Opportunities Creating for Players Across the NBA, Especially for Miami

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There’s never been an NBA season with more opportunities for players at the bottom of the roster than this year.

As we continue to see stuff occurring in the NBA with positive Covid tests and contact tracings, it’s clear every player will be utilized for every team going forward.

The big question coming in for this Miami Heat team was the rotation decisions. And although it seems as if Coach Erik Spoelstra has his 9 man rotation set for now, things can change at any time. Especially when discussing the youth at the end of the roster.

Coach Spo talked about Kendrick Nunn’s continued persistence a few days ago, mentioning him staying ready for any opportunity, “which will come again.”

There have been mixed emotions surrounding Kendrick Nunn from the bubble to now, since his role has taken a huge dip. But when these unfortunate circumstances occur involving the virus on a team, you have to feel comfortable with your 10th or 11th guy being a starter in the year prior in one of the most effective starting lineups.

Added opportunities are not only forming for Kendrick Nunn though. The biggest chance at an increase in role will be for KZ Okpala.

Many can break down the reasoning for Okpala’s lack of playing time this season, but his biggest necessity right now is just floor time. He has every attribute you would want in a lengthy and athletic wing, but as Spoelstra alluded to in the past, it’s about putting it all together. And quality reps at the NBA level is the fastest way for improvement.

There may be a game going forward where Miami only has 8 players available, and if KZ Okpala is one of them, that can be his big chance to break into the rotation.

KZ Okpala’s journey up to this point has been quite the roller coaster. But one thing that has stayed steady is the public belief in his skillset between fans and the Miami Heat organization.

Now, this is also where Miami’s two-way guys can come into play. Gabe Vincent and Max Strus have both shown flashes of offensive firepower through their shooting.

When Coach Spo touched on Miami’s G-League team not going to Orlando, he said, “Our two way guys Max and Gabe are getting a great deal of work. Those are bonuses to staying here with us.”

They’ve been going through the same reps as the starters over the past few weeks, so if it comes down to it, they will be ready as well to prove themselves.

The point is that, although the current situation in the NBA is unfortunate, players will be getting opportunities that would not be possible in a normal NBA season.

It’s hopeful that not only the players on the Miami Heat get cleared and stay healthy, but the rest of the teams in the NBA as well. But with the current situation involving the Miami Heat, some guys may get their time to shine if the league decides to push through.

This period of time will be something this Heat team looks back on in a few months, since I have a feeling the rotation looks a lot different by the end of the season, just by in-house adjustments.

What is Next for the NBA and Miami Heat?

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The Miami Heat’s game against the Boston Celtics got postponed on Sunday night, after some things involving contact tracing needed to be sorted out.

The first thing that comes to mind when seeing this is that a postponement one night prior could’ve prevented some things, since issues have been obvious involving the Washington Wizards.

But ultimately, it was probably inevitable either way. There are Covid spikes happening across the country, which makes this NBA season very interesting over the next few weeks.

It seems like a viable option to put the season off for a few weeks, especially since Adm Silver says he is “optimistic about improvements in February,” according to the Athletic.

As Adrian Wojnarowski reported for ESPN, there will be a meeting today with team’s General Managers, as well as special Board of Governors meeting tomorrow.

All of the information being reported is subject to change, since there just truly is uncertainty about what could happen next.

Although Adam Silver and the NBA are very focused on continuing the season, this current stretch of time is crucial in many aspects involving the virus.

And as for the Miami Heat, Tim Reynolds reported the Heat are scheduled to fly to Philadelphia tonight, but once again things can change at any moment.

While they are still sorting out the specifics of the contact tracing for Miami, there is still unknown if they would have the required 8 players cleared for tomorrow’s game.

We will see what happens over the next 24 hours, but this stretch of time in the NBA, and in our country, are going to be very important when discussing Covid-19 moving forward.

Yankees Dropping the Ball on LeMahieu

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The MVP Finalist DJ LeMahieu remains one of the best free agents remaining within this offseason. He finished off the 2020 season batting .364, leading the Majors in batting average leading the Yankees to an NLDS appearance where they lost to the AL Champion Tampa Bay Rays.

