Miami Heat Draft Notes from Media Session Day 5

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Although there weren’t many prospects who spoke with media the day before the NBA draft, there was one player who surprisingly linked to Miami quite a lot.

Jahmi’us Ramsey, out of Texas Tech, mentioned that he worked out for the Miami Heat.

It wasn’t surprising that he worked out for Miami, but it was surprising that he had a private workout with Miami.

Jahmi’us went through two workouts preparing for the NBA draft over zoom. One workout had 22 NBA teams watching, while the other one had the Miami Heat as the only ones attending.

He kept mentioning that he thinks he can really bring shooting and defense to whatever team he lands on, but defensive motor definitely has been something to monitor, which is why Miami most likely wanted to get a closer look.

Tyrell Terry also spoke with media, but he mentioned he did not work out with the Miami Heat.

We will see the route Miami goes tomorrow night, especially since there’s a good chance they’ll be selecting in the second round.

Marlins free agent

Top 5 Free Agent Targets For Miami Marlins

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It’s no surprise coming off an incredible 60-game season which saw the Marlins make their first postseason appearance in 17 years (and win a playoff series at that) amid a COVID-19 outbreak which ravaged the roster three games into the season that Jeter and Co. are looking to build upon their 2020 success. This starts when the Marlins turn to the free agent market.

This process really began with the monumental hiring of Kim Ng as the team’s next general manager, marking the first time that a woman had been named GM of any North American professional sports team. Further, it is the first time that a Asian-American has held the role, breaking a barrier that had stunted the success of women and minorities in sports while giving new hope and inspiration to girls from all different ethnicities and walks of life interested in a high-level career in sports.

This, however, does not mark the end of the offseason for the Fish. It’s only the beginning. With a seemingly minuscule payroll relative to the rest of the league at $46 million and an ownership group which has made it clear that they’re willing to spend appropriately, there are several aspects of the Major League roster that could be improved upon via free agent additions to make the club even better heading into the 2021 season. 

Today, we’ll take a look at the top five free agent targets for the Marlins this offseason.

Marlins Free Agent Target No. 5: Michael Brantley, OF/DH

The Fish’s depth chart in the outfield is, crowded, to say the least. Despite this, the team had a combined bWAR of 0.4 in the outfield in 2020, due to struggles from rookie Monte Harrison and a lack of production from veteran left fielder Corey Dickerson. Though the Marlins have many prospects on the horizon awaiting their ability to contribute at the highest level and impact player Starling Marte manning center, the Fish still lack a consistent, everyday hitter. Enter: Michael Brantley.

Brantley has swung the bat well everywhere he’s been. He posts a career 116 OPS-plus while bringing solid power numbers and a high average to the table. Unlike Dickerson, Brantley is an above-average left fielder. He had one of the highest DRS (defensive-runs-saved) totals of any left-fielder in the truncated 2020 season with five. Adding a professional bat into the lineup who wouldn’t be a liability in the outfield while providing DH flexibility (assuming the DH stays in the National League in 2021) could provide the Marlins a substantially better offense.

Drawbacks to Adding Brantley

However, there are several downsides to this signing. As stated, the Marlins have MANY outfield options. Dickerson, Lewis Brinson, Harrison, Jesus Sanchez, Magneuris Sierra, and JJ Bleday are all assured or competing for a spot. If Brantley is signed with the intentions of him DH’ing, what does that mean for Garrett Cooper or Jesus Aguilar?

With Aguilar coming off a resurgent year and Cooper cementing himself as a legitimate threat in the lineup, only one of the two can play first base at a time. That leaves the other on the bench if Brantley is the DH. This wouldn’t bode well for the Marlins, as they could see a drop off in production in the two if they were not playing every day, which they should be. The two combined were 25 percent better than the average major league hitter (a .125 OPS-plus).

My conclusion is this. With the logjam of outfielders and lack of a spot for him, the Fish shouldn’t consider talks with Brantley. That is, unless one or multiple pieces at either first base or outfield are moved to make room for him. If this occurs, then the enticing upside of the left-fielder may reel Ng and Jeter into pushing for a deal.

Free Agent Target No. 4 Tommy La Stella, 2B

After the departure of Starlin Castro via free agency in the 2019 offseason, it was all but given that former top prospect Isan Diaz would run away with the starting second base role. However, a pandemic halted any of these talks. Diaz, who had presumably won the role during the summer camp ramp-up before the season, made the tough decision to opt-out of 2020 play. He cited concern over the virus for his and his family’s sake.

