Why Is the Miami Heat’s Press So Effective?

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When a team claims that their overall identity is on the defensive end, it’s always important to check out their tendencies on that side of the floor, aside from the numbers that place Miami at 8th in the NBA in defensive rating.

For one, a defensive player of the year candidate, Bam Adebayo, at the forefront of Miami’s defensive success is a good starting point. Not many centers are placing themselves into every spot on the floor every night, but Adebayo is one of them.

Back-side help when he notices a mismatch on a smaller defender, the constant switching onto the perimeter to lock up any guard or wing, and many more areas that stand out. But ultimately, it wouldn’t be possible without two of his counter parts, Jimmy Butler and Trevor Ariza.

Speaking of backside help, the reason he is able to freely roam on many possessions is due to the confidence he has in these two guys to step up or double. And these descriptive layers are interesting considering the fact that this team didn’t seem to have the personnel to compete on that end of the floor to begin the year.

Instead of focusing on individual abilities, though, it’s essential to evaluate the defensive adjustments that seem to be awaiting in Erik Spoelstra’s pocket. That is headlined by the 2-2-1 press and 2-3 zone that are utilized in spurts when this team needs a boost.

The most crucial part about this adjustment isn’t the press itself, but actually the timing of it. In the Heat’s win over Charlotte on Sunday night, Coach Spoelstra threw it at them when they began to get into their usual fast-paced flow, which allowed Miami to flip the script.

The purpose of the press isn’t to just get steal after steal, even though Miami is hoping for that result. It’s actually to put pressure on a team, either speeding them up as they’ve done in the past, or slowing them down as they did last night against Charlotte.

On this play above, LaMelo Ball is able to push the ball up the floor to Terry Rozier as Andre Iguodala and Ariza are pressuring full court, which is quite the defensive duo. Charlotte went from controlling the pace of the game as the team ranked 4th in assists per game to a possession like this.

Ball to Rozier to Ball to Rozier to Ball in a span of eight seconds. Forcing teams to play hot potato on the perimeter leading to a contested three is exactly the reason Miami throws it at teams unexpectedly.

I asked Jimmy Butler about the effectiveness of the press and zone, as well as the timing of using it, and he responded, “It is very effective. I felt like we threw different types of defenses at them throughout the entire game, but we were locked in on where everybody was on the floor…Being able to mix and match these defenses can really throw people off.”

And well, that last part pretty much sums up last night’s game, since although the all-around scoring seemed to be the headliner, the way Miami forced Charlotte into the unknown every offensive possession was what actually stood out the most.

Another aspect to the usage of the press is when it is utilized against Miami. Usually teams that use certain defenses at a high rate are more likely to be better at breaking it down, but this is a unique season. The lack of practice time means that Miami doesn’t get the same amount of time on breaking down a press, since their time to figure it all out has been in-game adjustments.

But Miami has shown to do a great job of breaking it down in the limited possessions it has been thrown at them. On this play, Goran Dragic bounces it to the middle for Adebayo, which the next thing coming is usually the swing to the wing. Rozier knowing that predicts the pass and cuts off Max Strus, allowing Adebayo to do what he does best: put the ball on the floor and get downhill.

Bismack Biyombo steps up and Adebayo shovels it to Butler on the baseline, leading to two points. After Miami began to punish them on these possessions, Charlotte was forced to back out of it rather quickly.

When I asked Bam Adebayo if their comfort levels against the press have anything to do with them utilizing it nightly, he said, “We gotta be able to adapt, so when they went into the press, just try to put one man in the middle and tell him to go. When we’re in that situation, there is no play to run, you play off instincts and let talent be talent.”

The funny thing about his description is that he’s describing it in general terms, but it really reflects back onto himself. Just like in the play above, he’s the one guy in the middle who is forced to go, and that’s who Miami wants with it whenever it’s thrown at them.

Another intriguing element to his response is when he mentioned letting “talent be talent,” since those open court opportunities honestly do just that. And frankly, they allow Bam Adebayo to be Bam Adebayo. No team wants to see him moving downhill in the open court, which is why I wouldn’t expect to see much press being thrown back at Miami moving forward.

These two defensive sets aren’t the only thing that can be thrown at teams as a surprise, since I can guarantee that Miami has something up their sleeve in a playoff setting to throw teams off a bit. Maybe that surprise defensive gem is Victor Oladipo, or possibly an Adebayo-Dedmon tandem, but either way it’s going to be something, and the press and zone is quite the introduction to that.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Hornets

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The Miami Heat got a very impressive win over Charlotte, as they won in demanding fashion on the second night of a back to back. Yet another night of all-around offensive play sparked some pretty great runs throughout for Miami. So, here are five takeaways from this performance…

#1: Bam Adebayo attacks mismatches early, which is a needed element.

