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.

 

 

Miami Heat Draft Notes from Media Session Day 2

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Today’s media session with NBA draft prospects included more players in the Miami Heat’s range.

The name that surrounded the Miami Heat the most was Precious Achiuwa, since he mentioned that he worked out with them.

Precious definitely is a very intriguing prospect for Miami, but I’m not so sure he will still be on the board by pick 20.

And although I think he will be a very solid NBA player, I just don’t believe he’s the best fit for the Heat. A power forward should not be the route Miami will lean towards, since a true center will be more enticing. But obviously they know he’s talented since they worked him out, so we will see what happens.

Theo Maledon, Tyrese Maxey, and Devin Vassell did not work out with the Miami Heat. Vassell should be a lottery pick, so that makes sense, but it was interesting to hear that Theo or Tyrese didn’t. Tyrese only worked out with one NBA team thus far, which was the New Orleans Pelicans. And I’ve discussed that Theo won’t be a player Miami would go after since he’s more of a project than an immediate fit.

Jalen Smith and Patrick Williams are two guys that have been discussed as possibilities as well, but neither would disclose the teams that they worked out for.

Jalen Smith talked about his intriguing shooting abilities, which includes more than just the standstill jump shot.

Patrick Williams gave a very Miami Heat type quote, when he mentioned he wants to help a team more than achieving personal accolades. He also said that his biggest strength is his versatility, and mentioned “I think you saw it a lot with the Miami Heat in the finals since they played with all guards.”

All of these guys will be considered if they’re still on the board at 20, even if they didn’t workout with Miami. And we will see which route Miami ultimately elects to go.

Some Miami Heat Draft Notes from Media Session Day 1

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There were a bunch of top picks in this NBA draft that spoke with media today about their games and different teams they have spoken with.

The one that stood out the most for the Miami Heat was Aaron Nesmith, since he mentioned Miami was one of the five teams that he had a workout with.

I do believe there’s a good chance that he will be selected earlier, since he is one of the best shooters in this draft. He continually mentioned his best attributes are shooting the three ball and his all around defensive abilities.

A 3 and D guard will definitely be on Miami’s radar, especially one with his type of talent.

Another guy that talked with media and could possibly fall to Miami is Saddiq Bey. I wrote about him back in June as a target for Miami, since I don’t believe there’s a better fit for their culture. He’s gritty, tough, and can also give Miami that 3 and D role.

He mentioned that he has no preference for a specific role, since he will do whatever a team wants him to do. And that pretty much sums up the Miami Heat’s situation exactly, since there are spots they could possibly plug him into.

And of course he had to give a very Miami Heat-esque answer when asked about his main priority upon arrival, which he responded “helping the team win.”

The last guy that spoke with media that Miami has a shot at was RJ Hampton.

In my opinion, a couple things stood out from his interview. For one, he is one of the most confident players in this draft. I believe his stock took a bit of a hit since he played overseas, which led to his scoring numbers taking a dip, but that shouldn’t be the case.

He mentioned the fact that he was a top 5 player coming out of high school, and the international route polished up his all around game. He was 19 years old playing against pros and played pretty well. As he said, some people are more worried about the “oohs and ahs,” but he just plays to get better.

Then he gave the Miami Heat quote of the day, saying when going overseas, you must be willing to “Get less of the hype and more of the work.”

The Miami Heat were not one of the teams that he worked out with though, but anything can happen in this very unique NBA draft.

It’s clear Miami has many options with this 20th pick, and I believe all three of these guys will be considered if available.

Gators leaving Georgia feeling blue

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Since 1933, the Florida-Georgia rivalry has been held in Jacksonville, Florida annually. While the number of fans in attendance had to be dialed down, the game didn’t let down at all.

The #8 ranked Florida Gators(4-1) took down the #5 Georgia Bulldogs(4-2) in their SEC showdown, and it wasn’t even that close. How did they do it?

The Gators played an amazing defensive game but this win really comes down to Kyle Trask’s HUGE performance.

The Gators defense held starting quarterback, Stetson Bennett, to 78 yards and a touchdown on only 5 completions. Cornerback, Kaiir Elam also intercepted Bennett in the 3rd quarter.

The Gators defense was playing so well containing Bennett that the bulldogs benched him and brought in D’Wan Mathis.

The Gators held Mathis to 34 yards and a touchdown on only 4 completions, and also intercepted him twice.

While containing the Bulldogs defensively, Kyle Trask picked apart the Bulldogs defense to propel the Gators offense to 44 points.