This led Jonathan Villar (among many others) to play the position when play resumed. Villar was traded to the Blue Jays at the trade deadline, leading to speculation as to who would man the spot. Soon thereafter, Isan opted back into the season to play the remainder of the year with the Fish. As exciting as this was, it did not provide many results. He slashed .182/.182/.182 in seven games before going out with a groin injury, ending his season.

Top prospect Jazz Chisholm split time with utility man Jon Berti after this, though it’s possible Jazz was rushed to the bigs, as he posted a .161/.242/.321 slash line in his cup of coffee. 

Adding La Stella

This lack of production, aside from Berti, who has provided consistent offense, speed, and defense during his tenure, though does not fit into the Marlins’ future plans at age 30, leads to questions about Diaz and Chisholm’s actual readiness for the big leagues, and raises questions as to whether or not the duo should start 2021 with the team’s Triple-A affiliate. If this is in Ng’s plans, she may seek a stopgap at the position, whether to split time with Berti or to play there every day. This stopgap could be Tommy La Stella.

La Stella would be a nice fit in Miami as a left-handed infielder with positional flexibility and consistent contact. (27 walks to only 12 strikeouts in 2020.) He improved his power numbers (slugging percentage of .486 and .449 in 2019 and 2020 compared to .331 in 2018). La Stella could either split time with Berti (La Stella is a .303 hitter vs righties compared to a  .216 one vs lefties). Or play there every day until Isan or Jazz proves they’re ready for the highest level. At that point, La Stella could be flipped for more prospect depth at the deadline.

Potential Negatives to La Stella

A negative facet to this signing is similar to that of the proposed Brantley one, heavy depth at the position. With unofficial captain Miguel Rojas holding down the fort at shortstop in 2021, Chisholm and Diaz are both competing for the job at second. This leads to a possibility that one or the other show they are ultimately ready for the position during spring training. Even 21-year-old Jose Devers could be in the mix. He was added to the team’s taxi squad during their postseason run despite never playing above class A-advanced in the minors.

This leaves La Stella in a tough spot if he is signed. He can’t play third because of Brian Anderson. First base remains loaded with major league depth, and second may not garner much playing time either. Not even a DH role would be guaranteed. Inking La Stella to a deal is useless if he doesn’t play every day.

With a contract I expect will demand upwards of $7-million, signing La Stella to a one-year deal would speak lengths as to where the organization feels Isan and Jazz are. He would most likely be their placeholder until one is ready. Otherwise, a diminished role is a moot utilization of the 31-year-old veteran.

Marlins Free Agent Taget No. 3: James McCann, C

Perhaps the most important position to address, the Marlins did not see much production at all from two of their top three catchers in 2020. Aside from Francisco Cervelli (who has retired), the Marlins’ two other catchers on the roster from Opening Day on were not very valuable behind the dish.

Jorge Alfaro, the team’s immediate catcher of the future after trading J.T. Realmuto to the Phillies in 2019, has seemed to regress from his time with his old team. A gaudy K rate of 33.1 percent in 2019 was somehow topped this year in 2020, as Jorge K’d 36 percent of the time this past season (36 strikeouts in 100 at-bats). He provided a negative dWAR all the while. His struggles on both sides of the ball warranted his benching during the postseason. Backup catcher Chad Wallach, who slashed .227/.277/.364 in the regular season, started over him. Manager Don Mattingly cited defense as the reason. 

This tandem posted a combined -0.4 WAR in 2020. And though Alfaro was infected by COVID-19 and never got into a groove, this lack of impact behind the plate cannot be perpetuated if the Marlins want to contend in 2021. Especially with little catching depth at the minor league level.

Upgrading at Catcher a Must

This leads to the possibility of the Fish signing former Tiger and White Sox catcher James McCann. It would be a GREAT signing at that. The 30-year-old has been one of the most consistent backstops over the last two seasons, posting a solid 4.0 oWAR and 126 OPS-plus in that time frame. And that isn’t all.

He has been VERY valuable behind the plate. He registered a nine DRS and a 32 percent caught-stealing-rate since 2019, whilst ranking in the top 11 percent in framing in 2020 (per Baseball Savant). Alfaro ranked in the 34th percentile in said metric in 2019 (not enough data to track this season). Meaning, McCann was able to steal strikes for his pitchers a lot more effectively than Alfaro.

Signing McCann would allow for Miami’s young starting pitching core to build a better rapport and trust with him. And they would in turn be more successful due to the intangibles and experience McCann has that Alfaro unfortunately lacks.

Final Thoughts on McCann

McCann’s dWAR the past two seasons alone (1.7) is more than Alfaro and Wallach’s total WAR combined in that time (1.1). 

