5 Takeaways from Heat’s Victory Over Magic

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The Miami Heat beat the Orlando Magic to begin the second half of the regular season on Thursday night. Jimmy Butler stepped up in every facet for the team with Bam Adebayo out, which is no surprise after his recent play. Anyway, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: The continued quest to survive the non-Butler minutes.

The non-Butler minutes have been something that I’ve discussed for the Heat for quite some time. It’s a bit of a different story when Bam Adebayo is on the floor to fill some of those holes, but clearly Miami didn’t have him tonight. That basically means Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro would be looked toward to step up in that stretch, and Herro was trying to find a rhythm when he entered and shots weren’t falling much for Dragic. Offense became stagnant with that group, and there early defensive moments fell off rather quickly. It seems like there’s always a discussion about filling holes with this team, due to constant rotational changes, but on nights when it’s a banged up Orlando Magic team that you’re facing, it’s necessary to adjust and thrive.

#2: The KZ Okpala experiment to Moe Harkless experiment to Chris Silva experiment.

As mentioned earlier, Adebayo did not play against the Magic tonight, which made that starting spot next to Kelly Olynyk interesting. As expected, KZ Okpala got the nod, since starting Precious Achiuwa doesn’t make much sense with the lack of bigs behind him. Okpala showed some early flashes on the defensive end, leading to impressive transition offense, but three quick fouls sent him to the sideline quickly. Moe Harkless then checked in, and gave pretty much the same exact thing Okpala brought, with a bit less perimeter aggression. After Achiuwa entered for a short stint, Coach Spo threw in Chris Silva for a spark, and he actually didn’t look bad. When going that deep into your bench, the player probably won’t be very reliable, but Silva knows how to play his role in limited minutes, battling in a similar way that Achiuwa does.

#3: One fallen Tyler Herro jumper early alters his game.

Tyler Herro appeared a bit lost offensively throughout the first quarter in a game he was needed to step up. But once again, a similar theme came up with Herro involving his confidence. When the shots aren’t falling, he finds himself fading to the corner, becoming a floor spacer. But after a shot or two begin to fall, his game begins to operate from the top of the key or the wing with the ball in his hands. One three-pointer on the wing once Jimmy Butler checked in seemed to be that spark, leading to a timeout for Orlando. From that point on, he had much more bounce in his game, which means his ball-handling, play-making, and scoring abilities increase majorly. It just furthers the point that Herro’s confidence is not an overstatement, and holds much value for this team’s current success.

#4: A Jimmy Butler third quarter step-up necessary, but not ideal in big picture.

It was a tight game throughout the night, but Jimmy Butler stepped up in the third quarter to sustain a close score, which can be looked at in a number of ways. For one, it shows the overall dominance of Jimmy Butler to turn it on whenever he chooses. Doubling guys down low for steals into transition offense, working the offense through him in the post into back-door cuts for layups, and much more sparked this team for a short stretch. But it can also be viewed in a negative way, since Miami needed him to do that to tie the game at the end of the third quarter against a depleted Orlando Magic team. Now, obviously Bam Adebayo was out, which means an adjusted offensive and defensive scheme, but Miami’s other role players should be capable of stepping up in these spots. Once again, it does provide extra clarity on both Butler’s ability to flip a switch, and Adebayo’s overall impact.

#5: Some interesting Coach Spo adjustments late in the game.

Coach Erik Spoelstra’s adjustments were fluid in the fourth quarter tonight, finally finding a spark for Miami. They went into a 2-3 zone for the first time, which seemed to throw the Magic off a bit. Miami usually chooses to sprinkle it in throughout the entire game, so the opposing team can dissect it by the time the fourth quarter comes around, but that changed tonight. Another interesting Coach Spo adjustment involved the rotation, since Precious Achiuwa never reentered the game after an early insertion. On a night that Miami lacked any type of big, it was far from expected that Achiuwa would not be utilized. These type of games without Adebayo seem to be the best time for Achiuwa to find any type of NBA level rhythm, but Spo went the Silva route, which actually wasn’t a bad option.

Important Marlins Questions: Part 2

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With the 2021 MLB season starting in less than a month, the Marlins have a lot of choices to make.  I will detail my prospective answers to these questions. Here they are:

 

  1. Where does Garrett Cooper fit in Miami?
  2. Who starts at 2nd base between Jazz Chisholm and Isan Diaz?
  3. Who will be the 5th man in the rotation?