Something I mentioned before the game is that Miami’s bigs would have to be the story of the game tonight. Bam Adebayo and Dewayne Dedmon would have frequent mismatches tonight with smaller guards rotating into the paint, as well as some lineups including PJ Washington at the five. Adebayo did that immediately, which is interesting since that’s something that he has struggled with at times in the post. He began the game 4 for 4, including some nice hooks over smaller guys and roaming the baseline as Miami swings the defense. Adebayo is discussed after every one of these games for obvious reasons, but a lot of these games down the stretch will have certain plans heading in that he must take advantage of. He did tonight, and he must do it moving forward.

#2: Goran Dragic having one of those lively offensive games.

Goran Dragic’s burst and speed has been in question lately, except when there are a few seconds left in a quarter, where you know he’s going to revert back to rookie year levels. That aside, he gave Miami some very effective minutes offensively in the first half, even though his status was in question up until an hour before tip-off. He was the leading scorer at the half with 14 points, while one of those shots being a catch and shoot three, which is usually the way his points are coming recently. The difference tonight is that he was turning the corner and getting to the rack at a very consistent rate, which hasn’t been something that many can expect every single night. But when he does bring it, good things happen for Miami, due to the continued theme of additional attackers allowing this team to generate offense at an exceptional level.

#3: Charlotte plays at a very high pace, but Miami’s interchanging defenses neutralizes it.

It’s no surprise that Charlotte plays at a much faster pace than the average team with the LaMelo Ball 80 yard bombs anytime the ball flies off the rim. The thing about Miami is that they have the defensive tools to counter this throughout a full 48 minutes. In the first half specifically, the speed of the game was playing in the Hornets favor, and Miami immediately switched into the 2-2-1 press and 2-3 zone, which definitely threw them off a bit. Another interesting point about the press is that Charlotte was throwing it right back at them, but it wasn’t nearly as effective. Even in a season without a lot of practice time, Miami dissected that press pretty effortlessly, which has a lot to do with the current understanding of their defensive scheme. When discussing pace, it’s hard to see it favoring the other team whenever Jimmy Butler is on the floor.

#4: Dewayne Dedmon’s minutes are effective, but not surprising.

Other than the fact that I said this would be a Dewayne Dedmon game, this has become the new normal for him on this Heat team in this role. He’s a spark player, who gets it done around the rim, which isn’t the traditional way of getting it done in today’s NBA. He’s a physical force down low who may get a few foul calls in the process, but ultimately they just need that presence in their outside based offense. Another interesting element to his game is his defensive abilities, which was the main area of question when he joined. He’s become quite the rim protector when people attack, but he’s also fit into Miami’s switching scheme. Not only can he handle his own on the perimeter against smaller guys, but he sure knows how to show and go to recover back onto the big. This type of action just gives Miami some diversity with the personnel on the defensive end specifically.

#5: Jimmy Butler looked just like….Jimmy Butler.

It wasn’t a game for Jimmy Butler that he out-shined others in the points column. It wasn’t a game that he needed to fully takeover. It wasn’t a game that he needed to play the fourth quarter. It was just a strong all around performance that was sparked by Butler’s all around play. He filled up the assist and rebound column with 8 each, and that doesn’t even almost describe the impact he had tonight. Other than his locked in mindset on the defensive end, he was just locked in all around from the jump, seeming to know the important of these games down the stretch. This was a glimpse of what he’s capable of doing in much win situations such as the playoffs, and it makes that a lot easier when his counter parts step up. This was definitely one of Miami’s most promising wins of the season, due to them winning by a decent margin.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Cleveland

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The Miami Heat beat the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night on the first night of a back to back. It was a pretty all-around scoring performance, which wasn’t headlined by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo surprisingly. So, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Max Strus was indeed….loose.

The trio of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Duncan Robinson had 1 more point than Max Strus at the half, and that just sums up this season for Miami. By that, I mean it just continues the discussion of inconsistencies and not knowing what you’re going to get on any given night, or from which individual player. But tonight, that player was Max Strus for many stretches. He’s a shooter, but that description would sell him short for his unexpected explosiveness when moving downhill. He sprints in transition, moves swiftly off the dribble, and even searches above the rim for put-backs. He’s an interesting player, but most importantly, he’s a spark guy, which is exactly what Miami needed tonight. The reason that he is so interesting, though, is that he can be plugged into Miami’s developmental system over time, which has proved to be so effective with players like himself.

#2: Miami wanted rookie year Kendrick Nunn and they got something better.

I’ve spent plenty of time in these articles discussing Kendrick Nunn’s specific skill-sets or individual performances, but this must be evaluated in the big picture. Early in the season, many people were calling for rookie year Kendrick Nunn again after he didn’t look like the same player. Fast forward a couple of months and they have something much better than anything proven in his rookie season. Once again, I don’t think anybody expected this level of shooting from the outside, especially on a consistent basis. And although I’ve harped on his use off the ball lately, his eagerness to get the ball and search for buckets off the dribble basically saved this game from getting out of hand. Nunn said a while back that all he needs is playing time to prove himself, and he’s done just that.

