5 Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Raptors

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The Miami Heat played the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night without Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, and Avery Bradley once again, and came away with a very impressive win. Here are five takeaways from this game…

#1: Well, Kendrick Nunn is officially back.

The story of the night for the Miami Heat was Kendrick Nunn. With Goran Dragic and Gabe Vincent starting tonight, Kendrick was the only guard off the bench, so it was clear he’d get a good amount of minutes. But the questions were about how he’d perform in those minutes. And well, he looked like rookie of the year candidate Kendrick Nunn. He scored 16 points in the first half, going 6-8 from the field, scoring from the outside, off the dribble, off cuts, and more. The overall reason for this though was confidence. His body language was just very different throughout the game tonight, and that’s when he performs at his best.

#2: Duncan Robinson’s impressive three-point shooting and three-point efficiency.

If Kendrick didn’t have this unexpected comeback game, Duncan Robinson would probably be the primary story. He hit 4 first quarter threes on 4 attempts, and I don’t know which number is more impressive. His efficiency continues to be a huge part of his game, which is clearly a great thing, but it seems like his attempt numbers matter more than the percentage, especially without Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro. After that first quarter shooting display, he didn’t attempt a three in the second quarter. This team needs Duncan to get as many shots up as possible, since as seen tonight, it opens everything up for others. His game looks to be evolving game by game with his increased role, which we will most likely look back at this stretch down the line as the moment Duncan took the leap.

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#3: Miami’s big man defensive versatility continues to impress.

I think this takeaway goes without saying, but it truly needs to be noted after seeing the match-ups with Toronto. Bam Adebayo being able to switch onto a guard out on the perimeter is clearly impactful for this team, but seeing Precious Achiuwa enter doing the same thing makes it stand out. The Raptors strength is their guard play and the Heat’s weakness is their guard defense, but it doesn’t look as problematic when the bigs switch out without hesitation to lock them up on the perimeter. It doesn’t make this issue any better, but it does highlight that ability on a nightly basis. There’s never a dull moment with Miami’s interchanging energetic big men, since even though they don’t play together, they clearly bounce off each other.

#4: Kelly Olynyk doing the small things.

It didn’t seem like Kelly Olynyk would be in tonight’s takeaway piece, but the stat-sheet solidified it. He scored the ball pretty well tonight, but truly stood out in the other areas. He rebounded the ball well and dished out plenty of assists, which is needed with Jimmy Butler out. He played in plenty of lineups with Precious Achiuwa, which meant he was needed to be the facilitator. He’s also great at making the skip pass to an open man, although it sometimes leads to unnecessary turnovers. Kelly Olynyk seems to be forming into a great fit with the starting lineup, especially since it gives Bam his space to work in the mid-range area.

#5: Miami handles a guard heavy Raptors team without their top guard defenders.

Now, the overall evaluation from the night is actually the guys that Miami was missing. Jimmy Butler and Avery Bradley being out makes you wonder about the perimeter defense on any given night, but especially when facing a Toronto team with Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet. Miami’s guards defending them were Kendrick Nunn, Goran Dragic, Duncan Robinson, and Gabe Vincent, who actually defended quite well during his minutes tonight. The point is that it’s a great sign for Miami to win a game in that department, no matter if Toronto has been struggling or not. This win is clearly a confidence booster, but they will need to do it for another 48 minutes in 48 hours.

Tyler Herro Out Tonight Vs Raptors

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Tyler Herro was ruled out for tonight’s game against the Toronto Raptors due to neck spasms.

When Erik Spoelstra was asked about the injury, he responded, “I don’t have any new update for you, other than he’s making progress.”

He was then asked if he has practiced at all this week, but once again reiterated that’s the only update he has.

This means that Miami will be rolling with the same team from the other night against the Detroit Pistons. But will it be the same starting lineup?

Well, it makes sense to go with a starting Goran Dragic, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Coach Spo makes another abrupt adjustment.

Toronto’s two guard lineups with Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet will clearly hurt Miami’s point of attack weaknesses, which makes me think Gabe Vincent may get the start.