 

In this article, I will be answering question 2. With a well-balanced roster, the Marlins have one position that seems to be the only one truly “up for grabs.” 24-year-old Isan Diaz and 23-year-old Jazz Chisholm are currently battling it out in Spring Training for the title of Marlins second baseman. A lot of the conversation I have seen has been variations of the question “Who deserves the spot?” That is not the correct question to be asking, especially with only Spring Training to go on. Because, simply put, neither “deserve” the spot at the moment. 

 

Let’s keep in mind that both Isan and Jazz hit below .200 throughout the 2020 season. Neither has had significant success within the majors up to this point in time. So for that reason, I’ll argue that this decision should not be made based on Spring Training performance, but rather predetermined based on fit. 

 

Isan Diaz should be the Opening Day starter and here’s why:

 

Isan Diaz is the Marlins future second baseman

 

Isan Diaz is a second baseman and, for years to come, this is the position that he should be playing. He has an extremely high upside and is looking more like the player that the Marlins watched in the minors. He has been quoted saying that he “has his confidence back.” Whether or not that is true, Isan has the potential to be a key piece on a budding perennial postseason competitor in the coming years. 

 

Jazz Chisholm is not

 

Now, that does not mean Jazz Chisholm isn’t any of these things, He, much like Diaz, has an extremely high upside that can’t be ignored. He is also the future of the Miami Marlins… but not at 2nd base. He is a true shortstop and should be groomed to replace Miguel Rojas when the time comes. Until then, he should be getting reps at shortstop in the minors. Once he is ready, he can be brought up to be a platoon man/pinch hitter. 

 

The Marlins don’t have much to go on.

 

Neither player has had enough time in the majors to be classified as “statistically stronger” for the role. So, this decision for Miami can either be based on a biased sample of performance in the Minors and Spring Training, or it can be based on logic. From my perspective, the choice is an easy one. Let both Isan and Jazz develop at the positions that they are meant to play. Adjustments can be made if necessary, but for Opening Day, having Isan Diaz at 2nd base is in Miami’s best interest. 

 

Can the Miami Heat Make Paul Pierce Eat His Words?

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Paul Pierce is well known for his dislike of the Miami Heat, but can Erik Spoelstra’s team prove the former Celtics forward wrong this season?

The Heat impressed last season, taking down Pierce’s beloved Celtics in the Conference Finals before that exciting final with the Lakers, but whilst chatting to Rachel Nichols in January, Pierce commented that they were no longer the exhilarating team that thrilled NBA fans last time out.

“As great as the Miami Heat were in the playoffs last year, they will not make the playoffs this year,” said Pierce while on ESPN’s show The Jump. “It’s not the Miami Heat team we saw last year – full of grit, full of grind like the Memphis Grizzlies. That team was built on hard work and toughness, and I have not seen that this year, and that’s why I don’t think they’ll make the playoffs.”

Jimmy Butler, Heat’s five-time NBA All-Star disagrees. He was bullish about the Heat’s chances of reaching the playoffs, telling Nichols to ‘book it’ after defeating the Lakers at the American Airlines Arena last month. Butler, who was nursing an injury in the early stages of the season, according to Essentiallysports.com, looks to be back on form and ready to push the Heat as far as they can go.

But will it be enough to silence the simmering criticism of Pierce? They certainly went some way to trying to quieten him down last season, not least after Pierce said, “if Heat are close to a title, every team in NBA is too”. By the time the championship game came around, he had been proven wrong. Indeed, writer Ramon Lo described beating perennial Heat hater Pierce as being the cherry on top of reaching the finals, but it has not stopped him rolling out the same tired and boring rhetoric this year.

43-year-old Pierce, a 10-time NBA All-Star, retired in 2017 and has since made a living as both a pundit and a poker player. In addition to slapping down Miami whenever he gets the chance, he has appeared on shows such as Poker After Dark, according to Poker.org, and even came close to finishing in a money place in the World Series of Poker. Some Heat fans might think the former Celtics man is best suited to life around the poker tables, rather than his current role as their chief naysayer. So are his continued attacks on Miami justified this season, or is his poker face beginning to wear a little thin?

After a slow start to the season, impressive wins over the Jazz, Lakers and Raptors have fueled the belief that a late run to the playoffs could be a reality. Sadly, whilst the Nets, Bucks and 76ers have all improved since last season, the Heat has seemingly stood still. If you are not moving forward, then in real terms you can be considered as going backwards and that showed in the early part of the season.

