, he’s doing it of course during practice, he’s doing it even after practice. You want to do it before something happens. So if it doesn’t feel right, even if you didn’t get a good snap, you want to get more snaps anyway to be preventative, not reactive.”

As a former center, Jeanpierre is well-acquainted with small details that throw centers off their game.

“If there are any issues – of course because I played it, I’ll be able to talk to him and try to see some things.” He said. “Sometimes you want to move the ball a little bit to the center of your nose. You might be off. Sometimes you may want the ball more tilted up, which can affect the pendulum swing. There are many things that could have affected him; but this year so far, when he’s been in there at center, he’s been good. I saw his interview.

“He’s been snapping like crazy because that’s the type of guy he is, where he took that really personal. It’s another chip on his shoulder like a lot of the guys on the line are. He’s worked at it. I’ll be preventative and so will he. We talk to the quarterbacks, ‘did you get that snap? Good. Is it left? Is it right?’ Things like that.”

It’s clear the Dolphins have faith in Matt Skura. Their decision to not draft the likes of Creed Humphrey in the draft indicate they feel comfortable he’ll fix his snapping troubles. With QB Tua Tagovailoa and his fellow offensive linemen primed to make a jump in their development, clean snaps will be crucial to their success. There is no apparent Plan B, as Matt Skura is miles ahead of the likes of Michael Deiter as a blocker.

It’s often said that no player touches the ball more than a quarterback. Technically speaking, that is untrue. The center touches it more than anyone, and Skura will have to prove he can deliver it accurately and on time in 2021. So far, he seems to be off to a good start.

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for seven years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

 

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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5 Takeaways from Heat’s Game Two Loss to Milwaukee

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The Miami Heat lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in game two on Monday night, and well, it wasn’t pretty. A scoring explosion from the Bucks and poor play from Miami leads to a result of one team looking much better than the other. On a very one-sided night, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: A historic night. And not in a good way.

A good place to start this post-game piece is stating that this was a historic night for Miami. A historically bad one. They trailed 46-20 at the end of the first quarter, and 78-51 at the half. There aren’t many schematic ways that I can approach this game. But there are some obvious points that must be stated: Milwaukee made shots, a lot of them, and Miami did not seem fully ready. When a team is putting up that many points, there’s just not many things that you can do about it. Pinpointing certain issues throughout the game and individual players seems useless to an extent in this match-up, due to the fact increased play from one single player wasn’t changing the outcome. Of course there are things to discuss with specific players, but this night was going to be historically bad either way for the Heat.

#2: The first time Jimmy Butler wasn’t playing at his own pace.

The main takeaway from Jimmy Butler’s game one struggles was that he just missed shots, since many of them were open. Tonight’s primary takeaway was completely different. Butler was forced to play at a much different pace, and that’s something I haven’t seen from him many times in a Heat uniform. He is always able to speed up or slow down the game by getting to the free throw line or playing downhill in transition, but he doesn’t have the room to do so at the moment. When people claimed Miami would have to make threes against this Bucks team, there was a reason: the interior is just absolutely packed with solid team defenders at all times. They’re now able to throw different guys at him throughout the night, which puts a lot more pressure on the surrounding cast.

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#3: Well, Dewayne Dedmon was good, but that’s it.

You may have thought all five takeaways would be negative from this domination of a game, but well, I got one positive thing to mention. Dewayne Dedmon was Miami’s best player tonight, and well, that’s an issue. He was the only Heat player in double figures at the half, and he only missed one shot in that span. An above the break three, the usual flip shots around the rim, and aggression made for a pretty unique half for Dedmon. When your buyout market acquisition is your only source of offense in a playoff game, that is a pretty big issue. Even though this was my one positive takeaway, it leads right back into a negative result, which was the theme of this game.

#4: Bam Adebayo didn’t have the expected #BounceBack, but I’m not sure it would’ve made a difference.

When people were talking about Bam Adebayo coming back from that non-aggressive game one to take initiative in game two, I wasn’t sold. That jump wasn’t made throughout 72 games in the regular season, so why would it be made in the second game of the post-season? He has his role on this team, and he’s not just going to flip a switch to become that natural scorer that many expect him to be in the future. But as much as his aggression seems to be harped on in this game, it would not have made the difference. It’s pretty clear that many people just want to see some heart from their second best player no matter the score, but it’s just a lazy take at times to just immediately point to that. He will need to be more aggressive if they want to compete in this series, but no level of aggression puts them in this game with the way Milwaukee played.

#5: Who takes things more personal?