The only qualm with signing him is the money he may command. The highest AAV on the books belongs to Starling Marte at $12.4 million over one-year. Though ownership cited a willingness to spend, it’s possible McCann could seek an AAV upwards of $15 million over several years, a financial commitment I’m not sure the Fish are willing to make.

Furthermore, if McCann is signed and deemed the catcher for the foreseeable future, where does that leave Alfaro? Undoubtedly talented with a rare combination of power and speed for a catcher, his role as a backup at age 27 could stunt any further player growth and even diminish his confidence. This could lead to the possibility that he’d be traded if McCann were inked to a deal in Miami.

Closing thoughts? McCann in caliente red makes all the sense as the position lacks production offensively and defensively with the current options. But the looming inevitability of a big payday and the inquiries surrounding current starter Jorge Alfaro’s role lead to many questions as to the legitimacy of a deal materializing

Free Agent Target No. 2: Alex Colome, RHP

The most obvious allocation of 2021 free agent money should be towards the Marlins’ bullpen. With some of their biggest 2020 contributors in Brad Boxberger and Brandon Kintzler becoming free agents, the Fish should aim to resign those two. Yimi Garcia, signed in the 2019 offseason, dazzled in 2020. And he looks to be a key setup man moving forward. However, there isn’t much certainty after that.

Right-hander Jamey Hoyt was effective with a 1.23 ERA this past season. But the 34-year-old was in the bottom eight percent in exit velocity per Baseball Savant. He threw his slider 67 percent of the time, leading to regression and predictability concerns.

Jose Urena, the longest-tenured member of the organization currently, had a rough 2020 amid a bout with COVID and a season-ending forearm fracture. He finished with a 5.40 ERA and 6.06 FIP. Other bullpen arms weren’t too reliable, either. This includes Ryne Stanek (diminished velocity and pitch effectiveness), Stephen Tarpley (BB/9 of 6 with average stuff), Robert Dugger and Nick Neidert (unproven rookies who struggled with COVID), and Jordan Yamamoto (let’s not talk about it).

Signing Colome Helps the Bullpen

If nothing else, signing Alex Colome would make that heads or tails bullpen a bit less worrisome. The Dominican right-hander logged 22 and a third sparkling innings for the White Sox in 2020. He pitched to a 0.81 ERA combined with a 2.97 FIP, ensuring that his success wasn’t influenced by good luck. The numbers back this up. He was above average in exit velocity, xSLG (expected slugging percentage against), and barrel percent (how frequent opposing batters barreled him) percentiles. This means he induced soft contact the entire year and was rarely hit hard.

This bodes well for a Marlins ‘pen that has had many volatile relievers who have had elite stuff but weren’t been able to limit hard contact, and he’d immediately fit into a setup or even closer’s role.

There aren’t many downsides to a signing like this, except for fear of regression due to the fickle nature of relievers in general. It may be noted though that Colome only relies on two pitches: a high-80s cutter and a mid-90s fastball. As long as Colome does not lose velocity on his four-seam fastball, as Kenley Jansen did, all indications point to continued effectiveness from him.

This would be a slam-dunk signing by the Fish. A one-year deal for $12-ish million would fortify a bullpen with high upside but many inconsistent performers. Colome’s track record, veteran experience, and overall ability would make the Marlins even better in 2021.

Marlins Free Agent Target No. 1: Brad Hand, LHP

Nothing more necessarily needs to be said about the Marlins’ bullpen. But for what it’s worth, lefty Richard Bleier cannot be the only southpaw to hold the fort down. Tarpley’s future fit with the team is questionable even right now. Hmmm…if only there were a former Marlin on the free-agent market who became one of the most effective left-handed relievers in the game after departing from the team. Oh wait, there is…BRAD HAND!

Hand has been nothing but rock solid since being DFA’d by the Fish back in 2015. He’s posted a 2.70 ERA and 157 ERA-plus (meaning he has been 57 percent better than the average MLB pitcher) between 2016 and 2020. And racked in an amazing 1.37 FIP in the truncated 2020 season for the Indians.

Hand still has an elite slider, one that moves 7.2 inches more than the average slider. Though he may not have a 95-mph fastball anymore, his low-90s heater plays up due to high spin rates (top 14 percent in fastball spin). He still performs extremely well in expected stats such as xERA (expected ERA), xSLG, and xBA (expected opponent batting average), leading to the low FIP.

Will Hand Accept a Pay Cut?

Barring an unwillingness to pay Hand a probable salary of $10-$14 million, he should fit in amazingly with Bleier. The two could form one of the best southpaw duos in the sport. One would contributed as a late relief option and the other projecting as the dominant closer they’ve vied for for ages.