 

LeMahieu tops a shortlist of superstar free agents remaining on the market, and although many assumed he would resign with the Bronx Bombers, talks between the two have stalled significantly in recent days.

 

The two-time batting Champion has said that he has not reached out to other teams, but still remains unhappy with how the Yankees are dealing with his potential resigning. With catchers and pitchers due to report to Spring Training within the next 5 weeks, time is running out and the Yankee’s inaction could spur LeMahieu to sign elsewhere. 

High Price for High Spenders

He is expecting a deal upwards of $100 million and it seems that his former team is hesitant to pull the trigger. Because of this, DJ’s team has reached out to other teams that have shown interest such as the defending champion LA Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, and high-spending New York Mets.

Yankees Could Lose A Key Piece

DJ’s decision may play a major role for a Yankees team that fell one run short of making the ALCS. The Yankees remain a strong team, and maintaining depth is key for them to make a big run in the 2021 season and compete with an elite Rays team. Losing DJ LeMahieu would hurt their lineup significantly. Statistically alone, he provides immense value; however, a lot of his value is in his ability to force pitchers to throw a lot of pitches, allowing sluggers such as Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge to have a man on base consistently, making it more likely they see good pitches to hit.

 

Only time will tell where the All-Star will end up, but the Yanks need to step up before they lose a key man to their operation.

 

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Why is Attacking the Basket Essential for Tyler Herro?

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In Miami’s match-up with the Washington Wizards on Saturday night, Tyler Herro put on a scoring clinic, reaching a new career high 31 points.

The scoring wasn’t being generated from the perimeter though. Instead, he continued to attack the basket on Washington’s weak defenders, and used his craftiness to score around the rim.

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The reason that part of Tyler’s game is so important is because the rest of his strengths generate from it. Once Tyler gets into the paint a few possessions, it leads to more room on the perimeter for him to work. And when they began to play high on him, he found himself wide open off back door cuts for open layups.

And as I’ve mentioned in the past, it’s when his passing abilities are most visible. He is a great play-maker once he is in an offensive rhythm, since he makes instinctive decisions instead of over thinking.

When Tyler Herro is rolling with confidence, it’s when he is at his best.

Before this game, he mentioned throughout the week that the performance against Boston was totally on him, and he needs to be better. And well, he was.

This team is very confident with Tyler Herro having the keys on the offensive side of the ball, especially since it gives their two stars, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, a break from their efforts on the defensive end.

Another main reason Tyler Herro’s penetration is important for his overall game, is because it leads to increased effort on the defensive end.

When he sees the ball go through the net a few times, the energy levels naturally rise. And although Tyler struggles on that end, all you can ask for is effort.

If he can consistently score at the rim on a nightly basis, it makes everybody’s job easier, especially Duncan Robinson. Now that they’re sharing the floor quite a lot, it’s important for them to bounce off each other offensively.

It’ll be interesting to see if Tyler Herro can keep this up on the second night of a back to back, since they’re playing a short-handed Boston Celtics team.

5 Takeaways from Miami’s Win Over Washington

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The Miami Heat played a short-handed Washington Wizards team on Saturday night, and came away with the win. The Miami Heat looked pretty sharp offensively throughout, which clearly won them this game. Here are five takeaways from the game…

#1: Miami comes out on fire offensively, but invisible defensively.

The Miami Heat set a franchise first quarter record tonight, scoring 47 points on 78% shooting. Only issue was that Washington put up 44 points as well in that first quarter. As much as we can discuss Miami’s impressive shooting early, the defense is what truly needs to be keyed in on. The reason for that is because you’re playing a team without their two best players, Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal. A lack of individual efforts on defense was obvious, since there seemed to be a lack of urgency. That is not surprising, since that is what usually happens when going into a game against a team without their top players. It comes down to intensity on that end of the floor, and they didn’t have it early in this game.

