Three Piece Picks: UFC Fight Night, Santos vs Texiera Card

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Main Event: #1 Thiago Santos vs #3 Glover Texiera 

 

Pick: Thiago Santos

By: KO 

Round: 2nd Round

Breakdown: This fight will likely end up being the #1 contenders fight for the UFC Light Heavyweight belt. As of right now, Current LHW Champ Jan Blachowicz is looking like he will face Israel Adesanya. But if one of these fighters can make some real noise, ending the other one emphatically, they can bring the spotlight to themselves and try to get a shot at Jan. Thiago Santos is coming back off of a torn up knee in his valiant effort in a split decision loss to Jon Jones. Glover Texiera is coming in off of a comeback win against Anthony Smith where he dominated the latter rounds to score a win by TKO. Glover is an excellent technical fighter, he has good stand up, he able to take you down and he can submit you. But at he takes some time to start up, as where Santos comes out explosive at the start. With having advantages in all the striking stats, this one could end quick with the amount of power and explosiveness that he brings. He comes in guns blazing having 15 of his 21 wins come by KO/TKO many in the first and second round. Look for him to come out explosive with Texiera starting slow, and this one may end in spectacular fashion. 

Co-Main Event: Andrei ‘Pitbull’ Arlovski vs. Tanner ‘The Bulldozer’ Boser

Pick: Tanner Boser

By: Decision

Breakdown: Looking to have his first 3 fight win streak in the UFC, Tanner ‘The Bulldozer’ Boser is also looking to make a name off the former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei ‘Pitbull’ Arlovski. Tanner has won 3 of his 4 fights in the UFC and if he wins this one, he’s going to crack the top 20 and potentially secure a fight for a ranking. Andrei is coming in having gone 4-9 in his last 13 fights but he is still a great fighter at his age. The problem is that he’s going against someone that averages 1 extra strike per minute (Arlovski: 3.54 Boser:4.54) and who has defense is 5% better. Boser is finding his groove here in the UFC and facing someone like the 41 year old Arlovski who has 11 of his 19 of his losses come by KO/TKO. Look for Boser to come out and wear down the defense of Arlovski early and wear him down later in the fight. Arlovski is no wash with only having been only been KO/TKO’d twice over the last 4 years. The two guys to do it? Francis Ngannou and Jairzinho Rozenstruik, but who has not been knocked out by those guys? Boser will be able to land some strikes but the veteran sense of Arlovski keeps him alive long enough to see the judges.  

 

Fight #3: Raoni Barcelos vs Khalid Taha

Pick: Raoni Barcelos 

By: TKO

Round: 3rd Round

Breakdown: Raoni Barcelos is coming in on an 8 fight win streak and Khalid Taha is coming in off of a 13 month layoff. What we can look to this fight and see right off the top is that Taha might be coming in with some ring rust. He has a disadvantage in striking (2.64 vs 4.79 for Raoni in Landed per Minute) a lot of this comes in as ground and pound. For Barcelos, the easiest path to victory for him will be to continue to do what he has done which is winning 4 of his last 5 with a finish. With only a 64% takedown defense for Taha and 58% takedown accuracy for Raoni, it will only take 2 attempts to get him on the ground. With also having the ability to use that ground game as a weapon, opponents tend to worry about the takedown and forget about the hands. It is very possible that Taha gets caught, but it is more likely that Barcelos takes him down, gets into dominant position, and finishes him via ground and pound.

 

Fight #4: #15 Ian ‘The Hurricane’ Heinisch vs Brendan ‘All In’ Allen

Pick: Brendan Allen

By: Decision

Breakdown: Both of these guys are extremely well rounded and this is one of the tougher matches on the card. If you’re looking for a parlay, its recommended to stay away from this one. A backstory in this one is that both guys come in having held the LFA Middleweight championship in 2018 and 2019. Getting into the numbers, both guys are willing to take it to the ground. They both average north of a takedown a fight so as well as have a strike differential less than a strike per minute off of each other. This fight could come down where they go shot for shot and whoever is able to get the takedown first will get the win. Allen does have a knockdown and at least takedown in 2 of his 4 fights and is coming in on a 7 fight win streak, a being perfect 3-0 in the UFC. This is an eliminator for the 15th rank in the Middleweight division and if Allen can dominate this fight he can see himself knocking in the Middleweight top 10. 