Whether the Fish sign one, two, multiple, all, or none of these guys, the 2021 Miami Marlins offseason is set to be filled with tons of hype and excitement for hopefully a much better 162-game product than we’ve seen in a long time.

The Miami Heat’s Off-Season Prediction

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The Miami Heat are expected to have an eventful offseason between trades, signings, and the NBA Draft. Some acquisitions from other Eastern Conference teams make these Heat decisions even more interesting, but here’s what I believe Miami can possibly do…

Resign:

Goran Dragic 

It’s pretty clear that bringing Goran Dragic back is going to be a priority for Miami, most likely giving him a  one year balloon payment. I’ve mentioned the things he can bring in terms of production, but more important in terms as a mentor. Having him around to direct Tyler Herro in his second season is a priority for Miami, which is why he will be taken care of.

Jae Crowder

Crowder is another one that Miami will make sure to bring back, since he proved in the bubble that he is the ideal fit next to Bam Adebayo. His shooting was obviously much better than originally expected, but his defensive actions is why Miami will resign him. Miami’s defense definitely won’t be their best attribute with some point of attack issues, but having a versatile wing like Crowder helps that out a lot.


Sign:

Wesley Matthews 

I’ve talked very highly about the signing of Wesley Matthews for a couple reasons. For one, he fixes Miami’s point of attack defense upon arrival. Secondly, signing him for the minimum is an absolute steal, especially since he’s also a knock down shooter. And lastly, it’s another move that improves Miami’s depth. While other teams will be trading away all of their depth for stars, Miami may look to counter for this upcoming season and grab a bunch of quality players.

Nerlens Noel

Nerlens Noel hasn’t been discussed much when talking about possible guys Miami could potentially sign, but I believe it’s a huge possibility. With the moves Miami might be making, it may leave them without a backup big. And with a cheap and productive Nerlens Noel on the market, I believe Miami may scoop him up. It also helps out Bam when he exits the game, since he can replicate some of the things he does on the floor.


Sign and Trade:

Miami trades- Kendrick Nunn, Kelly Olynyk, Pick 20, and possibly additional picks

Miami gets- Danilo Gallinari, Pick 53

Now, this is the trade that I believe Miami will end up pulling off. Miami will give Oklahoma City a quality young guy in Kendrick Nunn, as well as the 20th pick, and we all know they love their picks. We know how it would look for Miami adding Danilo Gallinari, but I also see them throwing in that 53rd pick. Miami has been intrigued with trading down to the second round, so it benefits both of their needs. Once again, Miami will look to counter these other teams, and that may mean adding a bunch of depth, as well as offensive talent.

Draft:

Ashton Hagans

So if Miami pulls off that trade, they would be picking late in the second round with the 53rd pick. And the guy I’ve continually mentioned Miami has their eye on is Kentucky guard Ashton Hagans. An absolute defensive burden, and could possibly make an impact off the bench in spurts. I’ve talked about Miami possibly selecting him higher than expected with pick 20, but this means they get him much cheaper.

Miami’s final 3 games rescheduled, will not play until December 5

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On Monday, the Canes and the ACC announced the rescheduling of the last 3 of Miami’s games this season. They did specify “positive tests and subsequent quarantining of student-athletes within the Miami football team.” 

 

A direct quote from Miami’s press release from Canes AD Blake James: “We are disappointed that we will not be able to play the next two weeks as scheduled but this decision was made in the best interests of the health and safety of all teams. The health and safety of our student-athletes is always our top priority and we will continue to follow the conference’s protocols in order to safely and responsibly return to play.”

 

Miami was supposed to host Georgia Tech at home this coming Saturday on November 21st but that game has been pushed back to December 19th. This game might not even happen due to a stipulation that I will go into detail about later. 

 

Miami-Wake Forest was to be played next Saturday on November 28th, but that game has been pushed back a week to December 5th. Same thing goes for UNC-Miami, which has been moved from the 5th to the 12th. 

 

Here’s where it gets tricky. The ACC Championship is scheduled for December 19th, the same day as the rescheduled Miami-Georgia Tech matchup. The Canes will only play the Yellow Jackets if neither of the two teams (essentially Miami) are not in ACC Championship contention. 

 

Here’s the revised schedule as follows:

 

12/5 Miami at Wake Forest (previously 11/28)

 

12/12 North Carolina at Miami (previously 12/5)

 

12/19 Georgia Tech at Miami (previously 11/21)*

 

*Will only be played if game has no result on ACC Championship participants

 

Manny Diaz’s squad has done a fairly good job of limiting COVID-19 exposure to his team, especially for being based in one of the US hotspots. Miami has not had to reschedule any of its games up to this point in the season and they were close to being unable to play against Virginia Tech this past weekend due to a total of 13 missing players unable to play.