Not because he’s a great defender, but they feel more comfortable with him on that end than others.

Either way, the starting lineup doesn’t hold much value, since as seen the other night, the bench lineups are the ones that seem to spark the team.

Kendrick Nunn will get yet another opportunity, but will KZ Okpala?

I’d bet on him starting again tonight, even though he only played 3 minutes. And if he doesn’t get playing time tonight, don’t bet on him impacting this team any time soon.

Can Kendrick Nunn re-emerge in Miami Heat rotation?

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Kendrick Nunn has been on the outside looking in this year when it comes to his role on the Miami Heat. Nunn has only played in seven games this year after starting 67 games for the Heat last season.

 

However, a strong performance Monday night against the Detroit Pistons showed a glimpse of what he could provide for Miami moving forward. Nunn put up 18 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals while shooting 8-of-15 from the field in a strong 34 minutes of game action.

 

Many were quick to banish him from the rotation in favor of Miami’s second year two-way contract player Gabe Vincent, but Nunn has proven he can play as well as he did last year. What could be Nunn’s role with the Heat after his latest strong performance?

 

The best role for Nunn may be as the ninth or tenth player coming off of the bench. The trends from Erik Spoelstra has shown that Goran Dragic, Precious Achiuwa, and Andre Iguodala will be the first few players off of the bench.

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Maurice Harkless was another name who played well Monday night who could find himself in the rotation moving forward. Harkless had a relatively light stat-line, but his impact on the court defensively can not be overlooked with eight deflections and solid play.

 

This leaves Nunn as the ninth or tenth man coming off the bench. This spot may ultimately be the best spot for him at this point. If he can have a hot scoring night on different occasions, it will provide a nice bench boost scoring wise for Miami as they rank mid-pack at 15th in the league.

 

Nunn has made many mistakes in his previous games this year, but a set rotation the rest of the season would do wonders for every player on the team. They rank dead last in the league when it comes to turnovers per game, which is contributed to the lack of consistent rotations through 12 games.

 

If he can average 10-20 minutes per game in a set rotation, I believe he could have a positive impact for the Heat. Nunn played relatively well last year and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. There are reasons why he could be out of the rotation, but there are positives such as his ability to score and chemistry with other teammates.

 

It wouldn’t be a big loss for Miami if this didn’t turn out well for Nunn. They can easily take him out if he is inefficient and possibly package him in a deal at the deadline. There are many different things they can do with him and Erik Spoelstra has those options.

 

Jimmy Butler and Avery Bradley still remain out due to health and safety protocols and who knows how much longer they may be out. Nunn should have a significant amount of minutes during that stretch of time and he could string off some consistent performances.

 

While many fans think his inconsistency is a detriment to the team, it may be best to not give up on Kendrick Nunn quite yet.

 

Will The Bam Adebayo-Precious Achiuwa Duo Be Seen?

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The two guys that many fans have been waiting to get a look at on the floor together is Miami’s centerpiece, Bam Adebayo, and the rookie, Precious Achiuwa.

They have similar games, due to their high energy and versatility on the defensive end, which makes many people wonder about them on the court at the same time.

Erik Spoelstra was asked about it, and said, “Defensively they can wreck a lot of havoc just with their size and quickness and physicality. We’re just trying to simplify as much as possible with Precious.”

And that last part tells you why they haven’t been seen together.

One of Precious Achiuwa’s biggest staples this far into the season is that he plays his exact role no matter who he is facing, and doesn’t get rattled or flustered.

And the coaching staff seems to want to keep it that way. “Simplifying” his game has a lot to do with allowing Precious to do what he does best, without changing anything within his role or play-style.

Although Erik Spoelstra hinted at these two not being seen much together as of right now, he mentioned possibly utilizing it once in a while.

It’s pretty clear that Erik Spoelstra always keeps something in his pocket that he can use when most needed, and this may be his card this season.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t play them together in all 72 games, then throws them out there in the first round of the postseason.

And this year’s unplayable card is much more deadly than a 2-3 zone that he kept in his pocket last year. This is something that seems like the perfect fix when Miami needs a defensive boost, and it’s a low risk due to both players being so under control.

