Gabe Vincent: Possibly The Next Man Up

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One thing about the Miami Heat is that they don’t lack an ounce of shooting. But luckily in today’s NBA, there can never be too many shooters on a roster.

Something I’ve mentioned as of late is that depth will be huge this upcoming season, for many different reasons. And having Gabe Vincent at the end of the bench is more than ideal.

In the G-League this past year, Vincent averaged 23.7 points, while knocking down 4.4 threes a game.

Shooting is the first thing that sticks out in his game, since he’s not afraid to put shots up. His confidence is clear when on the floor, since he came out firing in the first game he played for the Miami Heat.

He checked in when Miami faced the Los Angeles Clippers back in February, and hit three triples right when he got out there. Although it can be streaky at times, it’s always good to have a shot maker like him on the roster.

He’s also an underrated attacker, which is what he showed in some of the regular season bubble games. Although he had limited minutes and didn’t jump out in the stat sheet, he made some intriguing plays offensively that showed he can get some bench minutes if need be.

He also won the G-League Most Improved Player Award this past season, and he seems eager to continue to improve and round out the rest of his game.

While I can point out some things that Gabe may need to tweak to get minutes in this league, there’s no way of actually knowing until he gets some minutes this next season. One of the reasons he didn’t stick out in most of the games he has played, seems to be due to a certain level of comfort. Some guys like Tyler Herro are able to blend in quick, while others need some time to get ready.

Duncan Robinson took a year to prepare in the G-League, and look where he is now. Vincent is also about the same age as Duncan was when he went through this process.

It’s definitely not insane to think that Vincent can potentially get playing time next season, especially since there’s a good chance Spo goes deeper into his bench. Some of it may be predicated on who Miami drafts, since if they draft a point guard, it’ll be clear they aren’t planning on his development.

Miami always enjoys grabbing un-drafted players who have something to prove, and it’s obvious that Gabe Vincent is determined to prove himself.

Dolphins Chargers

5 Keys to Dolphins-Chargers in Week 10

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The Miami Dolphins (5-3) enter their Week 10 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers (2-6) coming off perhaps their best win of the last several seasons. The 34-31 victory over the Cardinals, coupled with the breakout performance from rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, has most Dolphins fans excited for not only this season but also the future.

Tagovailoa and the Dolphins return home to face another up-and-coming AFC team in the Chargers. LA has Justin Herbert, who they selected with the No. 6 pick in April’s NFL Draft, manning the helm. Although their record doesn’t show it, this Chargers squad is a good team.

Here’s a look at five keys for the Dolphins against the Chargers in Week 10.

Dolphins-Chargers: Deal with Injuries

The Dolphins lost Preston Williams to the injured reserve this week. Miami’s wide receiver room took the loss and will pivot to young players to fill the void. Lynn Bowden Jr. returned from the COVID-19 list. Kirk Merritt remains an option from the practice squad.

Antonio Callaway seemed to be an option, too, but he’s reportedly not performed well in practice. Callaway is coming off a knee injury and may not be ready to contribute.

Matt Breida missed last week’s game with a hamstring injury. He’s been limited in practice throughout the week. Jamal Perry (foot) and Durham Smythe (concussion) were limited participants as well.

The Chargers, meanwhile, officially ruled South Florida native Joey Bosa out for Sunday (concussion). They’ll also be without RB Justin Jackson. OG Trai Turner (groin) and OT Bryan Bulaga (back) are questionable for Sunday.

LA is already without a number of stars, including RB Austin Eckler, CB Chris Harris Jr., S Derwin James and former Dolphin C Mike Pouncey.

Manage COVID Concerns

COVID-19 continues to complicate matters for the Dolphins. Kyle Van Noy and Christian Wilkins, two starters on the defense, landed on the COVID-19 list on Thursday. According to reports, Van Noy’s move to the list comes from contact tracing. It’s unclear with Wilkins

NFL’s contact tracing protocols force players to isolate for five days from the time he was in close contact with an infected person before he’s eligible for return. The five-day count doesn’t start from the day the player is put on the list, so there’s a chance both Van Noy and Wilkins can play.