#2: Kelly Olynyk having one of those Kelly Olynyk like games.

In Miami’s impressive first quarter scoring display, Kelly Olynyk was one of the players that truly shined. It is known that Kelly is capable of having those type of shooting games, but it just come down to consistency. Tonight was one of those games though, where he just couldn’t miss from deep. He also used his nightly fake hand-off, which usually ends up with an open layup at the rim. It was especially needed for Kelly Olynyk to have this type of performance tonight, since Bam Adebayo and Precious Achiuwa each had three early fouls. Obviously nothing can be replicated on defense or by rebounding, but the offensive boost was a huge positive for this team.

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#3: Goran Dragic getting back to his normal shooting abilities.

Goran Dragic, surprisingly, hasn’t been shooting the ball great to begin the year. Heading into this game, he was shooting 25% from beyond the arc. But he came out in the first quarter going 4 for 4 from three, which i discussed before the game since Washington’s lackluster defense can give those types of guys the rhythm they’ve been looking for. Those 4 triples were his only scores in the first half, and actually his only four attempts, but he used his passing to create for others on offense. The defense began to fly high, which led to him dribbling right by for a kick to the opposite wing or corner for a three. And that right there is the Goran Dragic effect.

#4: Tyler Herro showcases his great touch around the rim.

Tyler Herro was scoring the ball well tonight against the Wizards, mostly by attacking the basket with the ball in his hands. He seems to have great touch around the rim when using the basket, almost Goran-like, and showed his aggressiveness to get to the rim. He also cuts off the ball quite a lot, and against a defense like Washington, he found himself open a few times. And once he begins to get his scoring going, his play-making begins to look better and better. Not only did he score the ball well tonight, but he scored it efficiently, and that’s more important than anything.

#5: Jimmy Butler’s offensive initiative was this Heat team’s staple.

Although many of Miami’s players exploded on offense in that first quarter, nobody scored the ball as consistently as Jimmy Butler did tonight. He clearly could score the ball at will tonight against this poor Washington defense, and chose to do just that throughout the game. He probably could’ve done it a lot more, but that’s just not Jimmy’s game. Well, unless he’s in the finals. I’m pretty sure everybody is aware that Jimmy is more than capable of taking over on offense when needed, but if there was uncertainty, tonight should’ve cleared that up. Once again, there’s not much to takeaway when it’s against a team you’re supposed to beat, but Butler can do exactly that against pretty much anybody.

How Can Miami’s Game Against Washington Be the Big Turn-Around?

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One of the biggest issues for Miami has been the lack of getting a good amount of shot attempts up, which turnovers and rebounding have played into that.

Miami currently ranking 26th in the NBA in points per game mirrors that statement as well.

But how cam Miami turn things around in their match-up with Washington?

Although we can dive into things Miami can do better, looking sharper on offense will be the spark for everything else. And since Washington’s defense is known to not be very good, the Heat can use this game to get into a rhythm.

When the players spoke with media on Friday afternoon, there seemed to be a mutual statement and feeling towards the importance of this road trip. Tyler Herro even mentioned looking back at it later in the season, since it can be the turning point.

Tyler Herro is also the name that can benefit from this game tomorrow. He has taken major accountability for Miami’s struggles, saying “Everything is on me.” But I’m not so sure it’s all on him.

Many can point to his offensive struggles thus far, but he’s actually averaging the same exact numbers he put up in his rookie season, just with a bit better field goal percentage. Now, of course those numbers should be up since it’s supposed to be his second year breakout, but they’re only seven games in. He will begin to find a rhythm offensively, which can ultimately be a huge plus for this team.

His three point shooting has not been ideal this far especially, since he is currently shooting 30% from three. And even with Goran Dragic’s hot start, he is shooting 25% from beyond the arc up to this point.

Lastly, many figured Bam Adebayo would take a leap in aggressiveness and initiative to begin the season, but that hasn’t happened as much as many would’ve liked as well.

It’s a combination of a bunch of guys across the board that have contributed to Miami’s struggles, but each of them can look to benefit in this road trip, starting with the Washington Wizards.