 

Fight #5: #4 Claudia ‘Claudinha’ Gadelha vs. #8 Xiaonan ‘Fury’ Yan

Pick: Xiaonan Yan

By: Decision

Breakdown: Xiaonan is looking to break into the top 5 with a win over Claudia Gadelha. She comes in having all advantages in all the striking stats while still showing the ability defend and even shoot for the takedown. Gadelha is much more ground game focused and if Yan is able to keep it on the feet, this fight easily goes to Yan. She is coming in on a 5 fight win streak and is looking for more. This fight is unlikely to end in a finish due to the nature of the fighters. It is more likely we will see a round of Claudia able to take Yan down and try to control her, and 2 rounds of Yan boxing Claudias face in. 29-28 Yan. 

Dolphins Cardinals

5 Keys to the Dolphins vs Cardinals in Week 9

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The Miami Dolphins (4-3) head west to face the Arizona Cardinals (5-2) on Sunday afternoon. The Dolphins arrive after a 28-17 win where the defense dominated the LA Rams. This alleviated the pressure on first-time start Tua Tagovailoa. But that pressure returns in his first career road start against a similarly talented young quarterback in Kyler Murray.

The last time Tagovailoa and Murray squared off, they put on a show at the 2018 Orange Bowl. The two complied 735 yards in that one. It’s unlikely fans will see that type of performance on Sunday, considering the solid defenses in this one.

So here’s a look at five keys to Week 9’s Dolphins-Cardinals matchup.

Dolphins-Cardinals: Get the Offense Going

In three of Miami’s four wins this season, the offense got on the board first. The Dolphins managed to build early leads against Jacksonville, San Francisco and New York. Although the Rams put points on the board early last week, Miami thundered back with 28 straight in the first half.

What’s clear is, if the Dolphins offense can get going early, they win. The problem recently has been a struggling offense. In the second half against the Jets, Miami managed just 102 net yards on just 4.0 yards-per-play.

Against the Rams, those struggles continued. the Dolphins gained 145 yards on 48 offensive plays, good for just 3.0 yards-per-play. Facing an explosive Cardinals team, Miami will have to put up points.

Miami needs to win time-of-possession and string together extended drives. Offensive coordinator Chan Gailey called a conservative game last week, especially after the early lead, but he might need to open it up against Arizona. Tagovailoa, meanwhile, needs to develop chemistry with his receivers.

Fans look forward to seeing if Tagovailoa can build on his statistically underwhelming debut. Tagovailoa went 12-of-22 for 93 yards and a touchdown. He lost a fumble but was victimized by at least three drops.

Contain Kyler Murray

The challenge of containing Kyler Murray stands as Miami’s top priority against the Cardinals. Murray quarterbacks a potent offense that scores 29.0 points-per-game (eighth) and piles up 419.1 yards-per-game (first in total offense).

Murray’s ability to run could be Miami’s most difficult task. Murray leads all quarterbacks with 437 rushing yards. He gains 6.7 yards-per-carry and averages 62.4 yards-per-game. He’s scored seven rushing touchdowns and remains a real threat in the red zone.

This season, the Dolphins have struggled against mobile quarterbacks. Losses to Cam Newton, Josh Allen and Russell Wilson can be traced to an inability to contain those QBs, particularly when they extended plays with their feet.

The Dolphins will need to shut down Arizona’s rushing game beyond just Murray. Their 160.7 rushing yards-per-game is second in the league. Although they’re likely to be without former Dolphin Kenyan Drake, Chase Edmonds remains a shifty, talented back. Edmonds averages 6.1 yards-per-carry and Arizona’s attack overall nets 5.2 yards-per-carry (second-most).

Miami’s run defense allows 125.1 yards-per-game and 4.9 yards-per-carry, both 21st in the NFL.

Dolphins-Cardinals: Run the Ball

If Miami is going to win this game against the Cardinals, they’ll need some semblance of a running game. What hurts the Dolphins in that regard is they’ll be without starting running back Myles Gaskin, who has been placed on the IR.

Matt Brieda and Patrick Laird are both questionable heading into Sunday’s contest as well. The newly acquired DeAndre Washington remains unavailable thanks to the league’s COVID-19 protocols.

Finding a consistent rushing attack continues to confound the Dolphins. In 2019, Miami had the worst ground game in the league (72.3 yards-per-game). This season, the Dolphins aren’t much better. Miami runners gain an average of 98.0 yards-per-game (fifth-worst) and average just 3.6 yards-per-carry (second-worst).

The Cardinals, though, feature a rush defense that can be run on. They allow 131.1 yards-per-game (eighth-most). A consistent ground game could alleviate pressure on Tagovailoa.

Without Gaskin, Miami probably turns to Jordan Howard, who hasn’t been active since Week 4. Howard stands as the most experienced option. Other options include former practice squad talent Salvon Ahmed, and perhaps Brieda and Laird, if they’re healthy.