Miami elevated defensive tackle Benito Jones from the practice squad. Rookie defensive end Jason Strowbridge could see additional time on the field.

Matt Cole, who would’ve been an option at wide receiver off the practice squad, landed on the COVID list as well.

Miami also announced quarterbacks coach Robby Brown, defensive line coach Marion Hobby, quality control coach Kolby Smith and outside linebackers coach Austin Clark will miss their second game in a row due to COVID protocols. Last week, the Dolphins were without five assistants in Arizona.

Defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander seems to be on track to return to the sideline for Sunday.

Dolphins-Chargers: Pressure Herbert

Justin Herbert has been impressive in his seven starters despite winning just one game. He’s piled up stats and excels in the vertical passing game. Herbert’s arm allows him to attack downfield. When he’s protected well, Herbert completes 71 percent of his passes for 8.1 yards-per-attempt, with 10 touchdowns and just three interceptions.

When pressured, though, his numbers drop. He completes 59 percent of passes under pressure for 7.7 yards-per-attempt. He’s thrown seven TDs and two INTs under pressure.

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LA’s o-line has allowed 111 pressures in 2020 and they may be without Bulaga, who’s only allowed four of those. Herbert faces pressure on 29.1 percent of drop backs, which is third most in the league. He’s been blitzed 65 times, hurried 52 times, hit 21 times and sacked 14 times.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, blitz on 41.6 percent of pass plays, which is the fourth-highest rate in the NFL.

Miami’s 20 sacks are 13th-most, and their 75 pressures are 14th-most. Hurrying Herbert seems to be the plan heading into this one, however, the Dolphins may flip the script and force Herbert to show his patience against zone coverage.

Emmanuel Ogbah leads the Dolphins with 34 quarterback pressures. His seven sacks are tied for fourth-most in the NFL. His 13 QB hits are tied for seventh-most and his three forced fumbles are tied for second-most this season.

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Handle LA’s four-man rush

While the Dolphins send extra men at the fourth-highest clip in the league, the Chargers blitz the least in the league. LA blitzes on only 13.6 percent of the time. The Chargers deploy three deep defenders on most pass plays.

LA relies on a four-man rush to generate pressure. Normally, the Chargers sport a pair of elite edge rushers in Bosa and Melvin Ingram, but Bosa’s been ruled out. That’s a huge loss for LA, considering Bosa’s generated 37 QB pressures. Ingram, meanwhile, has generated 23 pressures, but he’s missed three games this season.

Miami’s offensive line has done well protecting Tagovailoa over the last two weeks. He’s been pressured just 8.3 percent of the time. He’s been blitzed 27 times in his two starts. When not facing a blitz, Tagovailoa has completed 72.7 percent of his passes, connecting on two touchdowns.

Ereck Flowers and Ted Karras have played particularly well this season. They’ve played a combined 604 pass-blocking snaps this season and have allowed with just 15 pressures.

Dolphins-Chargers: Sort out RB

The Dolphins lost Myles Gaskin to the injured reserve last week. Breida then missed the Cardinals’ game with a hamstring injury. So Miami turned to Jordan Howard and rookie Salvon Ahmed.

Howard underwhelmed, gaining just 19 yards on his 10 carries, though he did score a short touchdown. Ahmed played the majority of the snaps and picked up 38 yards on his seven carries. Tagovailoa gained 35 yards on seven scrambles.

The Dolphins could add DeAndre Washington to the mix this week. He sports a 4.0 career yards-per-carry average and has reliable hands out of the backfield. He’s a shifty back who could fit what the Dolphins do well with Tagovailoa.

Miami may need the pass to set up the run. The return of Bowden and the activation of Malcolm Perry affords Dolphins offensive coordinator Chan Gailey with versatile playmakers to incorporate. Jakeem Grant could play a role in the running game as well with jet sweeps.