 

Bam Adebayo: A Young Player’s Idol

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It is not everyday that a 23 year old gets labeled as a 19 year old’s dream player, but in this draft, that seems to be the case.

There’s one name that seems to come up for every big in this draft, when discussing what player they model their game after.

Bam Adebayo.

And it’s clearly not for a skill-set reason, since most of the players who mention his name play nothing like him. Instead, they model his work ethic, and more importantly, his uniqueness.

Adam Simon said in his press conference earlier in the week, Bam is “one of one,” and it’s clear that’s a mutual thought between everybody who has seen him play.

Whenever players in past drafts are asked the question of players they look up to, you usually hear LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and many other top players. But not only are those guys top five players, they’re also veterans who players in the draft have been watching since they were young kids.

So what makes it so interesting when Bam’s name comes up, is that most of these players just began watching him this past season.

Guards in the draft don’t say they want to be like Donovan Mitchell.

Wings in the draft don’t say they want to be like Jayson Tatum.

But for some reason, the star center from the 2017 NBA draft class, seems to have all the young bigs wanting to be like him.

And the best part about it for Bam Adebayo, is that he’s not even close to his ceiling. He’s evolving by the second, while improving in every part of his game little by little.

But ultimately, character matters in this league. And Bam Adebayo has just that, since it’s clear that he is a very likable player and person across the league.

There weren’t many guys shooting from way beyond the three-point line until Steph Curry did it.

There weren’t many big men shooting consistently and efficiently from three until Dirk Nowitzki did it.

And now, there aren’t many bigs who are capable of doing absolutely everything on the basketball court, but Bam Adebayo is paving the way.

And luckily, he has a herd of guys following behind him, which will alter the game of basketball yet again.

Dolphins Chargers Win

5 Takeaways from Dolphins Win Over the Chargers

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The Miami Dolphins (6-3) continued their ascent in the AFC with a solid win over the Los Angeles Chargers (2-7). The victory marked Miami’s fifth-straight and propelled them to the 6-seed in the conference.

Touted as a duel between two rookie quarterbacks, the Dolphins signal-caller played an efficient game, whereas his counterpart made a critical error in the fourth quarter. The win over the Chargers puts Miami at 6-3 for the first time since 2001. The five-game win streak is the longest for the franchise since 2016, when they won six-in-a-row.

Here’s a look at five takeaways from the Dolphins win over the Chargers.

Dolphins’ Tagovailoa Steady in Win Over Chargers

In a game where pundits pit Tua Tagovailoa versus Justin Herbert, Tagovailoa came out on top. Football analysts have lauded Herbert for his statistical prowess thus far, but that’s led to very little winning for the Chargers. Miami, meanwhile, saw their rookie quarterback led them to yet another victory.

Tagovailoa’s now 3-0 as a starter and is the first rookie in Dolphins history to win his first three starts. He finished 15-for-25 for 169 yards and two touchdowns. His back-to-back games with two touchdown passes tie him for the third-longest streak of multiple touchdown pass games by a Dolphins rookie quarterback.

Tagovailoa’s the only rookie QB in Dolphins history to not throw an interception in his first three starts. And he’s one of only two quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era (Philadelphia’s Carson Wentz the other) to win all three of his first career starts and not throw an interception.

Tagovailoa also registered the first tackle of his career after a botched snap from Ted Karras led to a fumble. The young signal-caller’s moxie and confidence continue to grow with each start. He’s been accurate and adept at fitting passes into tight windows. It’s clear he has the confidence of the coaching staff and the team.

Ogbah Continues His Great Play

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Emmanuel Ogbah’s been great. He sacked Herbert on the opening play of the fourth quarter. The sack was Ogbah’s eighth of the season and gave him six consecutive games with a full sack. His eight sacks are tied for fourth in the NFL. The six-game sack streak for Ogbah is tied for the second-longest in Dolphins history, trailing just Jason Taylor’s eight-game streak in 2002.

Ogbah also had two passes defensed, including one pass tipped on a fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter that forced a turnover on downs.

His continued productivity has elevated this Dolphins defense. The pressure players like Ogbah generate helps the team’s secondary. It was clearly evident in Xavien Howard’s fourth quarter interception of Herbert. With that interception, the Dolphins defense has now registered at least one turnover in each of the last 15 games.

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Dolphins Special Teams Elite in Win Over Chargers

The first big play of the day came from Miami’s Special Teams. Andrew Van Ginkel got free rushing up the middle and blocked LA’s punt. Jamal Perry recovered the fumble on the one-yard line. It was the first blocked punt by the Dolphins since Brandon Bolden got one on November 11, 2018 at Green Bay.