Miami should be able to explode offensively on Saturday night, which would be even better due to the fact that they can rest for the following night against Boston.

And once offense begins to generate on this Heat team, that will make their other issues much less noticeable.

If they come out with the mindset of just getting the ball up when they have an opportunity, rhythm will begin to form.

Top 5 MLB Offseason Moves To Date

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The 2020 MLB offseason has not been quiet. Throughout the few months, we have been without baseball, we have seen multiple moves that will change the landscape of Major League Baseball as we know it. As of January 7th, 5 key moves stick out as the defining moments of the offseason. Let’s break down what each of them means for the teams involved:

 

  1. Rangers trade P Lance Lynn to White Sox for P Dane Dunning

 

The White Sox sputtered out in the 2020 playoffs in game 3 of the Wild Card Series versus the Oakland Athletics. Throughout their shortened 2020 season, it was evident that they lacked a consistent third starter. They paid the price in game 3, starting a young Dane Dunning, losing 6-4 to the A’s.

 

Lance Lynn, much to the surprise of the baseball world, has been one of the best starters in the MLB over the past 2 seasons. He has thrown over 290 innings (most in MLB) and has been a phenomenal piece on a noncontending Texas Rangers ball club. This move allows Lynn to once again compete on a contender as searches for his 2nd World Series ring. 

 

The Texas Rangers also get a young arm that will hopefully develop as they continue to rebuild.

 

If Lynn continues to pitch at an elite level, the White Sox will be extremely dangerous this season.

 

  1. Braves sign P Charlie Morton

 

The Atlanta Braves had 3 chances to make the World Series after going up 3-1 versus the LA Dodgers in the 2020 NLCS. Nothing new to Atlanta fans, the lead disappeared quickly. The pitching depth of the Dodgers outlasted an extremely young core of Braves pitchers. 

 

Adding Charlie Morton could be exactly what the Braves need to get over the hump and find themselves in the fall classic. Max Fried is the ace of the team. But questions still remain about Ian Anderson, Mike Soroka, and Kyle Wright due to either their inconsistency in 2020 or lack of experience overall. Charlie Morton has thrived as an electric number 2/3 throughout his career, most notably behind Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander in Houston and Tyler Glasnow in Tampa Bay. 

 

As a career ground ball pitcher, Charlie Morton will continue to get consistent outs and perform in the playoffs for a thriving Atlanta team. The threats of San Diego and Los Angeles still loom ahead, but with this much talent, anything is possible.

 

  1. Indians trade SS Francisco Lindor and P Carlos Carrasco to Mets for IF Amed Rosario, IF Andrés Giménez, and Minor Leaguers RHP Josh Wolf and OF Isaiah Greene

 

Earlier today, the high-spending New York Mets were finally the team to pull the trigger on free-swinging Lindor. Rumors have spread since the start of the offseason as to where the smiling shortstop would end up. It looks like he will land in the Big Apple.

 

The underachieving Mets struggled all of last year, but with new ownership, they have found themselves spending big in order to overcome a lack of 2020 success. Clearly, this strategy has not always worked in baseball, and at this point time will only tell. However, adding superstar talent in Francisco Lindor and another good arm in Carlos Carrasco definitely will not hurt. 

 

The Mets have struggled to find starters past Jacob deGrom that can provide stability. Although Lindor may provide more value to a team individually. In New York, however, Carlos Carrasco may be more of a deciding factor in how successful this team is. The Mets have lacked pitching for years, and if deGrom, Stroman, and Carrasco can become a solid rotation, the Mets will find themselves back in playoff contention.

 

On the other hand, the Indians add pieces for future success. Time will tell who won this trade, but in the short term, the Mets will be the only of the two to see direct results.

 

Padres Take the Cake

 

  1. Padres trade for P Yu Darvish in 7 player deal with Cubs

 

The San Diego Padres were one of the best teams in baseball in the shortened 2020 season. Behind star power on the offensive end in Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, they looked ready to make a deep postseason run. Much like every other team, however, they couldn’t surpass the hump of the Los Angeles Dodgers, losing in the NLDS.