#3: Trevor Ariza loves the three, but his attacking seems to be even more lethal.

Trevor Ariza had some great moments tonight, specifically to begin the game in the first quarter, but something must be noted about his offensive game. He’s labeled as a 3 and D guy, which is something he seems to live up to with the amount of three point shots he takes every night, but that doesn’t tell the whole story on the offensive end. When he attacks the basket, good things happen, and it’s really that simple. Combining his length with his patience off the dribble leads to a pretty positive result, but it just comes down to him searching for it more and more. He did throughout the first half tonight, and it led to an efficient 12 points in that span. It’s hard to point out things to add to his game when he’s one of the few guys clicking, but it truly is apparent.

#4: Duncan Robinson is the fastest player to hit 500 threes, and somehow his game is still growing.

The story of the night for Duncan Robinson is that he hit his 500th career three, which he was the fastest player to reach that mark in NBA history. Clearly that is quite the accolade, but this is just the beginning for him. Not only do I mean there are many more threes to come, but actually he has so much more room to grow in other areas. Although we can talk about his close to perfect three-point night, there was one shot inside the arc that occurred tonight, and that one stood out most. Mid-way through the third, Dewayne Dedmon rises up to the perimeter for a high pick and roll with Robinson. He avoids the screen, which eliminated his defender, and flows into the painted area where he rises up for a soft jumper for two. And those are the moments. Those are the flashes. Those are the shots. He has so many more limits to reach in his offensive game, and due to the amount of work he puts in behind the scenes, he will get there.

#5: On to the next one.

The final takeaway from this game has absolutely nothing to do with this game, since now it’s all about the next one. Miami plays the Charlotte Hornets tomorrow night on the second night of a back to back, and that’s a game that Miami will want to get when evaluating the standings. An important thing to mention is Jimmy Butler’s need tonight, since although the minutes weren’t an exceptionally low number, he didn’t have one of those takeover nights that extract a lot of energy. LaMelo Ball and Malik Monk returned tonight for Charlotte, which means Miami will probably need a different Butler tomorrow night. And well, essentially a different energy level after the ball is tipped, due to the fact it took Miami some time to bring that tonight. On to the next one.

Answering Your Questions on the Miami Heat

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There haven’t been many practices for Miami this season, as well as other teams, but the Heat were able to get one in this morning after having the second day off in a row. They will hop right back into it on Saturday night, then follow that up on Sunday, which is why these two days off are so crucial.

Anyway, this piece is about you guys. Let’s take a look at some of the questions about the Heat’s current state…

Even though the headliners today for Victor Oladipo include “injury update,” there really wasn’t any update on his injury status. Coach Erik Spoelstra did not add anything differently, other than the occasional, “He’s making progress,” which people seem to be running with right now. Spoiler alert: Don’t do that from that single comment.

I can’t give a direct answer if he will play again this season, since honestly, I don’t believe that the Heat know at the moment. But, due to your question asking whether he will play another game with the Heat, I’d lean yes, being you didn’t mention anything about this season.

The off-season will be quite interesting, and although Oladipo’s contract may not be the primary focus right now, it’s lingering throughout the higher ups. There won’t be many teams throwing themselves at the likes of Oladipo this off-season, leading to the overall answer that Miami could have him back next season on a very generous salary.

Ah, the KZ Okpala vs Precious Achiuwa debate.

I don’t think there’s any question that both of these guys need time and G-League, which is why the adjective “potential” is currently being linked to them. But, when looking at the way this Heat team is constructed, KZ Okpala seems like the clear answer.

Not only do I believe he has more potential, but I believe he has a much higher chance of having a role on this Heat team in the future. Precious Achiuwa has had his moments and has a chance of becoming a solid back-up big for Bam Adebayo, but the fact of the matter is Okpala doesn’t have a franchise centerpiece standing in his way for the starting spot. (No I didn’t forget about Jimmy Butler and yes I believe Okpala would play the 4)

Even though Pat Riley said on draft night that the goal is to play Adebayo and Achiuwa together, that boat seems to be docked and doesn’t look to be sailing anytime soon. The only way that becomes a viable option is if Achiuwa develops a trusted jumper, which is not the developmental programs current focus.

So, Okpala wins the potential battle.

The interesting part about talking role players on this Heat team is that there is a lot of them. Emphasis on a lot.

When I hear role player, I think about anybody not named Butler or Adebayo, meaning Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro, and Kendrick Nunn fall under that category. But well, I’m not going the route of any of those guys.

When thinking about playoff situations, I immediately think about who is closing games for this team. While last year Andre Iguodala was that guy many nights, there were many restrictions on what he brought offensively. And well, that leads us into my answer.

Trevor Ariza.

They’ve got their guy at the four spot that they can trust on both sides of the floor. And the price to obtain him? Oh yeah, for nothing. And if I’m going to bank on a role player stepping up in a post-season match-up, it’s going to be one that is playoff tested, like Ariza.