Three Piece Picks: UFC Fight Night (Felder vs Dos Anjos)

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Main Event: #7 Paul Felder vs #12 (WW) Rafael Dos Anjos

 

Pick: Rafael Dos Anjos

By: Decision

Breakdown: Paul Felder is coming in on 5 days notice taking this fight which makes this fight all the more crazy. We might see him come out early and try to get an early win which he is more than capable of doing. Rafael Dos Anjos is coming in having lost 4 of his last 5, but 3 of those are fights against Usman, Covington, and Leon Edwards which are not easy outings. This fight is a little more one dimensional as Felder does not utilize the takedown very often. He tries to stand and bang and it is evident with 10 of his 17 wins coming by knockout. This fight is an uphill battle for Felder because of the lack of time to prepare and if Dos Anjos can take him down early, it would tremendously hurt the chances of him winning the fight. I see Dos Anjos winning this one because he can change levels if need be and he has had a longer time to prepare for a fight. Felder is tough so this one has a good chance of making it to the judges. 

 

Co-Main Event: Abdul Razak Alhassan vs Khaos Williams

Pick: Khaos Williams

By: Decision

Breakdown: If you can hold your breath for the first two and a half minutes, then you can bet on Khaos Williams winning this fight. Most of Abdul Razak Alhassan’s fights have ended within the first half of the first round. If you can hold him down and eliminate the power early, you have a much higher chance of winning the fight. Alhassan has not won a fight outside the first round. Khaos has the ability to take the fight to the ground. It was shown in his fights outside the UFC. If he is able to utilize his wrestling and take this fight down, it really gives him a huge chance in this fight. Abdul is shown to gas out in the later rounds and his punches become very labored. He has a good chance to win the fight in the first two and a half minutes but after that, his chances go down heavily. Khaos should come in with a good gameplan and should be able to take this fight.  

 

Fight #3: Julian ‘The Cuban Missile Crisis’ Marquez vs. Saparbek Safarov

Pick: Julian Marquez 

By: KO

Round: 2nd Round

Breakdown: Marquez is coming in off of a two-year layoff so it will be interesting to see how the time off has affected his game. He comes in still decently young at 30 years old and only has 9 total fights on his record. As of right now, he sits at 7-2 with 6 of his 7 wins coming by way of KO/TKO. As for Saperbek Safarov, he’s had a tough outing here in the UFC. He has gone 1-3 in his 4 fights losing all 3 via finish. It seems like he has had a tough time finding his footing in the UFC. It is favorable that we will see a finish in this fight. Safarov does have the ability to take this fight down and if he does he have a gameplan to win. But the advantage on the feet is heavily favoring Marquez and we will take him by the win. 

 

Fight #4: Kay Hansen vs Cory ‘The Hobbit’ McKenna

Pick: Kay Hansen

By: Decision

Breakdown: This strawweight bout is an exciting one as we’ll see Cory McKenna make her UFC Debut to take on Kay Hansen. Kay Hansen is coming in with an edge especially on the ground. She has 4 of her 7 wins by submission and in her first fight in the UFC, she was able to get two takedowns and an armbar for the victory. This fight is going to be a tough outing for Mckenna. She is outmatched on the ground and Hansen is known to be able to get the fight on the floor. It is possible that Cory steals a round by being abe to keep the fight standing for a small period of time, but this one feels like it’s going to be a lot of groundwork with Kay Hansen on top. 

 

Fight #5: Eryk ‘Ya Boi’ Anders vs Antonio Arroyo

Pick: Antonio Arroyo

By: Decision

Breakdown: This fight is a very close one in the betting books with Anders coming in -155 and Arroyo coming in at +125. Anders is coming in having lost 4 of his last 6 and 3 of those 4 losses have come by decision. On the other hand, 9 of 12 fights for Arroyo has ended in the first round. He is more well rounded as he has 4 wins by knockout and 4 wins by submission. I think the ability to take the fight to the ground and control the position for Arroyo will be the key to the fight. Anders does seem to have the power advantage in this fight, but the power gets neutralized on the ground. 