Miami knows they have something with each of these players individually, but the question becomes as a duo. And I believe it has much more to do with timing, than it does about simplifying.

A Bam Adebayo Breakdown Against Detroit

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Bam Adebayo was the story of the night against the Detroit Pistons, since his offensive package was finally put on full display. Many are aware of his defensive presence that I’ll highlight a bit here, but taking a look at his offensive improvement is the most important thing to highlight.

Here’s a breakdown of Bam Adebayo’s performance…

– Bam and Duncan 2 Man Game

The first thing to obviously evaluate with Bam Adebayo on offense is the dribble hand-off connection with Duncan Robinson. Coach Spo inserted them both with 20 seconds left in the quarter, so they can try and get a bucket before the buzzer. As seen here, Duncan’s gravity even stands when attacking the basket. The deadliness of this DHO combo has been discussed, but Duncan’s ability to put the ball on the floor like this elevates them even more. And although Duncan is harped on with this combo, it wouldn’t be possible without Bam’s screen setting, offensive activity, and most importantly his main job of being the safety net.

– The Improvements of that 2 Man Game

The play shown previously is pretty much what we are used to seeing with these two, but this play showcases the evolution. Duncan becoming more confident in other areas of his game allows Bam to thrive even more in these sets. He fakes the DHO to Gabe Vincent, then hands it off to Robinson for a 2 on 1 opportunity. He threw the lob up comfortably and Bam finished at the rim. These last two games without Herro and Butler allowed them to develop their chemistry in different ways offensively, and it looks like it is paying off.

– The Jab Step Jumper

For starters, I’ve been saying since the beginning of the season that Bam’s jumper looks most fluid after a jab step. It just seems to put him into his normal shooting motion, since he creates the space that is needed. On this play, Bam gives a jab step left, and sends Plumlee flying backwards, which gives Bam more than enough space to connect on the elbow jumper. After teams watch film on Bam, they’re aware of his ability to put the ball on the deck and get to the rim, and that ultimately allows Bam’s jab step to become more and more effective.

– Rebound, Dribble, Full-Court Dime

Well, this is Bam Adebayo at his finest, surveying the floor after a rebound to find the open man. Here, he grabs the board and sees the open Kendrick Nunn at the other end of the court. He throws a pass in-between all of Detroit’s defenders for a Kendrick Nunn layup. That is when Bam Adebayo’s full offensive package is seen. He’s able to do so many things on the floor, and it’s hard for a defense to keep up with, especially slower big men. This isn’t really highlighting growth, since he’s always had this and utilized it, but it’s still an important part of his game to get others involved.

– An Attacking Adebayo

As much as it’s great to harp on Bam’s jump-shot, this is the best part of his offensive game. He dribbles the ball up the floor on the first possession of the second half, and immediately attacks the rim. The other four Miami Heat players are cleared out on the opposite end of the floor, giving him the space he needs to do what he does best. Not only did he get to the spot he loves to get to, it ended up sending him to his actual favorite part of the floor, the free throw line. Bam’s free throw attempts and makes have been increasing rapidly, and that’s when his entire game will come together.

– The Small Things Aren’t So Small

This play right here may look like a normal Bam Adebayo pass seen every single game, but that just makes it more impressive. First off, his ability to read everything so thoroughly, noticing Kelly Olynyk being open after the screen down low. But more important, his ability to throw a wrap around baseline pass in a congested area isn’t normal for a big man. And although many will say it’s because he’s not a normal big, these types of plays solidify that.

– Adebayo’s Defensive Activity

These are the types of plays that label Bam Adebayo as the great defender that he is. He switches out onto Derrick Rose on the pick and roll to double team, and forces him to swing it. Detroit then tries to find the open man, while Bam immediately drops back down to Plumlee. As he gets there, he notices the pass Plumlee is about to make and jumps the passing lane, poking it loose from Grant. His defensive awareness is off the charts, but pair that up with his natural quickness and length, and it’ll tell you why he continues to wreck havoc on that end of the floor.