With the return of an in-form Butler and confidence from those big wins, everything is possible, but the Heat’s route to appearing in the final stages is an awful lot tougher than it should be at this stage. What they do have – which other teams do not – is the motivation of Pierce, whether he likes it or not. With every write off, every expected slur and dig at the team, he inadvertently gives them a little push towards making their dreams a reality, once again.

A Breakdown of Miami’s Late-Game Execution

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While the Miami Heat are at the halfway mark of the regular season, it seems necessary to reflect on their first 36 games. Although there hasn’t been much consistency to this point, mostly due to the inconsistent rotations with players in and out of the lineup, Miami’s late game offensive execution must be noted.

It’s pretty clear that the Heat are always in a dog fight down the stretch, no matter the game situation, which may be a positive thing in the long run. So, let’s take a dive into some of Miami’s offensive possessions late in games.

– A Jimmy Butler shooting display

Why not kick off this dive into late-game situations with the one fresh on everybody’s mind. It’s pretty clear that a big portion of this article will include Jimmy Butler, since he’s the guy who will have the ball in his hands in these situations.

On a night without Bam Adebayo, a lot of the sets for Butler were running through Andre Iguodala. The first play was a normal DHO for Butler, which got denied and circled back through it. With zero hesitation, he pump-faked and got both defenders in the air, leading to an and-1 triple.

At this point, he was clearly feeling it, flowing into a tough step-back three over Eric Bledsoe, instead of taking it to the rim per usual in these situations. But I’ve highlighted this Butler ending in a past article, which is why the Iguodala part is important to mention.

One of the most widely known things about him is his high IQ and ability to read a defense. And on this play, he notices a very out-of-position Pelicans defense, and attacks the basket since there’s no protection. This sealed their .500 record before the All-Star break, putting this game out of reach.

– The Butler-Dragic PnR

Miami faced the best team in the NBA, the Utah Jazz, a few games ago, which went down to the wire as well. It was a 2 point game with 30 seconds to go, and the last thing you wanted to do was give the ball to a very effective Jazz offense.

Miami flowed into a Butler-Dragic pick and roll, which is something they go to frequently, with either Butler or Dragic as the screener. Dragic screened for him on this possession, allowing Butler to do what he does best. He had a much smaller Mike Conley back-pedaling, and put his shoulder into his chest, which sent him flying.

He hit a much needed floater to put Miami up two possessions, but the options on this play must be noted. For one, he could’ve dumped it off to Dragic for a wide open mid-range or floater, which would be the first option after the shot attempt. But also Duncan Robinson sliding from the corner to the wing could’ve been utilized, since Donovan Mitchell got caught watching Butler on the play.

It’s not a coincidence that late-game offense flows better with Butler controlling it, since the spacing is usually crisp when he puts his head down to attack.

– The normal Butler-Adebayo PnR, reading the situation

Now, there are a couple things to evaluate on this possession for Miami. For one, they have a comfortable 6 point lead with 30 seconds to go, but a bucket would put them up three possessions.

Of course they run the usual Butler-Adebayo pick and roll, which leads to a perfect dump-off to Adebayo for the lay-in. But the part to discuss is the ability to read a situation, as I mentioned in the past. The Raptors were running a very small five to close this game out, which means the clear plan should be to give it to Adebayo in the paint.

Once again, this highlights the comfort level and natural flow when Butler is the decision maker late in games, which is something a few top teams in the East lack.

– Tyler Herro shooting in rhythm

There’s one mutual reason for Tyler Herro’s shooting elevating late in games. Although it usually links to confidence, it’s actually the level of rhythm he shoots with in these situations.

Once again, it begins with a Butler-Adebayo PnR, while Herro loops around to the perimeter while his defender sinks a bit on the penetrating Butler. It seems as if the defender catches up to him when he gets the ball, but it’s too late for him to recover when he shoots with absolutely no hesitation.

Another thing to note here about Herro is the level of lift on this shot, on top of the amount of rhythm. It’s the main reason I discuss his recent struggles relating to missing some time, since when he gets a few games in him, the rhythm shooting becomes a given.

– Butler getting to his favorite spot on the floor

In a very important game on national television in an NBA Finals rematch, Miami needed to get back on track on the road trip after some tough losses. They were up three with less than two minutes to go, but this very possession ended up being the most important.