In the big picture, this Milwaukee win felt like a team that lost in five games the year prior to this Miami Heat team. Not only did they play a lot better, they played like a team that had a chip on their shoulder. Now, the reason I posed the question about who will take it more personal, is due to it being Miami’s time to feel that way. The Heat players must go into game three on Thursday night playing like they just lost by 30 in game two. This Heat team loves to discuss the chips on their shoulders and playing for extra reasons, yet they have an even bigger chip on their shoulder after this game two domination. It’s hard to see Butler going out this way, even while he’s being blanketed every possession, which is why these two games back in Miami may come down to the mental battle.

Marte Marlins

5 Takeaways from a week of Marlins Baseball

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The Miami Marlins took two out of three versus the first place New York Mets this weekend, cementing their place in the NL East. They now stand only 2 games behind the Mets, with another division rival in the Phillies looming this week. The Fish are now 53-53 over their last 106 games, proving that last year was not a fluke. As Jazz Chisholm said, “[The Marlins] have the most swag in baseball.” The pieces are finally coming together. 

 

Here’s 5 key takeaways from a successful weekend of baseball:

 

Cody Poteet deserves the rotation spot

 

After being called up from Triple-A for a spot start versus the Diamondbacks a little over a week ago, Poteet has dominated. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff, which results in low strikeout numbers, but he gets outs: and a lot of them. He now has a 1.06 ERA through his 3 starts, and he is the second Marlins starter in history to not allow 3 runs through his first 3 starts (the other is now-Met Jordan Yamamoto, who he beat today). Poteet was quoted after the game saying, “You never know when your last day in the MLB is going to be.” As of now, he shouldn’t have anything to worry about.

 

Garrett Cooper found his swing

 

Cooper has struggled to start the season, and for an injury-riddled Marlins, this was a source of early panic. Clearly, any doubt was premature, as Coop has not only started to hit for average again, but also hit the long ball. He homered to tie the game in game 1 of the Mets series and hit a 2-run walk-off homer in game 2. Last year, he had the 2nd best OPS on the Marlins, and his bat is essential if the Marlins want to make a run for the playoffs. 

 

Sandy, Pablo, Trevor

 

Guys. I’m taking these three guys over anyone at the moment. With Poteet emerging as a strong option, and Sixto and Elieser in the wings, we could be looking at the best rotation in baseball. 

 

Sandy Alcantara struggled in LA, but bounced back with a dominating performance versus the Phillies. 6 innings, 9 strikeouts, no runs. His ERA is at a 3.63, and without the one bad performance versus the Dodgers, would be much lower. 

 

You have to feel for Pablo Lopez. It has felt like every outing he has had throughout this season, he has deserved the win. Last night versus the Mets was no different. 7 IP, 8 strikeouts, no runs. And still, the Marlins found a way to give him the no decision. He has been brilliant, per usual, lowering the ERA to 2.73.

 

Trevor Rogers: the unexpected ace and frontrunner for NL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young. It feels like every time he takes the mound, the Marlins are going to win. Unlike the other two stars, the Marlins have had no trouble giving him run support. His win versus Philadelphia improved him to 6-2 on the year with a 1.74 ERA. Wow.

 

And Sixto Sanchez isn’t even here yet.

 

Bullpen woes?

 

In the Phillies and Mets series, the Fish lost 2 games. Both losses can be credited to the bullpen; however, there is no reason to get stressed about it. Bullpens have off nights, and you have to deal with them throughout the course of a season. It is when those off nights become consistent that an issue arises. The Marlins bullpen has been relatively dominant on every other night. 

 

Floro, Bass, Garcia, and the boys have given the Marlins great innings over the past few weeks and are doing exactly what is needed from them. Floro had one bad outing that cost the Marlins a win in Philly, but that came after a multitude of good ones that led to wins. The bullpen loss on Friday was more due to running out of options than a failure on the bullpen’s end of things. As Anthony Bass comments on seemingly every Miami Marlins Instagram post, “Keep the faith. I promise we will figure this out.”

 

This squad is NOT a fluke

 

For anyone who has tuned into my coverage of the Marlins over the past year or so, you know that I am very upfront about how I believed last season to be the lucky result of a small sample size. 

 

With the 46 games played this season, the Marlins are now 53-53 in their last 106. Maybe, just maybe, the Marlins were no fluke last season and were actually a .500 team that benefitted from an extended playoffs. What does that mean for this year?

 

Well, it means that the Marlins can get to the playoffs: this time by winning the NL East. In an extremely condensed division that is separated in total by 2.5 games, it is anyone’s to win.

 

Why not the Marlins?

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