– The Jumpers are Coming as Confidence Rises

Now, here are the possessions that Bam’s jumper comes into play. First off, as I mentioned earlier, it all derives off of confidence. On the first play, Bam notices Plumlee giving him way too much space, so he takes one dribble up to the free throw line for a pull-up mid-range. After that shot, you can tell by his body language that he has that confidence in his jumper now. The next play he looks to take Plumlee off the dribble on the baseline, and when he’s cut off, instinctively pulls back for a step back jumper. His jump-shots need to be instinctive, since that’s when he shoots naturally without thinking about it. He clearly has it in him, but it comes down to him utilizing it consistently.

– The Bam Block or The Bam Clamps

This Bam block to close the game out was described as the play of the game, but I don’t even think it was the most impressive part of the possession. Miami clearly needed a stop, and the ball was going to be in Jerami Grant’s hands. Bam switched out onto him on the perimeter, and did what he does best: Lock guys down on the outside. Not only does he stay in front of him the entire time, but he angles his body perfectly to cut him off before getting to the basket, leading to an outstanding block. It’s the small things with Bam Adebayo, but it doesn’t get highlighted much since he does it so effortlessly.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Victory Over Pistons

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The Miami Heat faced off against the Detroit Pistons once again, and came away with a much needed win. They struggled again early, but battled back without Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler once again. Anyway, here are five takeaways…

#1: Precious Achiuwa the energizer, Precious Achiuwa the leader.

The player that stood out from the moment he checked in tonight was rookie Precious Achiuwa. It seems as if I discuss him in every one of these takeaway pieces, and that’s because he stands out in a certain area every night. Tonight, he showed his leadership abilities, while only being 11 games into his NBA career. When Miami began to trail big time early in the first quarter, Precious shared the floor with Kendrick Nunn, Gabe Vincent, and Moe Harkless, and Achiuwa seemed to become the voice on the floor. Communicating after plays to get the team energized, and he did just that. In both of Miami’s first half runs, Precious was on the floor, and it wasn’t a coincidence. He’s another one of those high impact players that Miami loves, and he continues to improve in all areas of his game.

#2: Kendrick Nunn gives quality offensive minutes.

Well, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, and Avery Bradley being out means major openings at the guard position. And even though many aren’t high on Kendrick Nunn at the moment, Coach Erik Spoelstra shows to have the utmost confidence. Kendrick did exactly what was needed from him, which was to score the basketball. He looked to have confidence in his jump-shot, and it’s great to see him showing these flashes. Now, he still may not look like rookie Kendrick Nunn, but it surely was a step up from his production to begin the year. Miami needed offensively sounded players to step up tonight without their primary scorers, and he played his role.

#3: Rebounding continues to look like the biggest Miami issue.

I’ve gone through a bunch of Miami’s issues including turnovers, lack of shot attempts, and others, but none stand out like the lack of rebounding. Obviously Detroit is a big team, but this is an ongoing thing that occurs nightly. The Pistons continued to dominate the offensive boards, which once again translates to more shot attempts. If Miami could’ve cut those offensive rebounds in half, they would’ve controlled the game with ease, but clearly that’s not the case. As many people harp on different additions that can be made to this team, a guy that can be plugged in the front-court looks to be the team’s biggest need. Many times throughout the game, Bam is the sole big on the floor, and when he flies out to the perimeter on a close-out, it leads to an easy put-back. He needs help on the glass, and it doesn’t look to be on the roster, unless Spo decides to pair him up with Precious Achiuwa.

#4: Duncan Robinson shoots Miami through this game.

Duncan Robinson looked like the same old Duncan Robinson, but in a game where Miami trailed for most of it, it’s necessary to highlight it. Miami needed a source of offense with Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro out, and Duncan gave them a huge boost after connecting on the usual dribble hand-off threes. Although his stats don’t scream off the stat sheet tremendously, it had more to do with the timing of his scores. He was the reason for Miami’s two big offensive runs in the first half. The reason he is the biggest threat when Miami begins to get momentum on a run is because he’s much better in a quick flow. When Miami begins to run and build a rhythm, Duncan becomes more and more effective as a scorer.