 

You can follow Johnathan on Twitter @ThreePieceCombo 

 

This is Bam Adebayo’s Team, No Matter Who Miami Acquires

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Due to all of the trade talks over the past few weeks involving the Miami Heat, it’s clear that a number one option is what they’re looking to acquire. But I believe that guy will ultimately be the second option.

Bam Adebayo is heading into his fourth season in the NBA, after an intriguing third season which caught the eye of many people around the league.

The difference between his breakout and other players, is that he did that without even reaching half of his potential.

Looking at the outstanding third season from Jayson Tatum, where he averaged 23 points a game, it’s obvious that he’s an evolving star in this league. But when you begin to evaluate him, there’s not many categories that you can say he hasn’t reached his potential.

Bam Adebayo is clearly a top defender in this league, but offensively is where all of the potential is waiting to be reached. That all begins with confidence, because once Bam actually realizes he can be a number one option for this team, that is when he will flourish.

I continue to bring up that closeout game in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, where he previewed what he’s capable of doing in this league as an offensive threat. And unfortunately, an injury in the Finals didn’t allow him to perform at the level he knows he can play at.

But now we are heading into yet another regular season, where there’s uncertainty if Miami’s roster will look the same, or if a superstar will be headlining it. But even if a James Harden or Giannis Antetokounmpo took their talents to South Beach, I believe Bam will still end up being the primary offensive option.

I’m not so sure it’ll be this upcoming season where he’ll be the number one option, but I do think we see an even bigger leap than what we saw in year three. This ultimately means that he will be the number one option for Miami the following year, and possibly a top 10 talent in the league.

Now, obviously this is a lot of expectations to live up to, but the only reason people say it is because he can absolutely do it.

And when I say he will breakout, it doesn’t just mean improving his points per game, which he definitely could. But what I actually mean is that he will continue to be the most impactful player on the floor, due to his offensive gravity from his passing and ball handling strengths.

A jump shot though would be pretty ideal for him to make an even bigger leap, but I’m not sure it’s as necessary as many think. Of course a consistent mid range jumper changes everything for Bam, but I think increased opportunities of attacking the basket helps him even more.

This Heat team relied heavily on three point shooting all season, which they should, but if the opposing defense has to worry about a weapon like Bam on offense, it gives their shooting a huge boost.

But once again, the specifics don’t truly matter, since it’s obvious that he will be ready to continue to expand his game by opening night.

This is Bam’s year. This is Bam’s team. This is Bam’s franchise.

It’s time to showcase that potential, but truly there is no potential limit to Bam Adebayo in this league.

Three Piece Picks: Terence Crawford vs Kell Brook Main Card

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Main Event: Terence Crawford vs Kell Brook, 12 rounds, WBO World Welterweight Title 

 

Pick: Terence Crawford

By: KO/TKO

Single Round: 10th round 

Winning Group of Rounds: (7-12)

Fight Goes the Distance: No                                                                                                                                                                           

Breakdown: Terence Crawford is coming undefeated at 36-0 with 14 wins coming in title fights. With this title fight experience, he is 14-0 in those title fights as well as having 11 of them come by way of knockout. On the other side, you have Kell Brook, who is coming in with a lot of big fights under belt. He has fought the likes of GGG, Shawn Porter, and even Errol Spence. He does not take the easy fights and for that, you know that there is a warrior in him. In this sport, it is important to have a strong mental game and when you’re going after killers and not worrying about your record, you will develop a reputation of being a hitman going after the best fights. But he is going against the top Pound for Pound fighter (According to ESPN) and Crawford is still in his prime. This fight for him will allow him to showcase his talents and build him up towards a super fight. For Brook to win this fight, he would need to continue to put on a pace that would make Crawford uncomfortable for most of the first rounds. It is able to be done, but it is more likely that Crawford picks up the win here. 