Trask WENT OFF with 474 yards and 4 touchdowns on 30 completions. He was down 0-14 in the first quarter but then started a 38-7 scoring run to bring the score to 38-21 at the end of the half. It didn’t end there as his air assault continued to overcome Georgia 44-28.

Kyle Trask’s Heisman-worthy performance brings him to 1815 yards and 22 touchdowns on the season in only 5 games. Trask is tied with 3 other college quarterbacks for first place in touchdowns this season, but the others have all played at least one more game than him. How far will Trask carry the Gators this season? Only time will tell.

Miami Dolphins

Dolphins place Preston Williams on IR; who steps up in his absence?

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Early on in Sunday’s matchup vs. the Arizona Cardinals, Dolphins wide receiver Preston Williams started to find a grove with rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa. It was the start of something beautiful, and we started to see those WR1 type skills that we knew he possessed. Which, to be honest was needed after his struggles from a week ago.

Williams secured 4/5 targets for 60 yards and a touchdown. Everything was good–until it wasn’t.

At some point during the Unicorn’s 15-yard touchdown reception, he tweaked his ankle. And although we are uncertain exactly what the injury is, we now know it will keep the second-year wide receiver out for at least three weeks.

Here’s exactly what coach Flores said regarding Williams from the Sun Sentinel’s Omar Kelly.

The question now is, where do the Dolphins turn to find receiver help? The trade deadline is over. Any help at this point needs to come from another team’s practice squad (unprotected) or internally. And if this coaching staff has shown us one thing since they’ve got here, it’s that those players that put in the work will be rewarded.

Here are 5 players the Dolphins need to step up in Williams’ absence

Jakeem Grant

Grant is a fan-favorite. But despite his big-play abilities, we’ve yet to see him truly unleashed in the way many believe he should be. This is his time to prove he’s more than just a wide receiver. And as I pointed out last week, his speed allows him to create separation that other wide receivers on the roster are not capable of. Tagovailoa turned to Grant a few times in critical situations over the last two games. Is this the beginning of Grant’s transformation to becoming the WR he knows he can ?

It’s your time to shine, Jakeem.

Antonio Callaway

The 23-year-old speedster from Miami, Florida, hasn’t played in an NFL game since Week 9 of last season. But yet, fans are excited about what he can add to this offense. Personally, Brian Flores tempered my expectations a bit when he said he only saw Callaway practice for the first time last week. I don’t know where things stand now, but Miami hopes they can see more of the player he was in college and as a rookie in Cleveland, where he scored five touchdowns.

The Dolphins could really use 2018 Antonio Callaway, now, more than ever.

The Franchise

 

Malcolm Perry

Lynn Bowden would’ve been part of this article, but he’s currently on the COVID-19/Reserve-list, and I think what I say for Perry can apply to both players–given their unique skill-sets and versatility. With Bowden out in recent weeks, Perry has found his way into the lineup. But besides a first-down reception vs. Los Angeles and a creative triple-option from Chan Gailey vs Arizona, he has been quiet through eight games.

Now, with Williams injury and the offense slowly starting to evolve, Malcolm Perry should see an uptick in snaps.

Mack Hollins

The former 4th-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles is known for making big plays on special teams. But as we were reminded on Sunday, Mack Hollins is a wide receiver first. Hollins was productive in college, where he recorded 81 receptions for 1,667 yards and 20 touchdowns. He may not have had a breakout NFL career, but at 27-years-old there’s still plenty of time. And after seeing the way he went up and plucked that football, it really might be the return of the Mack?

 

Kirk Merritt

After The Glitch’s success in 2019, Dolphins fans could not wait to find ‘tHE nExT pReStOn WiLLiAmS.’ And despite being firmly supplanted on the team’s practice squad for a majority of the year, fans were ecstatic to hear when they found out he would travel with the team vs. Arizona. Now, with a game under his belt, could the rookie be asked to do more for the Dolphins?

Merritt’s career sky-rocketed after he transferred to Arkansas State. He recorded 158 receptions for 1,811 yards and 19 touchdowns. And with legit 4.33 speed, Miami needs to find out what he can do and, most importantly, give him an opportunity to showcase his skills./

Final Yard

Losing Preston Williams is a big blow to Miami’s offense; no one can deny that. But as we’ve seen all season long, Brian Flores and his team will find ways to adapt and continue to push forward. I can’t sit here and tell you WHO is going to step up, though I’d put a wager on more opportunities for Jakeem Grant, Antonio Callaway, and Mike Gesicki, above the rest. But let’s be honest, no one thought Myles Gaskin would be the Dolphins starting RB. Or Zach Sieler would be making dominant plays on Miami’s defensive line.