#5: Bam Adebayo’s scoring aggressiveness seems to come out with a Miami lead.

The big discussion throughout tonight’s game with Bam Adebayo was about him taking initiative. When Miami needed a burst of offense when trailing, he continued to facilitate and get others going. There were many moments throughout where Bam looked to have clear opportunities to try and score, but decided to defer. But once Miami got a decent lead in the second half, his offense began to be seen. Now, that could be a type of confidence that he can play free with the ball in his hands due to the game situation, but it clearly worked. This starts to make Heat fans wonder why this isn’t seen more often. He began to hit the mid-range jumper consistently, but as I’ve mentioned many times, I believe it’s more important to see him put the ball on the floor and attack.

Ozuna Could Be a Good Fit For Marlins

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The Miami Marlins’ old friend Marcell Ozuna could be a good fit going into the 2021 season. After a 6th place finishes in the MVP voting in 2020, the 30-year old slugger enters free agency with a high possibility of switching teams. The Marlins are in desperate need of a consistent power bat in the middle of the lineup. Averaging a career of 27 home runs and 97 RBIs per season, Marcell Ozuna provides just that.

Here are some key reasons Ozuna fits in Miami:

Marlins Can Transition Marte to the Leadoff Role

First of all, the Marlins just straight up could not hit in the 2020 season. They found themselves at the bottom of almost every single offensive statistic except for stolen bases. Ozuna provides a force in the middle of the lineup that pitchers have to be wary of. The Marlins were forced to put Starling Marte in the middle of the lineup as the central force. Ozuna allows Marte to transition back to his true leadoff role. Marte can play his normal game: get on base and let the cleanup hitters drive him in. 

Ozuna Provides Consistency

With the exception of a weak 2019 campaign, Ozuna has hit .312, .280, and .338 in the 2017, 2018, and 2020 campaigns respectively. In combination with his power and ability to drive in runs, Ozuna can level out an uneven lineup and put the Marlins in a position to win more games by sheer force. In pitching duels, which Marlins are most likely going to find themselves in, one run makes the difference.

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Ozuna Gives Marlins More Veteran Playoff Experience

Ozuna also brings even more playoff experience. Since his tenure in Miami, he has been a part of two playoff runs (St. Louis and Atlanta) in which he has hit a combined .284 with 5 home runs and 16 RBIs. Although the younger players got experience in the playoffs this past season, a veteran duo in Marte and Ozuna could allow even quicker progression than we have already been seeing.

Overall

Ozuna is a terrible defender, but with most of the Marlins issues coming from the offensive side of things, there is merit to overlooking those deficiencies in an attempt to alleviate the more glaring issue. The only questions left to be asked: Will Kim Ng and the front office cough up the money for a star player? Or will they continue on a rebuilding plan that disregards the surprising success of the 2020 season?

 

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Phil Neville to be Announced Inter Miami CF Manager

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After officially stepping down as head coach of the England Women’s National Team Monday morning, Phil Neville is set to become the Inter Miami CF manager. The Athletic has reported that the club is expected to make an official announcement within the next 24 hours (as of 7am Monday).

Reports have been buzzing around for a while that this move was set to take place. Even before the club announced that they had “mutually parted ways” with former club manager Diego Alonso, it was rumored that David Beckham had been in talks with his former teammate about becoming the manager at his MLS side.

After retiring as a player in 2013, Neville started a managerial career and took numerous jobs as assistant manager before becoming the Lionesses first team manager in 2018. Actually, in 2012 Neville was given an essential assistant role for the England U21’s before officially retiring from play. David Moyes at Manchester United in 2014 gave him a first-team coach role before Neville went on to purchase Salford City and help manage there as part owner. From 2015-2016, Neville took a job as an assistant at the Spanish club Valencia CF before landing his most recent job.

In January of 2018, the England Women’s National Team announced that Phil Neville would finally become a head manager leading into the 2019 Women’s World Cup. Neville’s goal was to take the Lionesses past what they had done in their previous World Cup run and finally make a final. After falling short of that goal in 2019, Neville and the National Team never found a good run of form, and he’s leaving the side on quite a sour note. There were seven defeats in their last eleven games, and Neville himself admitted he was personally responsible and would step down in July of 2021 when his contract ran up. But when David Beckham is on the other line, it seems like you step down even sooner.