To be honest, I just don’t think there’s one single thing to improve this team’s offense. For one, Oladipo would do wonders to input that secondary attacker that they’ve missed, which is why they went after him in the first place. But when looking at current personnel, it’s just about the half-court offense, and frankly, the Duncan Robinson effect.

They must be a team that gets into transition more, since that is when the offense really starts flowing. They have the defensive tools to do it, but being 17th in the NBA in transition frequency just won’t cut it. And 29th in the NBA in field goal percentage in clutch time basically seals that conversation of half-court trouble.

Now, you may be wondering what the Duncan Robinson effect is, and other than the offensive rating going from 118 when he’s on the floor to 103 when he’s off of it in the month of April, it’s about that guy being inserted for him. Obviously his gravity is tough to mirror in the NBA, let alone this Heat team, but all they need is one bench player to give them something from the outside.

Can it be Herro? Can it be Dragic? I’m not sure, but it has to somebody if they want to see some gradual changes in production.

The Heat have done a pretty good job of maximizing their small guards on the defensive end. The 2-3 zone was basically an introduction early on that they were going to hide their weaker defenders, and even the constant switching means that there are limited possessions that they’re stuck on an island.

Now, maximizing them on offense is a different story. It’s not only about individual skill-sets, but also the Heat broadening those skill-sets, like they did with Robinson on the fly this season. We’re beginning to see that with Nunn as well now, especially in the lineups with Dragic. The reason for that is he’s playing a lot more off the ball, and almost running Robinson-lite type of actions.

We’ve seen how point guard Herro turned out, and he faded into a bench scorer. We’ve seen point guard Nunn who has played the role well, but shows to be a much better scorer. And although Dragic has taken on that duty, as he’s aging off-ball catch and shoot threes will be his best friend. If Miami continues this trend, that’s how they can maximize them this season.

This one is pretty simple: it’s very vulnerable from that aspect, but it has it’s pros and cons. Although many question the switching scheme on night’s when the win column has an L, it should get the same level attention after a win.

Yes, some nights the constant switching against two bigs, like Nikola Vucevic and Daniel Theis, becomes a major headache for Miami, but what about the nights against Brooklyn or Portland or Golden State? Do you find anything similar between those teams? I do.

They all have star point guards, and that is when Adebayo just has a field day out on the perimeter. You can live with a pocket pass to Blake Griffin since you know the rotations will be there on the help side. And most teams that they will see in a playoff series will run their base offense around a perimeter player.

So, it does take a hit in the rebounding section, but there’s a huge boost in defensive efficiency, or as pointed out in a question earlier, third in opposing points per game.

It may have pros and cons, but the pros outweigh the cons with this personnel.

Five takeaways from Thursday’s Miami Dolphins press conferences

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Yesterday, Chris Grier, Brian Flores, and both of the Miami Dolphins’ first-round draft picks met with the media to discuss their overall feelings and emotions. They answered a wide variety of questions ranging from pre-draft targets to medical history and everything in between. Sometimes, however, the biggest takeaway from all of this is what they didn’t say. Here are five takeaways from yesterday’s Miami Dolphins press conferences. 

What they said

Jaylen Waddle hears the Tyreek Hill comparison, but he wants to be his own player

“Yeah, I get a lot of comparisons to Tyreek (Hill), just because of my small size and being able to be a runner; but I want to be my own player and try to play the game that I play and try to do my own style and not try to emulate someone else’s style. So I think I’m going to try to be the player that I always have and try to make plays for the team, and just try to put the team in position to win.”

Translation| Tyreek Hill is a game-changing wide receiver, the most explosive wide receiver in football. But I’m Jaylen Waddle, and I’m going to make my own mark on this wonderful game.

Chris Grier on concerns about Jaelan Phillips love for the game

“Brian (Flores), myself, the coaches, the scouts – we spent a lot of time through the pre-draft process getting to know him. And I think the one thing when you watch him play, you would never question his passion and effort and stuff because he plays 100 miles per hour and he’s got a tremendous motor and effort, and you can tell football is very important to him. I think like any person, when you’re that young going into college and doing stuff and maybe hit a little bit of adversity there, I think it’s just maturing and growing. I think watching him over his career, he was one of the top players in the country in high school and just watching his growth over the last few years as we got to know him, we felt very comfortable with it. On film, there’s no doubt that this guy loves football, so we’re very excited to have him.”

Translation| Jaelan Phillips is a supped-up race car who loves football. He’s a young player that’s continuing to develop and will only get better. We have a vision for him on this team and expect him to make an immediate impact. Keep doubting him.
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Jaelan Phillips is stoked to be staying in the 305

 

Jaelan Phillips on his work ethic and what separates him from the rest of the pack

“My tenacity and my hard work. That’s something I can really hang my hat on. I’m going to come in Day 1 and just do the most that I can for the team. Just come in, be a humble servant, really just come in just ready to soak up everything, be a sponge and just put my head down and work. I want to earn the respect of my teammates and my coaches, first and foremost, so I’m just excited for this opportunity. It’s crazy. (laughter) I keep saying that, but I can’t even believe it. This is insane.”
Translation| The Dolphins just got themselves a BAMF, who will come in day one and put his head down and work. Picture the scene from Game of Thrones where Oberyn Martell thinks he beat the Mountain. Jaelan Phillips, with hard work and dedication, could be the mountain. Crushing opposing quarterbacks.