It is no secret that Butler will try to get to the free throw line at all costs late in games. On this play, it looked as if a dribble hand-off was going to occur, but Adebayo gave Butler the ball sooner, which basically meant drive baseline. He did just that, and went up rather slowly with his methodical movements, drawing the foul to put Miami up two possessions.

Although the late-game execution could’ve went in the total opposite direction with a turnover on the final play on an inbound pass, leading to an Alex Caruso miss, that cross-court pass to Butler is something they utilize regularly on the inbound. That basically means it was just a miscommunication, but still essential to mention while on this topic.

– A different plan down the stretch

Miami had trouble generating offense at this point of the game, which is why this exact play is important. Yet another Butler-Adebayo pick and roll begins the play, which is exactly why I wanted to dive into this type of article, and leads to a defense dissection.

Immanuel Quickley sinks into the paint, which further proves the amount of gravity Butler has when going downhill. Kelly Olynyk reads it perfectly and dives down the baseline, leading to a much needed and-1 finish.

This was the other play that must be shown in the same game against New York. It seemed like Miami would hold the ball for the entire shot clock to milk as much time as possible, but well, that was until the ball got to Tyler Herro.

He decided to end the game right then and there, which fully describes the type of player Herro is. Although this doesn’t really fall under the category of execution, since the primary plan on this possession wasn’t really executed, it still ended up in a positive manner, icing this game for Miami.

– Making winning plays

In a game without Dragic and Herro, while Adebayo had fouled out, Miami’s usual offensive sets could not be utilized. Obviously there’s expected offensive clutter at this moment, which is why the plan was to try and have Butler make a play late in the shot clock.

He missed a tough fade-away off the front of the rim, but Olynyk tipped it out for an extra 14 seconds on the possession. This ended up in a Kendrick Nunn three, which also clanked off the rim, but yet another tip-out from Iguodala this time, forced Houston to foul.

On some nights, you’re going to have to play in the mud down the stretch, which is something that favors Miami with the amount of gritty players they have on the roster.

– Butler-Bully-Ball to excellent defensive execution

I’ve dove into quite the amount of offensive plays from Miami, so let’s take a quick look at a defensive one. For starters, Butler decides to just go to work on Harrison Barnes, while being down 1 with 40 seconds to go.

But we’ve had enough Butler scoring talk for one article, which is why the defense is the focal point here. Butler goes for an excellent double on De’Aaron Fox late in the shot clock, leading to a pass to Richaun Holmes with Adebayo defending.

He got a piece of that shot attempt, which ended the game and snapped a 3 game losing streak. If there’s anything you want late in the game if you’re Miami, it’s Butler and Adebayo leading the charge on the defensive end, hounding the offense with constant switches and doubles.

– No Butler, no problem. Well, sometimes

Heading into this game, Miami just came off an unexpected loss to this same Pistons team. Obviously this was a very important game for Miami, even though they were without Butler and Herro.

And since those two guys were out, why not give it to the 34 year old veteran down the stretch, who always seems to bail them out when they most need it. They run a Dragic-Adebayo pick and roll on this play, while Dragic surveys the floor when he gets inside the three point line. As Mason Plumlee continues to drop, Dragic realizes the amount of space he has and hits a mid-range bank shot.

But let’s finish off this deep dive with another defensive possession. Jerami Grant looks to take Adebayo off the dribble, which doesn’t seem to be a great choice one-on-one. Grant looks to have beat him to the rim for half a second, but Adebayo angles it perfectly to cut him off, and rises up for an incredible block to clinch this game.

There are plenty of common themes when evaluating this team’s play late in games, but the overall takeaway is that a healthy team increases the amount of offensive options down the stretch majorly.

Important Marlins Questions: Part 1

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With the 2021 MLB season starting in less than a month, the Marlins have a lot of choices to make if they want to compete. In my next three articles, I will detail my prospective answers to the questions below.

 

  1. Where does Garrett Cooper fit in Miami?
  2. Who starts at 2nd base between Jazz Chisholm and Isan Diaz?
  3. Who will be the 5th man in the rotation?

 

In this, I will be taking a detailed look at question number 1. This is quite the weird situation for Miami to be in. With it seeming more likely that Jesus Aguilar will be the Opening Day First Baseman, Garrett Cooper is left without a spot. Keep in mind, Cooper was top-3 on the Marlins last season in Batting Average, On-Base Percentage, OPS, and Slugging Percentage. At the very least, it looked like he would land in right field. The Marlins instead signed Adam Duvall, who will rightfully be the starter in right. This leaves no room for one of the Marlins best hitters. What happens now? 