It’s a next-man-up mentality in Miami. And I’m certain each of the Dolphins young wide receivers are biting at the bit for any and every opportunity.

Carpe Diem.

 

 

 

 

Mattingly manager of the year

Marlins’ Mattingly Named NL Manager of the Year

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Yesterday, Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) named Don Mattingly National League Manager of the Year. He joins Jack McKeon (2003) and Joe Girardi (2006), becoming the third Marlins manager to win the award.

Mattingly manned the helm for the Marlins during a turbulent season that eventually ended in the NLDS. The Marlins sailed over preseason predictions and vaulted into the NL playoffs for the first time in 17 seasons. Most baseball pundits pegged Miami for no more than 25 wins, but Mattingly helped lead the club to 31 wins and a playoff berth.

This isn’t the first award Mattingly has won this year. Earlier this offseason, Sporting News named Mattingly NL Manager of the Year. He became the third Marlins manager to win that award, joining Fredi Gonzalez (2008) and Girardi (2006).

Mattingly earned 20 first place votes from the BBWAA and finished with 124 points total. Second place went to Padres’ manager Jayce Tingler. David Ross, the Cubs’ skipper, came in third.

Mattingly Earned His Manager of the Year Award

Mattingly navigated an unprecedented start to the 2020 season. The Marlins were struck with a COVID-19 outbreak that saw 18 players and two coaches sidelined. Miami’s front office reshaped the roster on the fly while Mattingly was literally meeting players for the time on the pitching mound.

Even in a truncated 60-game schedule, Miami made 174 roster moves. The team used 61 different players over the 60 games. Miami’s nine different starting pitchers in their first nine games of the season set a new MLB record. Of the 61 players who appeared for the Fish this season, 21 were rookies. 18 of those made their MLB debut.

This unlikely group crashed the NL postseason and swept the Chicago Cubs in the process.

“That’s a step froward for us,” Mattingly said. “We’ve gotten a lot of young guys experience this year. We’ll have a tremendous amount of competition within our camp next year for jobs and who’s going to be where. This is just the start of it. One of our slogans a couple of years ago was ‘Just getting started’ and that’s what I feel like now.”

Rojas, Jeter on Mattingly

The fact that Mattingly navigated the team through that uncertainty and kept them competitive was not lost on most.

“He’s a great person,” said Marlins shortstop and de facto captain Miguel Rojas. “He’s a great human being before being a baseball player or manager. The communication he has with the players, the confidence he gave the players is unbelievable.”

Rojas and Mattingly both inked extensions with Miami in 2019 and they’ve come together to help lead this young club forward. Marlins CEO Derek Jeter has long called Mattingly a calming influence on this young group of players.

“Donnie believes in our vision,” Jeter said after extending Mattingly’s contract. “He believes in our direction, and he’s all in. He has shown a lot of patience with our young, developing team.”

Here’s the statement from Jeter following Mattingly being named NL Manager of the Year:

“I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this award in 2020 than Donnie. His leadership and teamwork with staff and players were on display day in and day out in one of the most challenging seasons this sport has seen, as he guided the team to the organization’s first postseason appearance in 17 years. He continues to believe in our vision and invests in our young, talented players to help us work toward our goal of sustained success. This is another great honor in his storied baseball career.”

Mattingly, who was the American League MVP in 1985, becomes the fifth individual in Major League Baseball history to win both MVP and Manager of the Year honors. He joins Don Baylor, Kirk Gibson, Frank Robinson and Joe Torre.

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What Are Some Miami Heat Draft Patterns?

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Since the NBA Draft is exactly a week from today, here’s a look at some draft patterns the Miami Heat have had lately.

For starters, the obvious one is that they’ve picked Kentucky Wildcats with their last two lottery picks, and they both turned out pretty good. And since there are three defensive guards out of Kentucky that Miami can select, what makes you think they won’t do it again?

(By the way, get the Tyler Herro “Drip” shirt here)

Another thing with these past draft selections is that they all had a certain role in college, including Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and even Justice Winslow. Miami never seems to lean towards a player that is a bit of a freelancer, which there are a lot of in that 20 range.

That is why players on well known schools may get the edge from Miami’s perspective, since it’s less of a risk in their eyes.

And when discussing players with less of a risk, I also believe they may take a player with a lower ceiling if need be. There are many guys in this draft who are all offense and no defense, which I can tell you won’t be the way Miami goes. There are also a few that are all defense and no offense, which I think is a much more viable option.