Chris Grier and Brian Flores, when asked why they chose Jaylen Waddle over the other wide receivers in this year’s draft class

Chris Grier | “I think with Jaylen – we’ve watched him over the years. He’s been a dynamic, explosive player even from his freshman year there. He just flashed and you saw stuff, and I think this season demonstrated that type of player and even last season. He’s contributed there every year. We love his athletic ability, his run-after-catch, obviously the speed; but it’s also his toughness. He’s a very competitive kid. He loves ball. It’s important to him. I think you guys see how he plays. He plays with passion and energy, and so as Brian (Flores) and I and the coaches and scouts were going through it, this guy has been someone that’s caught our eye and it’s not just this year. This is someone that we’ve had our eye on for the last couple years just watching him.”

Brian Flores | “I would echo those sentiments. Obviously we watched a lot of Tua (Tagovailoa) last year. In doing that, we saw really all the players at Alabama and (Jaylen) Waddle was somebody who definitely stood out as a receiver, as a returner, just a really good player. And then getting to know him was – that kind of, I would say, confirmed a lot of the things we had heard. We just think he’s a very, very good player, a good person and somebody who would fit our locker room.”
Translation| If we wanted another wide receiver, we would’ve stayed at #3. Jaylen Waddle is an explosive playmaker. A game-changing playmaker that can score every time he touches the football. He’s also one hell of a person, and we couldn’t be happier that he is on our team.”

This article was written by Josh Houtz–who is very happy with the first night of the draft. Follow me on Twitter….and buy this shirt!

The Franchise

Why FanDuel and DraftKings have enjoyed success in Florida

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Daily fantasy sites have grown at a rapid rate over the last 10 years and are now almost a ritual activity for players across the United States. Residents of Florida have access to two of the best products on the market in the form of DraftKings and FanDuel.

Daily fantasy sites are not illegal in the Sunshine State, but there are no laws regulating the practice. However, DraftKings and FanDuel have been a constant presence since moving into the state and are now firmly entrenched with thousands of registered users at their disposal.

The argument continues to this day whether they are an official sports betting product or whether their competitions are games of skill. Yahoo opted to pull their daily fantasy game out of the region in 2015, leaving a head-to-head battle between DraftKings and FanDuel for customers.

 

FanDuel have been around the longest, creating their product in 2009. It has been a staple of the industry since and was bought out by Flutter Entertainment, who also own FoxBet, TVG, Paddy Power, and Betfair; among other leading betting companies states WSN.com.

FanDuel has provided an excellent product for users and has also secured partnerships with the NHL and the NBA. It is the simpler of the two operators on offer, limiting the amount of work required to alter your fantasy team, while working with a strict salary cap across all 11 of their sports. Their partnership with the NBA is vital in Florida, given the number of basketball teams present in the region.

FanDuel provide the authentic experience for NBA daily fantasy games over DraftKings, especially for those fans of the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic. Their presence in Florida has allowed them to build a solid customer base within the Sunshine State with the hope of further expansion. Sports betting is not on the agenda yet in Florida, but when it comes to the fore, FanDuel will be in direct competition with DraftKings for users.

Both FanDuel and DraftKings will be hopeful that they will be able to see off threats from new companies that may emerge on their territory, should litigation allow traditional sports wagering products to operate in the Sunshine State.

DraftKings, too, have developed a strong core of customers, and nationally boast a larger contingent than FanDuel. They are arguably in a better position to that of their rival due to their partnerships with the NFL and MLB. The NFL has the largest following in the United States, and Florida boasts the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers along with the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars within its borders.

 

The sponsorship with the NFL allows DraftKings to benefit from the huge television audiences that the league commands. In turn, that breeds greater recognition of their product and the benefits of using their daily fantasy game instead of FanDuel.

DraftKings does demand a savvy sports mind to play their games, although there are greater rewards available. Features such as the variable salary cap can force users to have to change their rosters with regularity to keep them ahead of the competition and their friends. There is always something to think about when playing with DraftKings, which makes it appealing for sports enthusiasts. In a state where sport is found at almost at every turn, DraftKings certainly made a wise decision to remain entrenched in the region. It has allowed them to build a loyal base of customers and further enhance their product.

Both products made a sound business choice to keep offering registrations to Floridians. They are reaping the benefits now with the continued success of daily fantasy games, and potentially in the future, should sports betting become regulated in the Sunshine State.

 

Photo by Unsplash Images.