 

Let’s first take a look at the most-likely starters in the outfield and why Coop may be out of a role.

Marte

Starling Marte will without a doubt be the CF for the Miami Marlins in 2021; however, it is interesting to note that Marte had a well-below average year at the plate last year (both in terms of his normal stats and in comparison around the league). Marte has been extremely consistent otherwise, and will most likely break out of his rut with a full season to balance out his game. He is an All-Star talent and outclasses Cooper throughout their careers in many categories. 

Dickerson

Corey Dickerson finds himself in a similar boat, actually, near the identical boat to Marte. He had a well below average 2020 campaign, but boasts strong numbers throughout his career. The last two seasons where he was an everyday guy were years where he was an All-Star and Gold Glove winner, respectively. In that All-Star year, he hit 27 home runs. His strong career average and OPS are valuable attributes to any team going forward. Dickerson has had a strong start in Spring Training as he continues to look like his old self.

Duvall

This is where it gets complicated. Believe me, I’m big on Duvall. I genuinely think in any other circumstance, he should be starting all 154 games. He has been an extremely effective power hitter throughout his career and shows no signs of slowing down. Yet, Duvall in right leaves no place for Garrett Cooper. Duvall and Cooper are both stronger hitters on the Marlins, but it leaves Miami fans wondering why the front office went this route. Duvall can do what Copper can do at the plate, and he has played the outfield throughout his career. So he wins the starting role.

 

Where do the Marlins go with Coop?

So, does Garrett Cooper platoon with Aguilar and Duvall at times? This feels like the only option left, but not an optimal one. If that is the value the Marlins are getting, he may be better off traded away for more prospects (bleh). 

 

The Adam Duvall signing was a good signing in practice, but in theory does not make sense unless they plan on pitching Cooper, Duvall, or Aguilar at some point throughout the season. 

 

Overall for Marlins

 

I fully expect that either Garrett Cooper or Adam Duvall will not be in a Marlins uniform at the halfway point of the season. Especially if either plays significantly well early, their value as a trade piece outweighs their value as a pinch-hitter/platoon guy off the bench. Maybe that’s what Miami has been planning for all along. Time will tell.

 

What is the Next Step for an Improved Miami Heat Offense?

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While the beginning of the season for the Miami Heat seemed as if there was no true identity on either side of the ball, that has turned as of late.

The Heat are the number one team in defensive rating over the last 15 games, which is as big of an improvement as possible. Some may point to a more consistent Jimmy Butler in the lineup, but the defense has been strong even when he’s been out.

And that’s a big reason Erik Spoelstra deserves a lot of credit, since he’s been forced to use some players at the bottom of the roster and put them in spots to thrive. Gabe Vincent made a jump in minutes, mostly since he realized his unique ability at the top of the 2-3 zone and full-court press.

But although their defense has been consistently good, that hasn’t been the case for their offense. Over the last 15 games, they’re 20th in offensive rating, and somehow still ended up going 11-4 in that stretch. And quite frankly, a portion of those losses were winnable, including the LA Clippers game without four starters and the Golden State Warriors game with a decent lead and a struggling Stephen Curry.

So if there’s been success as of late with a struggling offense, what is the next step for Miami’s offense?

Well, the obvious answer would be a consistently healthy roster, but that can never be relied on this season. Miami’s played 36 games up to this point, while only 9 of those games included Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Goran Dragic all playing.

From a systematic perspective, it’s hard to pinpoint an exact reason. They’ve proved to move the ball exceptionally well, since a good portion of their field goal makes on a nightly basis are assisted on. Miami has gone slightly away from constant DHO’s, leading to much more back-cuts, which is essential on a team that prides themselves on off-ball screening.

But the true fix to improve Miami’s all-around offensive success will be to decrease the load from Miami’s veteran go-to guys. Butler and Goran Dragic are two unbelievable offensive players that are capable of sparking the entire offense, through attacking off the dribble, setting up others, and scoring down the stretch when it matters.

But if these two guys have been Miami’s only offensive hope in many games, how does it make sense for them to take a step-back?

Well, that’s where Miami’s young guys, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, come into play. This doesn’t mean Butler and Dragic need to take a step back, but less reliance on these guys in a half-court offense will allow this team to truly thrive.