Beckham and Neville were teammates at Manchester United until 2003 when Beckham ended up leaving for Real Madrid. There is some familiarity between the two sides, and with Beckham reported to take a more “hands-on role” at the club, a familiar face heading your club’s roster is likely the first thing you look towards.

Many criticisms that supporters and even non-supporters will have about bringing in Neville is that he is not decorated or seasoned enough in the coaching side of football just yet. Neville has no head experience coaching a club’s men’s side after only being a head manager for a national team and a women’s side. Although still VERY high level, there are drastic differences in both games. His time as an assistant at Valencia, Man United, and Salford are the only things on his resume to give him coaching experience in this aspect. However, like Diego Alonso, Phil Neville has no experience with MLS through his playing AND coaching career up to this point. That proved to be an issue as Alonso seemed never to have found a good comfort level here in the states with Inter Miami.

It has been said that an announcement from Inter Miami CF is to come in hours. Phil Neville will be taking over as the club manager, who also has other front-office vacancies to fill.

 

A Breakdown of Miami’s Second Half Struggles Vs Detroit

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The Miami Heat had a rough night against the Detroit Pistons on both sides of the floor. Although they were without Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro, some things consistently look problematic.

Here are some video breakdowns referring to the collapse in the second half…

– Defensive Awareness

At the beginning of the third quarter, Bam Adebayo and KZ Okpala continued to wreck havoc on their switches in the pick and roll. On this play, they look to do that again, as Kelly Olynyk slides over to cut off Jerami Grant on the drive. Instead though, that cut off was not needed, since Bam would’ve had the angle regardless. That led to an open corner three for Blake Griffin on the wing. The reason awareness plays a part is because Grant had it going at this point and Griffin had not shot the ball well, so it made sense to cut him off. But when it’s KZ and Bam on the perimeter, it’s necessary to just worry about your guy off the ball.

– Duncan Denial

When I discuss Duncan Robinson’s gravity, this is part of the reason. There is constant denial as he runs around the perimeter, and when he gets the ball, he has zero room to get a shot off. This was great for Detroit to do, especially at this point in the game since the offense was choppy from everyone on the floor. When this begins to happen, it usually allows guys like Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro to benefit, but obviously that wasn’t the case. Goran Dragic usually benefits from these spurts as well, but he did not have it going at all.

– Stagnant Offense Turns Into Forced Offense

 

As mentioned previously, the offense was clearly stagnant at this point, where Miami couldn’t get into their usual efficient offensive sets. To that point, Goran and Bam run a quick pick and roll, while Dragic forces a lob pass over the top just inside the free throw line, leading to a turnover. Usually when Miami’s turnovers begin to kick in, Goran is the one to settle them down. But that wasn’t the case yesterday, and it was even more necessary with Tyler and Jimmy out. The clear issue has been turnovers, since it leads to easy baskets, and less shot attempts.

– Turnovers to Points

After the careless Goran Dragic lob showed previously, Jerami Grant runs the break. Miami is clearly out of sorts in their transition defense, and it leads to Miami basically giving up on the play at the end of the possession. Bam runs into the picture late, and ends up standing out on the perimeter. And that’s the reason for poor defensive possessions: Standing around. As Bam explained after the game, that’s not Miami Heat defense. Some stuff is obviously schematic, but most of it seems to be about actually take pride on that end of the floor. And Miami hasn’t been doing that.

– Poor Spacing Leads to Poor Shots

Miami’s spacing on these possessions toward the end of the third quarter were non-existent, especially since Bam and Duncan were on the sideline. Andre looks to give Goran a dribble hand-off, but Goran pops out instead while Precious sets a screen. This causes three defenders piled up in one spot on the floor. But the worst part is that it led to an Andre Iguodala three with 13 seconds left on the shot clock. It almost seemed as if Miami gave up on a lot of possessions when things didn’t go their way.