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This team is full of potential and adding a Cy young candidate in Yu Darvish will help to mitigate their pitching issues. A trade of this level puts them in an even stronger position than they were last year.

 

Last year, Darvish was 8-3 with a 2.01 ERA on a Cubs team that lost to the weak Miami Marlins in the Wild Card Series.

 

If Yu Darvish pitches to the level we saw in 2020, the Padres will be a force to be reckoned with, especially within the NL West.

 

  1. Padres trade for P Blake Snell with the Tampa Bay Rays

 

Having Yu Darvish was not enough. The Padres went out and traded for a former Cy Young winner this time. Blake Snell was phenomenal in the playoffs, helping to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to the World Series. There were rumors of a possible trade after Kevin Cash’s poor handling of Snell in Game 6, which may have cost the Rays a chance at reaching a Game 7 or winning it all.

 

In 2018, Snell was 21-5 with a 1.89 ERA for the Rays. He bounced back in 2020 after a poor 2019 season, going 4-2 with a 3.24 ERA. He looks to be back to his old self, most evidently in his Postseason performances. 

 

Snell provides a key number 1 in a rotation that desperately needs it. He saw great success in Tampa Bay, and with a more potent lineup backing him in San Diego in the NL, his numbers should only get better.

 

Snell and Darvish could combine to elevate this Padres team past the Dodgers and to a long-awaited World Series championship.

 

Overall MLB Impact

 

We have seen some great moves throughout the offseason, and although these 5 classify as the “best,” there were many other moves that will impact baseball as a whole. We just have to wait and see how they pan out.

 

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Kyle Trask gets 4th in the Heisman voting

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The Heisman Trophy is supposed to go to the “most outstanding” player in college football. The Heisman results this year proved once and for all that there should be an asterisk next to the qualifications. 

 

The Heisman Trophy will go to the most outstanding player on the most outstanding team. This year’s final four proved this. Here’s why:

 

In 1st place: WR DeVonta Smith (Alabama)

In 2nd place: QB Trevor Lawrence (Clemson)

In 3rd place: QB Mac Jones (Alabama)

In 4th place: QB Kyle Trask (Florida)

 

They got 1st Place Right

 

DeVonta Smith became the first wide receiver since 1991 to win the most prestigious award in college football. He totaled 105 receptions, 1,641 yards, and 20 touchdowns in the 2020 season. Besides putting up those mind-boggling video game-esque numbers, he turned the ball over 0 times and helped lead Alabama to an SEC Championship over Kyle Trask as well as propel them into the National Championship.

 

DeVonta Smith was the best player in college football, and he proved this week in and week out. He dominated defenses and did something no wide receiver has done in over two decades. His 447 first-place votes were deserved, and he will be a long time threat to come when he reaches the NFL.

 

2nd-4th is where the issues arise

 

If you had to pick one player out of the stats I am about to list as the “most outstanding” player who would it be?

 

Player 1: 4,036 Yards, 36 Touchdowns, 4 INT

Player 2: 4,283 Yards, 43 Touchdowns, 5 INT

Player 3: 2,753 Yards, 22 Touchdowns, 4 INT

 

A simple glance at these numbers would point to Player 2 being the clear favorite to at least be 2nd place in the voting for the Heisman. At least. Then Player 1. Then Player 3. 

 

It (un)surprisingly went the opposite way. Player 3, Trevor Lawrence, was 2nd in the Heisman voting. Player 1, Mac Jones, was 3rd. Player 2, Kyle Trask, found himself 4th, even with his legendary numbers. 

 

The difference between these teams was that Clemson and Alabama made the Final 4. Florida did not have that luxury. 

 

Disregarding Trask’s performance in the Gators’ 55-20 loss to Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl which shouldn’t impact Heisman voting anyways, he played at an elite level the entire season. To utilize winning and losing as a key measure in this voting system implies judging Heisman contenders based on external factors out of their control. 