There have been flashes from both Adebayo and Herro this season by taking over on their own, Adebayo in the Brooklyn Nets game and Herro in the Philadelphia 76ers game with only 8 available players. But when all four of them can play in the same game and all thrive in their own roles, that’s when the leap will occur.

Waiting for Adebayo to take offensive initiative has been discussed frequently, since his unselfishness leads to him trying to set others up, while Herro has struggled lately just through a lack of rhythm and flow after missing time.

When Adebayo can begin to find his favorite spot at the free throw line for mid-range jumpers consistently, and Herro can attack the basket without hesitance and kiss the ball off the glass with confidence, this team will be hard to beat.

In many ways, the rise of Kendrick Nunn has been a major reason for Miami’s offense landing 20th, since without his consistent play, the rating would be significantly worse.

The reason I’m discussing this in a broad fashion is because it seems pretty obvious that these two guys will be the only way large improvement will be seen. Instead of diving into the film today to breakdown certain possessions, it’s time to evaluate the first 36 games as a whole, and how to move forward in a positive manner.

If Herro can regain that bubble confidence with the ball in his hands, and Adebayo can attempt more shots per game than the number on his jersey, it’ll allow Butler and Dragic to have much more freedom in the regular season, instead of forcing them to do too much before the post-season even begins.

Now that the entire team gets a week off at home, that second half push will be ready to be made. And with a healthy Butler, a continued strong defensive effort, and the increased aggression from the guys discussed, there’s a good chance a .500 record will be the last thing they’re thinking about.

Sandy Alcantara strikes out six in short outing

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Sandy Alcantara looks ready for Opening Day.

Yes, it’s only his second outing of the 2021 Spring Training, but the Dominican starter seems to be cruising in this Spring Training to lead the young staff from the beginning of the season.

After tossing two scoreless innings in his first outing against the New York Mets on March 1st, Alcantara came back with another solid outing on a rainy Saturday afternoon in Jupiter.

Alcantara did allow two runs in the first inning, but neither of them counted towards his ERA, because of a Miguel Rojas error that extended the inning.

Alcantara struck out three in the first, two in the second and one in the third, before getting pulled by Don Mattingly with a man on first.

Sandy finished his outing with 48 pitches, and he should be scheduled to pitch again on Wednesday or Thursday.

Alcantara and Kim NG, the highlights of the trip

Sandy Alcantara was the main attraction of the day, with the Marlins using a lineup that looks very similar to what we should expect for Opening Day (without the DH, of course).

But besides watching Sandy pitch, Aguilar and Cooper carry the team offensively, I actually got to talk to Kim NG for about a minute, in the Roger Dean Stadium elevator, on our way to the press box.

The Marlins are doing well in Spring Training. Let’s wait and see if they can keep it up for when it actually matters, like Kim NG says.

 

By Alejandro Villegas | @alejandrovg32 on Twitter

A Breakdown of Jimmy Butler’s Late Takeover Against New Orleans

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After Jimmy Butler missed the previous two games against the Atlanta Hawks, he made the trip to New Orleans and ended up suiting up. And well, those two missed games didn’t seem to take him out of his rhythm, since he took over late in the fourth, shooting the ball as well as he ever has in a Miami Heat uniform.

So, let’s take a look into this Butler scoring dominance right before the All-Star break…

– The missing piece without Butler

Before diving completely into Butler’s late game offensive play, the biggest thing Miami missed without him must be noted first. And that is a downhill presence, both in transition and half-court offense.

The transition offense, which is shown in the first clip, just shows the missing piece of reading situations and capitalizing on them. Miami had a 5 on 4 opportunity, which basically means find Jimmy Butler to create a mismatch or so he can take it right into a defenders chest, and he did just that.

The second clip is the more important element. One of the reasons Miami lost to Atlanta in the previous game was that nobody could get to the rim consistently, which led to constant reliance on three point shots falling. But when Butler’s on the floor, they can get back to their drive-and-kick offensive play, which he can score at the basket at will whenever he chooses to do so.

– Stagnant offense to Butler offense

The six minute mark in the fourth quarter is when Butler pretty much said he was taking over. New Orleans cut Miami’s lead to two points, and the Heat were having major trouble getting into a flow on this possession.

They ended up resetting at the top of the key, flowing into a Goran Dragic-Butler pick and roll. Due to a low shot clock, Josh Hart edged up high on the pick, leading to Dragic lobbing the pass for the rolling Butler. He then rises up at the basket for a layup with Steven Adams contesting, and converts.