– No Initiative 

Now, the biggest thing that stood out from Miami’s offense last night was the expectation level from many players on the team. They were waiting for somebody to take initiative and create offense, but nobody chose to do so. That resulted in many empty possessions like the Iguodala three showed before. I don’t want to continually harp on the players they were missing, but Jimmy and Tyler help tremendously with taking initiative with the ball in their hands. When nobody takes initiative, over-passing begins to occur, and that leads right back to the turnover issue.

– Poor Defensive Execution

The game was over at this point in the fourth quarter, but these are the type of defensive breakdowns that continued to occur from Miami throughout. KZ Okpala didn’t make a quick enough decision to go out and double team or stay on his man, which meant the passer has the ability to find the open man. Goran slides down to the big, while his man cuts to the basket for an easy bucket. It just doesn’t seem to be one issue on that end of the floor. With some players it’s decision making, while others may need a bit more “heart” as Bam Adebayo said post-game.

Stevenson chooses Canes while McCloud, Gaynor, and Williams to return in 2021

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Saturday was yet another wild day for Miami Hurricanes football with a lot of positive news that ensued. We’ve got some familiar faces coming back along with one not-so-familiar but also familiar face at the same time making a homecoming. I’m here to get you all caught up.

 

As expected, former Georgia DB and Miami-native Stevenson transfers back home

 

Earlier this week, former five-star CB Tyrique Stevenson chose to enter the transfer portal after two years at Georgia, with immediate reports connecting him to making the move closer to home at Miami. Stevenson made the official announcement on Saturday in a tweet.

 

 

The Canes landed Stevenson, who actually chose Georgia over the Canes during the Early Signing Period in December of 2019 when he was highly recruited out of Miami Southridge. 

 

There were multiple reports that cited Stevenson’s desire to return to the area but two days ago, Sports Illustrated reported that he had become “unhappy” with his role on the defense. He was recruited as a cornerback, but he spent a lot of time at the STAR position in 2019, which is comparable to the nickel/slot cornerback but a little more complex. Coupled with his role in the blitz packages and according to Dawgs Daily, Stevenson would make subtle comments throughout the 2020 season about wanting to transfer.

 

Getting a player of Stevenson’s caliber is hugely important. He is a high-level talent that will absolutely help the team’s lack of depth at cornerback and he will still have two more years of eligibility. He has a combination of great size for his position (6’0”, 202 lbs.) and great speed (clocked at a 4.49 40 as a high school senior) who played in every game in his two years with the Bulldogs and compiled 10 PBU’s.

 

McCloud, Gaynor, and Williams returning in 2021

 

LB Zach McCloud, C Corey Gaynor, and T Jarrid Williams all announced on Saturday that they will return in 2021, with McCloud and Williams availing the special NCAA exception. 

 

McCloud will be a 6th-year senior who was commended for previously redshirting in 2019. He has 164 tackles in his Canes career, with 27 this past season and two sacks. It is very likely that the coaching staff will move him to defensive end in 2021 as new (and former) Miami defensive line coach Jess Simpson will have a tough task replacing the likes of Jaelan Phillips and Quincy Roche. 

 

Gaynor and Williams is incredible news for an offensive line unit that was thought to have yet another season with limited depth. Williams transferred to Miami from Houston before the 2020 season and added stability at right tackle, starting all 10 games this season. Williams will become a 7th-year senior in 2021 after redshirting twice with the Cougars.

 

 

Gaynor on the other hand has been a steady contributor ever since he arrived on campus in 2016. Initially, Miami had been set on Jakai Clark or even incoming freshman Ryan Rodriguez to replace Gaynor. But instead, Gaynor will be hiking the ball for the Canes for a 5th season. 

 

The rest of the Sixth Ring Canes crew and I will be discussing all of this AND the kind of impact new DB coach Travaris Robinson will have later today at 3 PM on a new episode of The Sixth Ring. We will also be having State of the U writer and Onside Radio host Marsh Thomas join us as he gives us his thoughts on all of the craziness. Be sure to tune in, you won’t want to miss it!