Staying put: Dolphins take former Cane DE Jaelan Phillips at #18

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After the much awaited pick at #6 of Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle by the Miami Dolphins, their selection at #18 seemed just a little less smoky, with some predicting that Coach Flores would opt for Waddle’s teammate, RB Najee Harris. But turns out, they did not have to look far as the Fins selected a prospect who is no stranger to Hard Rock Stadium: former University of Miami defensive end Jaelan Phillips.

The 6’5 1/2″, 260-pound Phillips enjoyed a phenomenal season with the Canes in 2020, compiling 21 tackles, 8 sacks, and an interception as part of a dominant UM defensive line. His best game came against Virginia Tech after recording 8 tackles, 4.5 TFL’s, and 2.5 sacks.

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Phillips’ road to becoming a first-round pick is nothing short of a roller coaster. He arrived at UCLA with a lot of hype as the top high-school recruit in the country as a linebacker. After playing 11 games in 2 seasons, he decided to medical retire from football in December of 2018 after a string of concussions and other injuries.

 

His injuries include spraining both of his ankles in his freshman year, along with hurting his wrist in a moped accident that needed two surgeries. But just two months later, he entered the transfer portal. Soon, UM head coach Manny Diaz came calling and was willing to give him a “second chance,” so he opted to transfer to Miami. He sat out in 2019 due to transfer rules.

 

In addition, Phillips’ second passion is music, as he did enroll in the Los Angeles City College after medically retiring and also attended the Frost School of Music at UM to study music production. But don’t fret Dolfans, as he indicated in a recent zoom call with reporters: “Obviously, I love music. But I love football more.”

MY THOUGHTS

 

It was well-known that the Hurricanes would have two defensive ends selected in the first round on Thursday night: Phillips and Gregory Rousseau.

However, after watching Phillips this past season and on his pro day, it is clear to me that Phillips is the more-polished player in terms of speed and athleticism.

He ran a 4.56 40 and his movement and hips are very smooth, as  displayed by a 7.01 3-cone drill time. With 33.25″ arms, his wingspan has also helped him win a lot of battles up front. His versatility gives coach Flores a lot to work with as you can line him on the edge or even slot him at linebacker in a 3-4.

I feel comfortable looking at Phillips as a player that you can also play immediately and expect to contribute right away. Miami filled a huge need with this pick so I give it a B+.

 

Jimmy Butler: Bam Adebayo is “Damn Near Unguardable”

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The Miami Heat are 12-5 this season when Bam Adebayo attempts 7 or more free throws, and well, one of those 17 games was last night.

When I asked Jimmy Butler about the difference in offense when Adebayo is attacking like that, he responded, “He’s damn near unguardable whenever he’s playing like that, because now, you get into the paint, everybody’s gotta help. Now, you’re kicking it out to your shooters. We want him to play like that.”

There are many reasons that everybody wants him to play like that. For one, as shown earlier, it translates to wins, which it’s pretty hard to find things relating to wins with the Miami Heat this season. But more importantly, it takes a lot of weight off the guy talking about him, Jimmy Butler.

Butler has plenty of stretches of complete takeover mode, while Adebayo’s list of moments have been a lot shorter, and frankly, his list of well rounded attributes are a lot longer.

Now, the well known reason for that is that’s not Adebayo’s game. As Butler illustrated last night, when continuing to speak about Adebayo, “The crazy part is that he’s a pass first player, so as soon as he gets in there, he’s probably looking to pass before he’s looking to dunk on somebody like he did tonight.”

And that right there is the one hurdle many are aware Adebayo is awaiting to leap over. He has the improved jumper. He has the ball handle. He has the quickness and versatility. He has any possible attribute that you’d want in your star player, but it’s time for the primary passing element to be knocked down to secondary.

These flashes of energy he provides with the nightly put-back posters are basically an introduction to that, while the jab step blow bys are the real story teller when watching a game progress.

The thing about his description is that everything people say about Adebayo, has been said about Butler. He has moments that he’s too passive. He has moments where he must rely solely on “bully ball” and getting to the rim. And of course, neither skip a beat on the defensive end.

When discussing Butler’s passive stretches at times, he’s countered that with takeover and dominant stints to will the team to win, and that’s the one obstacle that is much more mental than it is physical for Adebayo to overcome.

To continue on the defensive end, when I asked Butler about Adebayo’s defensive impact a few night’s ago, he said, “He takes the challenge of being able to guard whoever in this league…Around here, we know he’s really good at it. It’s not always him getting a stop or a block, it’s tough to have to be in a spot and help, then close somebody out and be able to guard them. I think that’s what people really overlook.”

Every detail of the picture Butler paints is exactly correct. The switching defense forces him to guard probably every player on the floor at one point or another throughout 48 minutes of basketball, and he continues to humble opponents with his suffocating perimeter defense.

Although the free throw attempts and late and-1’s were harped on after the win against the Spurs, his defense last night was absolutely terrific, and really forced San Antonio into a lot of their droughts.

The point of all of this is that Butler notices some of the things about Adebayo that he doesn’t realize himself. The truth is that he is “damn near unguardable,” but it comes down to him putting himself into enough scoring positions that he truly gravitates toward that label.