Without Bam Adebayo, it seemed like a good set to run with Dragic and Butler, since there’s an immense amount of trust in those veteran guys late in games. I’d also like to see that action run throughout a game more often, since both of them can put their head down and charge the basket, which makes for a unique set.

– Jumpers are falling, legs are rested

This shot from Butler pretty much tells you how the night was going for him, since he doesn’t even attempt shots like this unless he’s feeling it.

But the part to evaluate here is the level of rise he had on this turnaround jumper. When people ask about Butler’s shooting stroke, I always mention it’s completely about his legs. And after missing two games due to knee inflammation, giving him an extra rest, his rise looked better than ever, while the knee swelling was clearly gone.

It’s another reason this team has to feel great about Butler getting a week off at home, instead of a busy All-Star weekend. Miami will be looking to make a second half push, and a rested Jimmy Butler will be at his peak levels.

– The Robinson treatment

Once again, when offense becomes stagnant on a possession, just find Jimmy Butler.

Take a look at Josh Hart guarding Butler on this possession, since he’s basically getting the Duncan Robinson treatment. He gets denied on the first DHO, but immediately comes back into the opposite direction. Hart goes back under the screen this time, and Butler’s slight pump-fake gets both Hart and Adams in the air.

Obviously he made an incredible and-1 triple, but it’s the setup and defensive scheme that stands out more. If teams were to worry about Butler on the perimeter in this fashion, it’ll be an endless night for the opposing team with the amount of dribble penetration he’d present.

– Bail-Out Butler

There were many possessions late in this game where Miami was in awkward positions late in the shot clock. But well, it’s not that awkward when the ball can be given to Butler to bail you out.

As mentioned earlier, these types of shot attempts are pretty rare from him, but there’s a confident feeling when he attempts them since he only does it when the deep ball is feeling good.

Although he has a one-on-one opportunity with a good defender, in Eric Bledsoe, all of the signs were point toward getting to the rim. Late shot clock, under 3 minutes to go, 8 point game, and most importantly, a smaller defender. But instead, a step-back triple with a heavy contest was attempted, and ultimately knocked down.

This Heat team has been in plenty of late-game situations this season, which may be a good thing for their offensive execution down the stretch come playoff time. But it also has given major clarity for this team, since the amount of trust this team has in Butler at that point in the game is very high, while Butler reciprocates that right back.

Therefore, caps off the importance of the Jimmy Butler effect.

Marlins Sign Gio Gonzalez

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The Miami Marlins signed Miami native Gio Gonzalez to a minor league deal this week. If he makes the big league roster, he will make $1 million. The southpaw has had great success throughout his 13 seasons in the MLB, posting a solid 3.70 ERA. He provides a solid veteran presence in the Marlins rotation going into the 2021 season. 

 

Here’s what Miami can expect:

 

A Veteran Impact

 

I have written countless articles detailing how the Marlins staff is in desperate need of a veteran guy to lead the young guys through a full season. Gio Gonzalez does not provide the value that, say, James Paxton would, but he fills the gap nonetheless. Gonzalez is a 2-time All-Star that has been a core piece of great rotations throughout his years. He could be a solid 5th man on an otherwise young and promising rotation.

 

Innings Eater

 

Gio Gonzalez can pitch deep into ball games and has consistently shown his ability to do so throughout his career. In Miami, he is not being asked to be “the guy.” All he needs to do is get the Marlins to the bullpen on his day of work. At this point in time, I believe that Gio Gonzalez will put the Marlins in a better position to win on Day 5 than either Trevor Rogers or Nick Neidert. If Gio can keep it close on half of his outings, the bullpen will be able to steal games on days where the Marlins aren’t expected to win. 

 

Gonzalez Regressing with Age

Statistically, and pretty obviously, he’s not the pitcher he once was. Ever since 2016, Gonzalez has consistently been regressing backwards. His FIP (true pitching statistic similar to ERA that accounts for external factors) was dominant in his years in Oakland and early years in Washington at averaging about a 3.00; however, since 2016, his FIP has slowly jumped yearly landing him at a 5.50 FIP last year in Chicago. Basically, what this tells us is that his quality of pitching was worthy of a 5.50 ERA (he posted a 4.83 actual ERA). His performance is unlikely to skyrocket back up, especially in a strong NL East.