In addition to that play, punter Matt Haack pinned the Chargers at the five-yard line, flipping field position in a tightening game. Haack is fifth in the league in punts inside-the-20 (17) and eighth in net punt average (42.9). Against the Rams, Haack pinned five punts inside the 20. It was his sixth career game with at least five punts inside the 20, which is a Dolphins record.

Jakeem Grant also helped the team flip field position with his punt returns. His 294 punt return yards lead the NFL. His 14.7 punt return average stands as third-best and he leads the NFL with three punt returns of over 20 yards.

Grant surpassed Tommy Vigorito (830) for fifth place in Dolphins history in all-time career punt return yardage. Grant now has 883 career punt return yards.

Jason Sanders, meanwhile, remains one of the best kickers in the league and arguably the best kicker in Dolphins history. Sanders saw his streak of 20 consecutive makes snapped in this one, but he did net three field goals. His 20 makes are tied for second-most in the NFL so far. His .952 average on field goals is also second-best.

Sanders’ five makes from 50-yards or longer stand as second-most this season. He is 23-for-23 on point-after attempts.

Jakeem Grant Emerges as Offensive Weapon

When the Dolphins lost Preston Williams to the injured reserve, there were questions surrounding who would fill the void. Miami had several options, but Grant stood out on Sunday

Grant caught a three-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to give Miami a 14-0 lead. It was Grant’s first touchdown reception since he had two in a game on September 23, 2018 versus Oakland. Grant led the Dolphins in receiving on Sunday with four receptions for 43 yards.

His ability to create separation on his routes makes him a reliable go-to for Tagovailoa. In his three starts, Tagovailoa has targeted Grant 12 times, which matches the amount of targets Grant received from Fitzpatrick through the first six games of the season.

Grant’s game-breaking speed adds a layer previously absent from this offense. While they’ve yet to incorporate it, Grant is regularly in pre-snap motion, indicating a jet-sweep could be part of the offensive game plan moving forward.

Dolphins in Prime Position for Playoff Push After Win Over Chargers

The AFC East playoff picture remains a logjam after Week 10. Thanks to Kyler Murray’s Hail Mary heave against Buffalo, Miami stands within 0.5 game of the Bills with seven games to go. A win next week in Denver would pull the Dolphins even with Buffalo because the Bills are on their bye.

The Dolphins currently hold the 6-seed in the AFC standings, one of six teams to sport a 6-3 record. Miami holds the tiebreaker over the Titans and Ravens based on best win percentage in conference games. The division tiebreaker keeps the Dolphins ahead of Cleveland (Baltimore wins tie break over Cleveland based on head-to-head win percentage).

The Colts lead the AFC South. Miami trails the Raiders in the standings because Las Vegas sports a better conference win percentage. The Dolphins travel to Vegas in Week 16.

According to Tankathon.com, the Dolphins sport the 12th-easiest remaining slate of games, based on strength of schedule. Miami final seven opponents have a combined .477 winning percentage. The Bills, meanwhile, face a slightly tougher slate, as their final six opponents have a .509 winning percentage.

Three of the other teams vying for an AFC playoff spots hold easier roads ahead: Baltimore (.461), Cleveland (.445) and Las Vegas (.444).

What this means is, Miami needs to win the games in which they are favored and knock off, at the very least, the Raiders in Week 16. The Week 17 matchup against the Bills could very well be for the AFC East division title.

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Phillips, Hedley earn ACC weekly honors

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DE Jaelan Phillips and P Lou Hedley had phenomenal performances in Miami’s 25-24 win over Virginia Tech on Saturday and both were rewarded by the ACC. Phillips earned the ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week for the 2nd week in a row while Hedley won ACC Specialist of the week for the second time this season, earning it previously against Pitt four weeks ago. 

 

Phillips has left his mark on the defense ever since he arrived and probably had his best performance all season against VT, compiling 8 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, and 2.5 sacks. Even while having a heavier workload due to multiple players on the defensive line missing the game, he still managed to best his performance from last week against NC State, when he had 10 tackles, 1 TFL, and 1 sack. 

 

Hedley’s punting has always been a key factor in influencing field position for opponents and this game was no different. He averaged 52.4 yards/punt on 7 punts this past Saturday as both his and Jose Borregales’ performances played big roles in helping the Canes pull off their comeback victory. 

 

Stay tuned to @5ReasonsCanes and @PaulAustria_ on Twitter for the latest in Hurricanes news and catch us on The Sixth Ring show twice a week as we get you ready for Miami’s matchup against Georgia Tech this Saturday. Game will be at 8 PM on ACC Network.