“We want him and need him to be that way,” Butler said. But now it’s up to Adebayo to want to be that way, and then the “no ceiling” title will be in full effect.

The Continued Offensive Growth is Second to Nunn

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Kendrick Nunn’s NBA career thus far has been a constant cycle of ups and downs. NBA starter to bench warmer then back to NBA starter has happened over and over and over, and yet, he’s still competing with the best of them whenever he gets an opportunity out on that floor.

It’s always the “now” when discussing Kendrick Nunn. Can he step up tonight? How much of a boost can he give this team at the current stage? But although he’s 25 years old, he is only in his second NBA season, and he’s still growing as a player.

Growing a lot.

It’s not easy to stay mentally or physically ready when you’re constantly being interchanged between roles, but not only has he stayed parallel to his old self, he has made necessary improvements that make him more than just a “spark.”

The Heat organization had many expectations placed onto players that were a bit unrealistic in hindsight. But they didn’t seem to put any expectation on the future of Nunn, and that’s worked out very well.

So, after yet another scoring explosion against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, let’s take a look at what truly stood out on the offensive side of the ball.

– Punishing bigger defenders

Miami’s offense has obviously been inconsistent so far this season, but one area they’ve been highly effective with is transition offense. When a team relies on their defense on a nightly basis, that must translate to fast-break opportunities, and Nunn has been at the forefront of that.

As seen here, Bam Adebayo gets a steal and pushes the ball down the court as Nunn trails. He was forced to slightly reset after he caught the pass, and this is where an interesting growth in his game is apparent. He has the ability to take advantage of bigger defenders, not just through his speed, but through angles and body separation.

Although a quick crossover gets him this open look on the reverse, his ability to keep defenders on his hip as he rises up is something he wasn’t as comfortable with last year. An underrated element to some of the changes from last year to this year is headlined by his body language, since he’s playing at a completely different speed with a defined role.

– Tighter handles leads to more separation

When seeing Nunn’s confidence level rising in an empty corner in isolation, it just shows the type of rhythm he is in. The exact reasoning for this confidence rising has a lot to do with his improved attributes.

He is much more comfortable putting the ball on the floor since his handle seems a lot tighter. On this play, he keeps the dribble alive as he’s scanning toward the opposite side, before he realizes it’s time to just go. And when he’s moving left toward the baseline, you can almost guarantee he’s going to utilize the pull-back dribble into a jumper.

When talking about the lack of separation created between Miami’s guards, the evolving ball handle from Nunn can really change some things for him in the big picture.

– Reading each and every defender

As Nunn catches the ball on the wing with a short shot clock, his initial move is to read the first defender. Most player basically just flow into their comfort move, but not K-Nunn.

Seeing his defender running at him full speed, he flows into a slow pump-fake to truly sell it, and it eliminates him from the play. Now, it looks like he has his favorite mid-range jumper with nobody in sight, but he immediately reads the next defender.

Keldon Johnson is forced to split the difference between him and Jimmy Butler, and you can see there’s a slight hesitance from him to fully lock on Nunn. So, he rises up for a smooth finger roll at the rim, just further showcasing the most crucial attribute of all: reading a defense in fast motion.

– A mixture of the past three things discussed

After touching on his success against bigger defenders, an increased handle, and reading his defender, here’s one play that shows all three of those elements.

Jimmy Butler begins the possession in the high post, which is where he finds himself frequently lately, as Nunn circles around to find an opportunity with the Trevor Ariza off-ball screen. Now, as he receives the ball on the wing, he patiently reads the defender, gives a slight jab left knowing that he can take the bigger defender off the dribble, and uses his body to create separation for the open layup.

The reason this play is important to show is to prove the fact that these moments aren’t one time instances, and actually are things he’s incorporated into his game every night.

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– Diversified scoring, drop coverage killer

Before last night’s game, I mentioned that it could set up for a big time Nunn performance due to the Spurs drop coverage that he always loves to exploit from the mid-range area.

Since last year, he’s always been a good mid-range scorer, but he’s actually controlled that area of the floor a lot more than usual. Instead of awaiting an open jumper to present itself, he searches for it and finds his favorite spots in any of Miami’s normal sets.

On this possession, he gets to his spot and rises up for the bank-shot, which just shows his soft touch and diversified scoring abilities as time goes by. And the most important thing to observe here is his eye level. An issue lats season was his hesitance in a pick and roll, not knowing whether to make the pass or take the shot. Now, he seems to know exactly what he’s going to do every possession.

– Some catch and shoot excellence

There’s nothing to over-analyze on this play specifically, but it’s important to note the big picture improvements with catch and shoot opportunities. He shot a little under 35% on catch and shoot threes last season, which has shot up close to 42% this season on the same amount of attempts.