 

Co-Main Event: Joshua Franco vs. Andrew Moloney, 12 rounds, WBA WORLD SUPER FLYWEIGHT TITLE

Pick: Joshua Franco

By: Decision

Fight Goes the Distance: Yes                                                                                                                                                                        

Breakdown: This fight is a rematch from earlier in June where Franco won and took the WBA (Regular) super-flyweight title. In that matchup, Franco was able to dictate the pace of the fight and was able to cruise into a 12 round unanimous decision. The scorecards showed a relatively easy win for Franco and he became the new Champion. This fight will most likely look similar to the first one. One good thing about Franco is his ring awareness and ability to dictate control of the ring. By doing this he keeps the fight in his comfort zone and gets his punches warmed up by the time the middle rounds are coming up. Look for Moloney to come out a little strong early to try and avenge his loss but Franco taking control in the 3rd round and winning an easy decision. 

 

Fight #3: Joshua Greer Jr. vs. Edwin Rodriguez

 

Pick: Joshua Greer

By: Decision

Fight Goes the Distance: Yes 

Breakdown: Joshua Greer is coming in off getting dropped twice in only his second loss of his career. He has fought much harder competition that Edwin Rodriguez has. Every fight that Rodriguez has fought that has been a higher level of competition, has lead to him taking a loss. Greer is coming in with a heavy speed advantage. If he is able to get a feel for using his speed early in this fight, it could end in KO, but being that it is only an 8 round fight, it is more likely to see the scorecards. For Rodriguez to win, he’d have to try to get some more dirty boxing in to close the gap between him and Greer but if Greer is able to do what he is able to do with most people, which is stay out of reach and use his speed to get combos in, he will win this fight counterpunching away. Greer by Unanimous Decision. 

 

Fight #4: Tyler Howard vs. KeAndrae Leatherwood

 

Pick: Tyler Howard 

By: Decision 

Fight Goes the Distance: Yes 

Breakdown: Tyler Howard is coming in as the undefeated boxer in this bout and Top Rank is looking to push him as far as he can go. He is a good fighter with great head movement and fundamentals in striking. This fight is made for Howard to get the win and continue to build his record. At 18-0 it is getting closer to him being able to have a record to challenge one of the bigger names sitting atop of the division. 

 

Fight #5: Luis Porozo vs. Raymond Muratalla

 

Pick: Raymond Muratalla

By: TKO

Round: 8th

Fight Goes the Distance: No

Breakdown: Raymond “Danger” Muratalla is a great exciting prospect to keep your eyes on. At only 23 years old, he is 10-0 and is working his way up into being a good fighter in the 135lb division. Luis Porozo on the other hand is coming in 15-4 and has had a few tough outings as of late. Muratella is good at fighting a technical fight and working those combinations. He will start with a one, and work his combinations up to four and five piece combinations that will catch his opponents from all different angles. If he continues to grow at the pace he is, we could see him in a few years vouching for a title shot. His skillset is transferrable through most levels of the division so keep your eye out for Raymond Muratalla. 

 

You can follow Johnathan on Twitter @ThreePieceCombo

Marlins Ng

Marlins Make History with Hiring of Kim Ng to GM Position

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Fresh off a season where they ended a 17-year playoff drought, the Miami Marlins continued to make history by hiring Kim Ng as the organization’s general manager. Ng becomes the highest-ranking woman in baseball operations among the 30 MLB teams and is believed to be the first woman hired to the General Manager position by any of the professional men’s sports teams in the North American Major Leagues.

Ng sports an extensive and impressive resume. For the last nine years, she’s served as MLB’s vice president of baseball operations. Prior to that, she piled up 21 years of experience in the front offices of the Chicago White Sox (1990–96), the New York Yankees (1998–2001) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2002–11). Ng played an integral roll in assembling rosters that made eight postseason appearances, including six League Championship Series, and won three World Championships.

A statement from Marlins CEO Derek Jeter on Ng:

“On behalf of Principal Owner Bruce Sherman and our entire ownership group, we look forward to Kim bringing a wealth of knowledge and championship-level experience to the Miami Marlins. Her leadership of our baseball operations team will play a major role on our path toward sustained success. Additionally, her extensive work in expanding youth baseball and softball initiatives will enhance our efforts to grow the game among our local youth as we continue to make a positive impact on the South Florida community.”