Miami has a bunch of guys who can score the ball, but they don’t have somebody who can lock up opposing guards. This is another example of getting somebody who can try and make an immediate impact. That doesn’t mean he will have significant playing time, but that type of player can definitely get situational minutes.

And with a big man, it doesn’t always have to be about finding a fit for Bam, since he will be playing behind Bam, not next to him. Of course the goal is to eventually develop him into a starting position next to Bam, but that should not be the worry right now, since they are on the contending level.

Another thing is that Miami does not base their pick based off other people’s draft boards. There’s clearly a chance that they could possibly trade down, but they might just take a guy that is projected to go in the second round with the 20th pick. It’s all about being comfortable with the Miami Heat, and if they believe in somebody, they will go with that guy.

Obviously there is still uncertainty if Miami will keep the pick, but there definitely are some guys that fit their mold. Miami picks their players based off motor, since that will usually tell you if they’re a Miami Heat fit.

But whoever they do end up selecting, Heat fans should have zero doubt, since that mistake has already been made before.

Miami Heat Draft

Heat Draft History: Mid-First Round Picks

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Believe it or not, the next NBA season is right around the corner. It’s draft week over at Five Reasons Sports as the Miami Heat prepare for Wednesday’s NBA draft.

Is the 2020 NBA Draft A Good One? Listen to Five On The Floor!

The Heat hold the No. 20 pick in the draft. They don’t own their second-rounder this year thanks to the deal that landed Miami Zoran Dragic on back in 2015.

The Heat don’t have a long history with mid-first round picks, considering they’ve either been contending or rebuilding for much of their 32-year existence. They’ve made just five selections between picks 15 and 25, despite having 12 selections in that range over the years.

The NBA draft itself remains a crapshoot. Lottery talents flop while second round picks become revelations. While there haven’t been a ton of mid-first round picks in franchise history, the Heat’s history in the draft is spotty, especially in this range.

*For the purposes of this discussion, a mid-first round pick will (admittedly arbitrarily) be those between No. 15 (the first non-lottery selection) and No. 25.

Heat Draft History: Mid-Round Selections

Kevin Edwards

Far and away the best pick for the Heat in the mid-first round remains Kevin Edwards. The Heat landed the No. 20 overall selection in an expansion draft deal with Dallas. Miami agreed not to select Bill Wennington, Uwe Blab or Steve Alford from the Mavericks in exchange for their 1988 first-round pick.

That’s right. They landed Kevin Edwards for not picking Uwe Blab.

(Side Note: Miami landed second-round picks in other expansion draft deals, too, including agreeing not to pick Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from the Lakers or Dennis Johnson from the Celtics.)

Edwards led the expansion Heat as a rookie with a 13.8 scoring average and with 139 steals. A combo guard, Edwards continued as a regular starter through 1990. In 1991, he shifted to a sixth-man role. All told, Edwards played the first five seasons of his 11-year career with the Heat and seemingly started the do-it-all-undersized-two-guard archetype for the franchise. He finished his Heat career averaging 12.2 points, 3.2 assists and 1.6 steals-per-game in 357 appearances.

Tim James

The Heat wouldn’t hold another mid-first in the draft until 1999. That year, they used the No. 25 pick to take Tim James out of the University of Miami. James became the first local product to make his way to the Heat. He played high school ball at Miami Northwestern before joining UM. With the Hurricanes, James ended his career ranked fourth in scoring (1,713 points), fifth in rebounding (856) and second in blocks (224).

But his time with the Heat would be short lived. Heat head coach Pat Riley had James bulk up and that largely robbed the 6-7 wingman of his elite athleticism. He played just four games with Miami, scoring a total of 11 points. James was then part of the blockbuster deal with Charlotte that saw the Heat land Anthony Mason and Eddie Jones in 2000.

James would play in the NBA for two more seasons before enlisting the US Army for four years. During his tours in Iraq, James reportedly never told the other soldiers about his NBA career. After that, he bounced around the world playing pro ball. The Heat honored James in 2011 as part of their Home Strong program.

Interestingly, James wore the No. 40 while with the Heat, a number now worn by another South Florida high school basketball legend, Udonis Haslem.

Dorell Wright and Daequan Cook

Miami’s next mid-first round selection came in 2004. That year, the Heat took Dorell Wright out of Leuzinger High School in Lawndale, CA. This marks the only time in franchise history the team selected a high school player.