 

Also, sign up for an account on Prizepicks.com, where you can pick the over/under on fantasy projections on some of your favorite players. Enter the promo code “five” to double your initial deposit

 

Some Miami Heat Draft Notes from Media Session Day 4

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Two guys that talked a little about the Miami Heat possibly picking them were Arizona teammates, Zeke Nnaji and Josh Green.

When Nnaji was asked about what teams he worked out with, the first team he brought up was the Miami Heat. He mentioned that they were the first team that worked him out.

He also mentioned quite a few times that his body fat is down to 5.9%, and he’s added 20 pounds of muscle. It almost seemed as if he was mentioning it for a specific reason.

He also brought up the fact that Andre Iguodala was a mentor for him, whenever he would come back to Arizona to speak with the team.

And with his improved shooting, he believes he can play some power forward, so Miami definitely could take him with that 20th pick.

Josh Green, on the other hand, did not mention any workouts with the Miami Heat, but did talk a little about the interview he had with them.

He said, “It was a good call. I was able to meet them all…I think they’re interested for sure.”

And I would think so too, since he’s the type of polished player that Miami would possibly consider. If Miami doesn’t take him with the 20th pick, I believe the 76ers would snag him with the 21st pick, due to the relationship with Ben Simmons.

Vernon Carey Jr also spoke with media today, but wouldn’t discuss any workouts with teams. I’ve talked about the connection with Miami for a while now, so it’s clear he will be considered.

Jaden McDaniels and Nico Mannion are also in that 20 range, but neither mentioned Miami when discussing the teams they’ve worked out with.

It’ll be interesting to see what Miami does with this pick on Wednesday, especially since there’s a chance it won’t be in their possession for long.

Miami Heat Off-Season: Best Player or Best Fit?

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NBA trades will officially begin today, and there’s a chance Miami could be among one of them pretty soon.

There’s talk of Miami packaging young assets for the big star, or they could potentially just acquire a role guy.

The question is what is Miami’s goal this off-season, landing the best player or landing the best fit?

Two players that land under that category are Danilo Gallinari and Wesley Matthews, since it was reported that both may have interest in Miami.

Danilo Gallinari is clearly an outstanding player for this team offensively. Many rave about the fit next to Bam Adebayo, but the fit with Duncan Robinson stands out more. Having two guys in the starting lineup, along with Tyler Herro potentially, that are that deadly from three would improve Miami’s biggest strength even more. But, it also hurts there biggest weakness.

At this stage, Miami’s offense is not a worry at all. Obviously there’s always room to improve it, but defensively is what Miami should be looking at more. If Miami has Herro, Duncan, and Gallinari in the starting lineup, it would honesty be a defensive nightmare.

Some will say that you can stagger the starting lineup, but the ends of games will be the bigger issue. If you can’t put your best overall lineup on the floor on any given night, there’s something wrong with the roster.

Now, the Wesley Matthews pick-up seems to be a lot more appealing to Miami’s needs. He’s an ideal 3 and D guy, that can guard opposing wings and guards. And most importantly, he complements Miami’s young and evolving offensive talents.

Some may argue that obviously you take the guy that can average 20 a night, but ultimately, I believe there’s a chance you can get that from Herro next season. Instead, this 20 point per game scorer will have a defensive co-pilot helping him out every step of the way.

Although I’m discussing the better pick-up, Miami could potentially end up getting both.

But if, for some reason, only one could get acquired, I’d probably go with Wesley Matthews. I’m probably a small percentage of people that think that, but I believe in best fit instead of best player, unless you’re talking about a total superstar.

We will see how this all plays out, since there’s a good chance Miami’s roster will look a little different next season.

Stock Up & Stock Down Week 10

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Welcome back to another installment of Stock Up & Stock Down. In Week 10 of the NFL season our Miami Dolphins faced the Los Angeles Chargers and came away victorious . Leading throughout after a blocked punt put us on the 1 for the first drive of the game. The Defense showed Herbert cexotic looks all afternoon long leading to his worst game as a pro. With so much to dissect let’s dive right in:

Stock Up

 

Salvon Ahmed:

One of the most impressive rookie performances of the year (excluding Tua) has to have been Salvon Ahmed against the LA Chargers. 21 carries for 85 yards 1 TD with 1 catch 5 for yards is what Salvon was able to finish with for the day which it was the closest in recent memory that we have gotten to a 100-yard rusher (we are officially 27 games straight without a 100-yard rusher). I look forward to showing you guys this week how impressive and complete of a game that Ahmed had as I saw him catch passes, run the ball, and protect Tua in pass pro. Regardless of who comes back from injury, from this point forward this should be Salvon Ahmed’s backfield to lead.