While working with MLB, Ng directed international baseball operations. She worked closely with the front offices of all 30 MLB clubs and other leagues around the world. Ng led a group that set policy for and enforced international signing rules, established MLB’s first system for registering international players for signing and managed protocols for signing said talents. She raised the standards for international academies and negotiated agreements with various international winter leagues.

Ng’s Statement

“I entered Major League Baseball as an intern and, after decades of determination, it is the honor of my career to lead the Miami Marlins as their next General Manager,” Ng said in a statement from the club.

“We are building for the long term in South Florida, developing a forward-thinking, collaborative, creative baseball operation made up of incredibly talented and dedicated staff who have, over the last few years, laid a great foundation for success.

“This challenge is one I don’t take lightly,” she continued. “When I got into this business, it seemed unlikely a woman would lead a Major League team, but I am dogged in the pursuit of my goals. My goal is now to bring Championship baseball to Miami. I am both humbled and eager to continue building the winning culture our fans expect and deserve.”

Ng’s Path to Becoming Marlins GM

Ng started her career as an intern with the White Sox in 1990. Eventually, she made her way up the ladder to Assistant Director of Baseball Operations.

In 1998, Ng landed a role as Assistant General Manager of the New York Yankees. She held that position from 1998 until 2001, a time when current Marlins CEO, Derek Jeter, was an integral part of that club. At the time she was hired, she was the youngest assistant GM in MLB and only the second woman to attain that position with an MLB club.

Ng went from New York to Los Angeles in 2002. There, she assumed the role of Vice President and Assistant General Manager. While there, she assisted in all player transactions, including trades and free agent signings. She also oversaw LA’s arbitration efforts, as well as the scouting, medical and video departments. Her time with the Dodgers overlapped with Marlins manager Don Mattingly’s tenure there by one year.

Ng’s hiring continues a trend with the Miami Marlins. Jeter became MLB’s first Black CEO after his group, led by Bruce Sherman, bought the club in 2017. Jeter hired Caroline O’Connor to be senior vice president, making her one of the highest-ranking women in pro sports.

Ng becomes the fifth person in club history to hold the top position in baseball operations.

Dave Dombrowski filled the role from the franchise’s expansion season in 1993 until 2001. Larry Beinfest manned the GM position from 2002 to 2007, helped the club claim its first World Series title. Michael Hill and Dan Jennings followed Beinfest. Hill operated as GM from 2008 to 2013, then earned a promotion. Jennings was GM for two years, 2013-2015. Hill resumed GM duties in 2016 until the end of this past season.

Check out our discussion of Ng’s hiring & free agent possibilities on the Five Reasons Sports Network’s YouTube channel:

Reaction to Ng’s Hiring

 

Some Takeaways from Adam Simon Press Conference on Draft

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Adam Simon spoke with media this afternoon, to talk about the NBA draft on Wednesday.

He started off talking about the challenges of understanding talent since a lot of stuff is virtual, which he said “Something is better than nothing.”

He also spoke about the depth of this NBA draft, which favors Miami since they have the 20th pick. He said, “We feel good about the players we have studied.”

And without mentioning specific players that they are interested in or worked out, he gave some comments that kind of tell you which way they’re looking to go.

For one, he talked about some guys bodies being improved majorly during the layoff, since they haven’t seen a lot of these players since March. And that comment makes you think about center Vernon Carey Jr, since he’s lost about 30 pounds since the end of last season.

He also made some comments about things that I’ve been talking about for a while now, when referring to Miami’s possible draft selections.

I’ve been saying for a while now that Miami will not draft a player that needs to be developed majorly. There are many guys in this draft that are already polished, both through their games and bodies, which will make this pick a lot easier for Miami.

He also pointed out that they’re focused on guys who are two-way players, since shooting doesn’t matter if they can’t defend. That is why I’ve mentioned the name Ashton Hagans for quite a while now, since Miami is the type of team to make that selection.