Wright appeared in three games as a rookie in 2004-05, scoring a total of seven points. Wright would play parts of six seasons with the Heat and was the youngest player on the team’s first NBA championship. He wouldn’t break into the rotation until his third season, when he played 66 games, scoring six points with 4.1 rebounds- and 1.4 assists-per-game.

Injuries and inconsistent opportunity kept Wright from fully developing with the Heat. Ultimately, Wright put up 6.3 points and 3.0 rebounds-per-game on 46 percent shooting in 211 games with Miami. When he left for Golden State in free agency in 2010, Wright vaulted to another level. He averaged a career-high 16.4 points-per-game that season, starting all 82 games.

In 2007, the Heat entered the draft with the No. 20 pick and took Jason Smith, a stretch big out of Colorado State. They flipped Smith to Philadelphia for the No. 21 selection, Daequan Cook, cash and a 2009 second rounder.

(That second round pick, incidentally, was later dealt to Minnesota in 2008 for none other than the goat, Mario Chalmers.)

Cook played the first three seasons of his six-year NBA career in Miami. His most notable moment was becoming the third Heat player to win the Three-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend. He proved to be a solid role player for a time, averaging 8.8 points as a rookie and 9.1 points in his second season. He was limited to just 45 games his third year before being dealt to Oklahoma City that offseason.

Wheeling and Dealing Mid-First Round Draft Picks

The Heat have always been willing to deal draft picks, particularly their mid-first round picks. Even in this draft, Miami may deal the pick, according to Five Reason’s Ethan Skolnick.

In 1990, the Miami Heat held the 3rd overall selection in the draft after an 18-64 season. The team traded the No. 3 (which became Chris Jackson, later Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf) to Denver for the No. 9 and No. 15 selections. Miami turned those picks into Willie Burton and Dave Jamerson.

Jamerson wasn’t around long, though. He and the No. 30 overall pick (a second rounder then), Carl Herrera, were sent to the Houston Rockets for the No. 12 pick, Alec Kessler.

Kessler became the first player in Heat history to wear the No. 33, now retired for Alonzo Mourning. He played all four seasons of his career with Miami, averaging 5.2 points- and 3.2 rebounds-per-game in 210 appearances.

In 1996, the Heat’s first round pick, No. 16, went to Charlotte as part of the Mourning/Glen Rice trade. The Hornets used the pick to take Tony Delk out of Kentucky. Later in that draft, Miami made an ill-fated deal with Utah for the rights to the No. 25 selection, Martin Müürsepp.

The 6-9 power forward remains the only Estonian player to ever make an NBA appearance. The Heat sent a future first for Müürsepp, who played a grand total of 10 games and scored 17 points for Miami. The Heat then shipped Müürsepp to Dallas with  Sasha Danilović and Kurt Thomas for Jamal Mashburn at the trade deadline that season.

Mid-First Round Draft Picks the Heat Dealt Away

Miami’s 1998 first rounder (No. 22) went to the Los Angeles Clippers with Isaac Austin and Charles Smith for Brent Barry. The Clippers would draft Brian Skinner with that pick, ahead of Ty Lue, Nazr Mohammed, Al Harrington, Rashard Lewis and Rafer Alston, among others.

In 2000, the pick Miami sent to Utah for Müürsepp turned into DeShawn Stevenson for the Jazz.

The Heat’s No. 20 overall selection in 2001 went to Cleveland as part of a complicated three-team trade that saw Shawn Kemp flip to Portland and Brian Grant come to Miami. The Cavs selected Brendan Haywood ahead of the likes of Gerald Wallace, Samuel Dalembert, Jamaal Tinsely, Tony Parker and Gilbert Arenas.

In 2009, the Heat’s No. 18 pick in the first round went to Minnesota as part of the Ricky Davis/Antoine Walker trade. It was the second time the Heat had acquired Davis via trade. The No. 18 pick that year became Ty Lawson.

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2010 saw the Heat package Daequan Cook and the No. 18 overall selection for Oklahoma City’s second rounder. This move cleared out addition cap space to help make the Big-3 Era possible. The second-round pick Miami acquired became Dexter Pittman. The No. 18 pick that year was Kentucky’s Eric Bledsoe.

In 2016, the Heat lost their No. 24 overall pick to Cleveland, thanks to the sign-and-trade deal for LeBron James. The Cavs selected Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot ahead of Pascal Siakam and Dejounte Murray.

Finally, in 2018, Miami saw their No. 16 overall pick head to Phoenix as part of the Goran Dragic deal. The Suns would select Zhaire Smith. The Heat also stands to lose their 2021 first round draft pick in this deal.

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