 

Overall for Marlins

 

The Marlins won’t be asking much of Gio Gonzalez if he is a part of the rotation. His regression over the past few years may prove to continue, but I’d take his veteran knowledge over the younger arms right now. 

 

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Victory Over Pelicans

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The Miami Heat finished off the first half of the regular season with a win over the New Orleans Pelicans, getting them to .500 before the All-Star break. A late-game Jimmy Butler takeover led to Miami pulling away, and an Andre Iguodala slam sealed it under a minute to go. So, here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: The Kelly Olynyk show early on.

As I’ve discussed many times in the past, Kelly Olynyk finds himself on one of these takeaway pieces once every few games, since he always has that one breakout game where he can’t miss. And well, that game was tonight. The scoring obviously must be noted first, since he exploded early on, scoring 13 points in the first quarter while the entire Pelicans team scored 15. As I noted before the game, Olynyk was going to have an advantage on the perimeter against the Pelicans’ drop coverage, especially since Steven Adams was dropping. And as expected, he had plenty of open opportunities to begin the game. Instead of discussing his scoring tonight, his passing must be mentioned as well. With Bam Adebayo out, they missed the facilitator in the middle of the offense who can hit back-door cutters in stride, but Olynyk became that guy quickly with high arcing passes time and time again for Miami’s offensive flow.

#2: A smooth running offense is the Jimmy Butler effect.

Coach Erik Spoelstra mentioned after Miami’s strong first quarter that the spacing was looking good. And the reason for that was Jimmy Butler, plain and simple. The last game against the Atlanta Hawks proved that offense can’t flow without a downhill presence and their primary play-maker, in Butler, which bounced back as soon as the ball was tipped. Other than his effortless 11 points in the first half, his 7 assists in that span speak major volume. Miami began to get into their drive and kicks once again, which allowed even more open threes for guys like Olynyk, due to the drop coverage collapsing completely on Butler when attacking. The offense was running quite smoothly on a night without Bam Adebayo, which pretty much proves the amount of impact Butler can have just by his presence.

#3: Precious Achiuwa getting thrown in the fire off the bench, blending in quite perfectly.

It’s not easy to be a starter from middle school to high school to college, then get thrown into the NBA without a Summer League and get placed into a bench role. But well, that’s been the situation for Precious Achiuwa this season, and the adaptation he’s made to that role continues to be very impressive. As soon as he enters the game, his presence is felt as a constant energy and rim runner, while putting major emphasis on runner since he never stops moving. Another thing is that he is totally locked in on his individual job as a screener and roller, while never straying off into other areas in a fast paced game, which most young players tend to do. That point right there highlights his mindset and focus to understand who he is as a player and what benefits the team, and that continued bench role benefits this Heat team majorly.

#4: The natural KZ Okpala roller coaster game.

There’s a lot to dive into when discussing the young career of KZ Okpala. He’s had a few stints throughout the season, and the same negatives and positives continue to pop out. On the negative side of things, the lack of playing time has led to his hesitance in the offense. Almost every time he receives the ball, he doesn’t even almost look toward the rim to try and score. Now, that has a lot to do with just trying to fit in, instead of playing in a free and natural way. But although he may think that unselfish play will lead to increased playing time, it may be the complete opposite. That takes us to the positives in his game, which always come when he avoids that hesitance. The third quarter showed that when he came out immediately and shot a contested three, which although it missed, it’s clear coaches or players got in his ear about it. That led to a very impressive side-step three in the corner, and a nice up and under layup in a solid spurt on both ends, which showcases an expected roller coaster on a nightly basis when he takes the floor.

#5: The non-Butler minutes a worry without Adebayo, which leads to more Dragic.

Non-Jimmy Butler minutes and Goran Dragic pretty much go hand in hand. He’s always been the trusted guy to keep his unit afloat while Butler takes a breather, which is what he did early in the fourth tonight once again. Three-pointer to mid-range jumper to getting to the free throw line. He’s a guy that has been incredibly good at finding mismatches, which is even easier to do against this Pelicans team. On a night that Tyler Herro struggled again, Dragic was going to be needed to get downhill and generate offense, and he did just that. Crafty pump-fakes and footwork around the rim when the defense collapsed, occurred possession after possession. There’s only so much that he can do in those non-Butler spurts, but it’s very promising to continue to see him step up in those spots, then handing the keys back over to Butler to close. And well, he took the keys and drove this team all the way home.