And when discussing guys always trying to impress teams by shooting the three ball, he mentioned that he would rather players play to their strengths, especially big men. He mentioned the word “versatility,” quite a lot, but not in the sense of Bam Adebayo, since he said he’s just “unique.”

There are quite a few things to take from this press conference, and it mainly involves Miami making a pick that best fits them, since that is what they will do no matter what on Wednesday night.

Top 5 Things to Watch Week 10

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Coming off a thrilling 34-31 victory against the Arizona Cardinals, your Miami Dolphins are hosting the Los Angeles Chargers and Justin Herbert. In a matchup of top 10 picks from this past draft, we put our 4-game win streak on the line as we head into this late 4 o’clock Sunday game. Without further ado, lets dive in.

 

 

Covid Protocols:

One of the more impressive and least spoken aspects of the Cardinals game was that we were down 5 coaches including QB coach Robby Brown. Somehow, we were able to manage and had the healthy remaining coaches filling multiple roles. A great example is TE coach George Godsey who was forced to tap into his past experience and coached both the TE and the QB. The reason I bring this up is because on 11/12 we were forced to put 3 players on the Covid-19 List, WR Matt Cole, Christian Wilkins and Kyle Van Noy. Wilkins and KVN are integral parts of what we do on defense and we will need another creative effort by Flores and company to still succeed short-handed as we did last week.

 

Confusing Young Qb:

There are many things that are foundational standards in the Patriots style of defense that Flores has brought down south. One of the most important ones is that young QBs get the kitchen sink thrown at them, with most of them drowning in the process. I expect something similar to occur on Sunday. I believe that the Defense will step up to the plate with a game plan that will include a lot of exotic coverages, blitzes and a concerted effort to give Herbert an idea of what the coverage is pre snap to only change to the actual coverage at the snap. Ogbah, Lawson, AVG and others will run the 0 Blitz we are gaining notoriety for and will frustrate Herbert all afternoon long.

 

Skill Positions around Tua:

A key part to not just this game but also the rest of this season is which young skill position player around Tua will step up. I talked in length before the year that if any combination of DVP, Preston, or Gesicki get hurt, we would pretty much be fried. Well as Preston goes to IR and we see that DVP has been fighting injuries all year, we will need to get contributions from others. This week presents a premier opportunity for players like Malcolm Perry, Lynn Bowden Jr, Salvon Ahmed and perhaps even Antonio Calloway once he is officially on the active roster. I appeared on onside radio on Tuesday and spoke about how elite QBs will mask a lot of the warts that a subpar supporting cast can bring, and I expect Tua to that with the pieces this year before the reinforcements arrive next year.

 

 

Brian Flores vs Anthony Lynn:

3 offensive dominated Head Coaches in a row and so far, we have come up 2-0 in those matchups as a whole. Flores’ defense can be considered to be 1-1 and coming off its worst performance as a defense all year. Knowing that I expect Flores to have his troops on point and disrupting the Chargers offense from the first snap. Flores last week being down 5 coaches, showed his flexibility and creativeness to adjust on the fly and that may be needed this week depending on how Covid testing goes the next couple of days. Now I am not predicting another scoop and score on the first drive, BUT I do feel confident in predicting that the defense will come up with at least 3 turnovers in the game and in the process give Tua a short field on multiple possessions.

Trust the Flocess

Tua Tagovailoa:

You may have gotten to the bottom of this and are questioning why I would did not bring up Herbert vs Tua. Let me explain, the narrative that Tua and Herbert have to prove which one is better or which team made the right decision is only pushed by 2 groups. The media which rightfully so finds creative ways to attract viewers and insecure Chargers fans who need validation that Herbert is in fact better than Tua. I fall under neither of those categories as I am firm in my conviction that although early, if Tua can stay healthy, we have found the savior to lead us back to the promise land. Having said that, I do expect this game to be a very competitive game that will force Tua to grow even more from last week. We were able to beat Arizona with a larger portion of the playbook compared to Tua’s first start vs the Rams; I expect an even larger part to be opened up to Tua with larger stats to follow.