But the numbers aren’t the only thing that has shown this, since the eye test has pointed toward the different ways he’s being utilized, even as a Duncan Robinson type off-ball runner at times, which is interesting to say the least. An unexpected story line this season is that he’s been their best three-point shooter among the other small guards, and frankly, he’s been the best player overall.

– The Goran Dragic-Kendrick Nunn minutes are……effective?

Something that has stood out to me lately has been the amount of minutes Goran Dragic and Nunn have played together, and better yet, how good that they’ve been. When I asked Erik Spoelstra about their minutes together lately, he said, “Until about two weeks ago, I started to notice more and more that combination was actually being pretty effective, so it’s something we’ll continue to explore.”

Now, it’s necessary to evaluate why it has been so effective all of a sudden, and the reason for that is no surprise, Kendrick Nunn. As mentioned previously, Nunn has been involved in a lot more off-ball sets due to his increased catch and shoot abilities, meaning Dragic can direct traffic, or even vice versa.

This play was an example, as Dragic turns the corner for a hard attack, then floats it over the top to Nunn on the wing for the three.

These not so minor improvements from Nunn should not be swept under the rug, since he’s basically been that one steady rock to give them offense on any given night, which is why we’re approaching him being a closer from here on out.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Spurs

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The Miami Heat got a much needed win over the Spurs on Wednesday night, after a bunch of good individual performances. Jimmy Butler got some buckets late in the fourth quarter to sustain the lead, which has been one of their issues as of late. So, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: The first half offensive ups and downs continue, and one reason for that was clear.

The first takeaway after these games have basically been locked into the overall offensive evaluation, but tonight was just more of those inconsistencies. Early in the first quarter, everything was clicking, while things went in the other direction to finish the first and begin the second quarter. The obvious reason for that is the bench drop-off, due to the fact that Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo having to sit on the bench together leads to rough offensive stretches. Now, another element to this that isn’t discussed enough is Duncan Robinson. Not that things go south when he’s off the floor, but actually when he re-enters. He just doesn’t have the same involvement as he does to begin the first quarter or second half, and that may have a lot to do with defensive adjustments. But either way, Robinson’s second stint in the first half can’t consist of running around the perimeter, while Goran Dragic kick-outs to Trevor Ariza is the result.

#2: The Dewayne Dedmon pick-up was an absolute steal.

Although I’m diving into specifics from this game, my evaluation of Dewayne Dedmon was much more big picture: It was an absolute steal. He has fit their need to perfection, while Adebayo relief minutes were a real issue early in the season. Tonight, though, he made an offensive impact as a roller well known, especially with the unexpected connection he has with Butler. He’s very patient when waiting to receive the ball as the wings are lurking, and he shows to have much more bounce to him than originally expected. This performance tonight may have been sparked from his past with the San Antonio Spurs, but either way, these moments continue to foreshadow the things he can do for this team in a playoff series, especially when the team is clicking.

#3: Bam Adebayo’s offensive question marks slowly fading.

There aren’t many question marks next to Adebayo’s game other than the amount of shots he takes, but there are many areas of his game that are truly being polished up. For one, as Butler said a few games ago, the mid-range jumper is all good, but his attacking is the real asset, also known as bully ball. Well, that is what translates to the free throw line, as Adebayo went to the charity stripe 5 times in the first half, while the only other player was Butler with one free throw attempt. Another element of his game involves the low-post play, which clearly isn’t something he is extremely comfortable with. He showed some increased comfort in that area when finding a smaller defender on him, and even utilizing the occasional post hook, leading to an additional weapon in his offensive package. If he continues to round out those type of things in his game, there really will be only one question about his game, which would be the amount of shot attempts he has on any given night.

#4: Kendrick Nunn showcasing his greatest skill: Scoring.

I’ve dove into Kendrick Nunn’s game a lot lately, highlighting his evolving decision making abilities, but it’s time to discuss the one element that has consistently been on the top of the list. He truly doesn’t get enough credit for the overall growth in his game scoring the ball, since he’s scoring in facets that he once wasn’t capable of doing. I’ve touched on his catch and shoot abilities from beyond the arc, but he’s taken the mid-range control to another level this season. Against drop coverage, as I mentioned before the game, it basically signals for a Nunn game where he puts the ball in the basket all night, and that’s exactly what he did by sparking offense in different stretches when they struggled.

#5: Goran Dragic having his moments. Dragic-like moments.

When constantly discussing Goran Dragic’s age after his poor games, let’s talk about it after a good performance. An aging Dragic must flow right into an effective three-point shooter. He won’t be able to get to the rim at the same rate that he once did, even though he got there frequently tonight, but that outside shot is something he can rely on. When looking at Nunn, as discussed prior, he’s played a good amount of minutes alongside Dragic this season, which wasn’t the greatest combo last season. A big reason for that is Nunn’s off-ball growth, since they currently have an offensive rating of 110 when they share the floor. Either way, Dragic taking over at times in the fourth quarter is a great thing to see if you’re the Miami Heat, since as he said earlier today, “This is already the playoffs for us.”