Flores:

Coming into this game I fully expected Flores and his defense to come more focused and determined to play well compared to last week vs the Cardinals. Flores coming from the Patriots style of defense showed that their core belief of destroying rookie QBs traveled down south. Coach Flores all afternoon long showed exotic blitzes and coverages ranging from having no lineman with their hand on the ground and sending the house multiple times on third downs. While we did give them a chance late in the game, we held tough forcing Herbert into a late interception by Xavien Howard. Another of my gripes with the coaching staff is the conservative calls which wasn’t how we played when we decided to go for 2 to make 28 and a 2-possession game and while it did not work out, it still showed the ability for the coaching staff to learn from previous mistakes and improve.

Special Teams:

A couple of weeks ago it was the punt return for a TD and this week there was not a better time to see the Special Teams be, well special. Going ahead and blocking the first punt of the game gave us a lead to start the game after we had just deferred the ball. Little details like that go along way especially when you see the end result being only a 1 possession game. There were also multiple times where Jakeem was a shoestring tackle away from taking it back to the house as he had punt returns of 18,19 and 20 yards. Each passing week shows that this is as complete a team as any in this league. We can rely and expect excellence from all 3 phases of the game, the offense, the defense and the special teams.

Raekwon Davis:

Having spent the previous 2 weeks diving deep to see what is going with our rookie DL.

Hearing that Wilkins would be officially out for the game made it obvious for me to know that he would be getting a major opportunity to make a name for himself in this league and he delivered. Raekwon played like the player we expected to see when we drafted him with so many WR and RB still on the board. Finishing the game tied for the lead in tackles with Elandon with 7 tackles (4 solo) Raekwon showed that with more in his plate, he can step up and handle it. Can’t wait to do another Juan on Juan this week featuring Raekwon.

Tua Tagovailoa:

The stat watchers will come out and see that Tua only threw 169 yards and see that Herbert threw for 187 and think that Herbert had the better day overall. Those people could not be more wrong. The more Tua plays the more he understands that he does not need to do anything more than what is expected of him. Some may call it a game manager but ultimately right now Tua’s main job is to hold and gain a bigger lead after either the defense or special teams do their part to affect the score. There will come a time where we will need Tua to go out and win us a game that we have no business winning, it will come eventually when we can hear all of the praise for Tua after a monster game, but until that time comes, let’s continue to fill our young QB with confidence because right now, the sky is the limit for him and this team.

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Trust the Flocess

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Stock Down

 

Rush Defense:

Even though the defense didn’t give up a 100-yards rushing on the ground for the second time all year (today we gave up 99 & Seahawks we gave up 98) it was still discouraging to see the Chargers be down the entirety of the game and down to their almost 3rd or 4th string RB and we still almost give up 100 yards. How long can this glaring weakness in our defense last before a team exploits it to hand us a loss. Flores and company have got to figure it out and hopefully having Wilkins back next week plus the confidence gained by Seiler and Raekwon this week helps this defense fix this issue.

Jordan Howard:

This is probably the nail in the coffin for him. Down our top 2 RB and we still sit Howard down. Only a matter of time before he’s cut because Salvon has shown he belongs on the active roster and we may need Jordan’s spot once Gaskins comes back. This will be the last time I write about him as a huge disappointment for me as I really thought he could fix our issues at RB.

Ted Karras:

It’s no exaggeration at all to say that Karras almost single handedly lost us this game. Getting the ball back up 2 scores in great field position and with the ability to go ahead and kill the game with a 3 score lead we had 2 separate snaps that Karras fumbled. The first one Tua was able to recover and make a hell of a play to DVP for 23 yards. The second one proved to be the back breaker as it occurred on the Chargers 9-yard line and was returned 38 yards before Tua wrestled him down. After the TD that followed the game never felt like it was fully in our control the rest of the way. Hopefully a week of practice can correct these issues as neither snap were Tua’s fault but still put him at risk to get hurt.

Devante Parker:

If there were a scale of concerned measured from 1-10 with 10 being the highest, I would say I am a firm 7 in what DVP has shown this year. I obviously realize that he has not been healthy all year and it takes time in practice to sync with a rookie QB which DVP is most likely not participating in fully. Having said that I don’t know how much longer our offense can survive with games a 3-game stat line of 9 catches for 98 yards and 1 TD. We need the 1200-yard WR we saw last year, and we need Chan to focus on making DVP a priority early and often next week when we play the Denver Broncos.

Overall, I have never been this excited to not only watch our Miami Dolphins play the most complete games since 2008, but to also be able to tell and show you guys how we are doing. Keep an eye for later this week’s Juan on Juan. Till next time guys, Fins Up!