 

 

Overall with the Chargers traveling from the West Coast (we have seen what that does to teams in the past) and a rookie QB going against a Flores coached Defense, I expect a hard-fought victory that we will lead throughout. Flores will attack and show Herbert things that he has probably never seen first-hand in his life. Look for the 3 turnovers I mentioned earlier to lead our Miami Dolphins to something of the tune of a 27-13 victory, adding another game to the win streak and getting one step closer to the playoffs (Miami Dolphin playoff talk in November! 2020 is a crazy year). Till next time guys, Fins Up!

 

Caron Butler Added To Heat Coaching Staff

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Caron Butler has joined the Miami Miami as an assistant coach, according to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. The former Heat forward was selected 10th overall in the 2002 draft after his collegiate career at Connecticut. He earned All-Rookie first team with averages of 15.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game in 78 starts.

Butler was packaged in a deal, along with Brian Grant and Lamar Odom, to the Los Angeles Lakers for Shaquille O’Neal in 2004. He would go on to play for the Lakers, Wizards, Mavericks, Clippers, Bucks, Thunder, Pistons and Kings before his retirement in 2018.

He was a 2-time All-Star with the Wizards in 2007 and 2008. He won a championship as a member of the Dallas Mavericks despite not playing after January. His season was ended by a ruptured right patellar tendon.

Butler was always a fan favorite despite his short stint in Miami. His on-court play fit perfectly in the Heat’s system. He was also influential to Dwyane Wade, the best player in the franchise’s history.

The Sun-Sentinel’s Ira Winderman shared some of Butler’s thoughts about beginning his coaching career. Tough Juice, as he is affectionately known, was also congratulated former teammate turned part-time Heat cheerleader Kendrick Perkins.

 

Miami needed to add a new member to the staff after Dan Craig became an assistant for the L.A. Clippers. Butler will join Erik Spoelstra, Chris Quinn, Malik Allen, Anthony Carter and Octavio De La Grana on the bench.

There were some thoughts about captain Udonis Haslem taking on that role. However, Haslem announced that he would be returning for his 18th season with the team on a one-year $2.5 million contract. Buy shirt in his honor.

 

Royal A. Shepherd (@RoyalAShepherd) has written for several major newspapers, including the Tallahassee Democrat and the Augusta Chronicle, and now contributes to Five Reasons Sports.

Miami’s Earned Their Respect, But It’s Still Not Given

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It’s pretty obvious that the Miami Heat never get the respect that they deserve, even if it’s earned.

A fluke postseason run or not as talented as other teams in the East.

That seems to be the consensus, since everybody in the East is getting better by the second according to national media. Apart from the fact that Miami can literally go after any free agent or trade piece they want, they’ve earned their respect with this group.

But according to many, Giannis will be coming back with a purpose, the Boston Celtics are ready to bounce back from that Conference Finals loss, and most of all the Brooklyn Nets are real contenders.

Those three teams do have something in common though, which is not proving a thing.

For starters, Giannis Antetokounmpo is a spectacular player, but it’s obvious that his lack of supporting cast will hold him back in the playoffs. And by the way, Miami beat them in five games.

The Boston Celtics have a ton of talent, and they’re looking to make some moves to improve that as well. But not only did Miami outplay Boston, more importantly they out-coached them. And when they thought their third year emerging star Jayson Tatum would step up to send his team to the NBA finals, Bam Adebayo did that instead.

And now to the Brooklyn Nets. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving leading the way seems to entice people heavily, which is why many have them as the favorite to come out of the East.

Two guys coming off of injury. Two guys who’ve never played together. Two guys who may not fit.

They have an immense amount of talent, but how does a team that hasn’t stepped on the floor together get more credibility than the team that was in the NBA Finals?

Once again, it’s expected when you play for the Miami Heat, and they like it that way. Being doubted, even after making it to the Finals, is what will drive them even more.

You can put your money on talent, but I’d put my money on the organizational advantage, coaching advantage, and work ethic advantage any day of the week.