 

The University of Florida had a horrendous defense throughout the year. In their regular-season losses, they put up 38 points and 34 points respectively only to lose by a field goal in both cases. 

 

Overall

 

The good thing is that the best player won the award, but looking deeper at the Heisman results shows an ever-growing bias towards team success. The Heisman committee has continued to say that it is an “individual” award. But as time passes, it is clear that may not be the case.

 

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Miami Hurricanes: N’Kosi Perry enters transfer portal, adds QB room clarity

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A Miami Hurricanes quarterback is no longer in the fold. Thursday, N’Kosi Perry announced that he would be entering the transfer portal.

Perry passed for 348 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. His most notable performance this season came against Oklahoma State in the Cheez-It Bowl. In that game, he went 19-of-34 on the afternoon and threw for 228 yards. He also managed to record two touchdowns in that game.

Good timing for former Miami Hurricanes quarterback

This is perfect timing for Perry for a couple reasons. For one, Miami’s quarterback room is crowded. In addition to King, Tyler Van Dyke and Jake Garcia are also in the fold. This was a good time for him to transfer, as he probably was not going to see much playing time.

Secondly, he leaves the Hurricanes on a good note. Although Miami lost the ball game, he put together a solid body of work in it. He looked comfortable within the offense, and he moved the ball down the field pretty well. Especially considering that he had not played in any extended playing capacity for quite a while, his performance in this game was impressive. This is exactly what he needed to do to boost his stock.

His best season with Miami came in 2018. That year, he threw for 1,091 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Last season, he threw for 1,045 yards, a touchdowns, and three interceptions. Although not bad statistically, he lacked the firepower that this offense currently has.

With this move, the Miami Hurricanes quarterback room becomes a little bit clearer. Miami has pieces for the future as well as a star right now in King. It’s amazing what a difference a year makes, particularly in the quarterback room, as the room itself has been completely reworked. Miami will definitely need all the help they can get at the position, with Alabama the opening opponent for 2021.

Could Miami’s Biggest Downfall Be Unselfishness?

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I’ve gone through the different problems with this Heat team since the beginning of the season, including turnovers, lack of shot attempts, and rebounding. But the reason for a good portion of their issues seem to be unselfishness.

One thing I saw last night was that lineups that include their three best players, Goran Dragic, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo, did not seem to be as effective as when they played with only two of them.

But why is that exactly?

Well, all three of those guys are pretty unselfish players, which means there is a lack of clarity on who the main aggressor will be on any given possession.

The main reason Miami put themselves in a hole last night was due to one word: Over-Passing.

And that doesn’t just pertain to the lineup with Jimmy, Goran, and Bam, since Tyler Herro and others are guilty of doing it a ton.

There are moments in the game where Tyler just needs to be Tyler and get shots up on the basket. Instead, he gives an extra pass or throws it out to the corner on the drive, when his original shot would’ve been the best shot.

When players on a team are selfish, it impacts the quality of the locker room. When players on a team are unselfish, it impacts their play on the floor.

The turnovers and lack of shot attempts have a lot to do with the over-passing, since if they just focus on getting the ball up on their first opportunity, that fixes some things. As Coach Erik Spoelstra has said, the main thing is getting “shots on goal,” and when the shot attempts are 99-81 in a game, it’s hard to come out with a win.

And if there was any team where you’d feel better about the quantity of shots, instead of the quality, it would be this Heat team. They have plenty of offensive firepower to get them going, and that rhythm will ultimately carry over to their energy on the defensive end and the boards.

It just seems as if the unselfishness is the common factor between all of Miami’s issues. When Jimmy Butler began to be selfish offensively yesterday, it caused a huge Miami run to end the second quarter.

Jimmy Butler knows when it is time for him to be selfish, and that’s the trait that I believe is necessary for Bam Adebayo to pick up as well. There’s no reason for Daniel Theis to have more field goal attempts than Bam in a game like this. And once Miami’s young guys begin to realize being selfish is needed, things will begin to turnaround.