Win Strength v Strength

Miami’s three-game winning streak comes thanks in large part to dominant defensive play. Since Week 5, the Dolphins defense ranks top-3 in points allowed, sacks, takeaways and third-down conversion rate. The Dolphins are tops in the NFL in scoring defense (18.6 pints-per-game) and Xavien Howard leads the league with four interceptions.

The defense pins opponents to obvious passing situations, pressures the quarterback and gets off the field. Over the last three games, opposing QBs are 0-for-14 when throwing the ball 20-or-more yards in the air. But the Dolphins D will have its hands full with Murray and the Cardinals.

DeAndre Hopkins might be the best receiver in the NFL these days. He’s snagged 57 catches for 704 yards and three touchdowns and hogs targets from Murray. Hopkins has 73 targets this season and has caught 78.1 percent of them. The next closest receiver is Larry Fitzgerald, with 37 targets.

The Dolphins feature one of the best cornerback tandems in the league with Howard and Byron Jones. In four games with those two on the field, the defense allows just 13.8 points-per-game and 5.5 yards-per-pass.

Hopkins torched Howard the last time the two faced off (back in 2018). Hopkins caught six of seven targets for 82 yards and two touchdowns while with the Houston Texans. This week, Howard could look for redemption, or the team could slot Jones in front of Hopkins. Howard could face Christian Kirk (who’s averaging 15.4 yards-per-catch and has five receiving touchdowns).

Although normally a tight end eraser, Eric Rowe could matchup with Fitzgerald, who’s largely been used like a tight end by the Cardinals this season.

Dolphins-Cardinals: Protect Tua

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Although the Cardinals will be without Chandler Jones, Miami’s offensive line will still need to keep their quarterback upright. Arizona sends an extra rusher 38.6 percent of the time, which is the fourth-highest rate in the NFL. The Cardinals’ 19 sacks are 10th-most in the league. They’re also top-10 in knockdown percentage (8.9) and pressure rate (23.5).

Against the Rams, Tagovailoa faced only five blitzes, according to Pro Football Focus. His touchdown pass came against a blitz. For the Cardinals, Haason Reddick leads the team with five sacks and 20 quarterback pressures.

Miami’s offensive line could see the return of Austin Jackson from the IR. In his absence, fellow rookie Robert Hunt has played well at right tackle and Jesse Davis has played well at left tackle. Jackson may not play or could be used as a sixth linemen in some formations.

Give Tagovailoa time and the Dolphins may put up points. The Cardinals allow 20.9 points-per-game (ninth) but 378.4 yards-per-game (22nd). The passing defense cedes 247.3 yards-per-game (18th) and 63.1 percent completions.

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Duncan Robinson: A Klay Thompson Attribute That Is Necessary

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The Duncan Robinson and Klay Thompson comparisons have been looming following a historical season from Duncan shooting the basketball.

Even though this was Duncan’s second year in the league, I consider it his rookie season since he didn’t get playing time in year one.

Duncan averaged 14 points a game this past season, while Klay Thompson averaged 13 points a game in his rookie season. Although shooting the ball is both of their best attributes, they each have a more important skill.

Klay Thompson has the ability to lock up basically anybody he gets matched up with, while Duncan’s strength is that his impact on offense comes without even touching the ball. The gravity that he holds by running around trying to get open is truly second to none.

Although an ideal addition to Duncan’s game would be Klay Thompson-like defense, that’s not where I am going with this. Instead, I believe Duncan will need to try and step inside the three point line at times.

He began to utilize this more in the bubble when he was getting blanketed, which led to many open layups. But the mid-range game is what Duncan Robinson should focus on when watching film on Klay Thompson.

Klay is one of the best at using one dribble to step inside the three to get a better shot. The reason is that once a defender is worried about that part of your game, the three point shooting gets opened up even more.

In Klay Thompson’s rookie year, he was attempting 7 two pointers a game, which is now up to 10 a game. Duncan Robinson, on the other hand, didn’t even attempt 1 two pointer a game in the regular season.

Erik Spoelstra and Jimmy Butler have constantly mentioned that they want Duncan shooting the ball as much as possible, so it’s obvious they won’t mind him shooting some more mid-range jumpers.

And it definitely isn’t a hard thing to master. As mentioned with Klay, all he needs to do is master the pump-fake into a one dribble pull up. That one move opens up Duncan Robinson’s whole entire game, which is why I’m positive that it’ll be added to his game next season.

Klay Thompson definitely isn’t a bad player to model Duncan’s game around, since they already share similar games. And surprisingly, there have been many records that Duncan has passed Klay in already.

In five NBA finals appearances for Klay Thompson, he’s only hit seven threes in a game one time.

And in Duncan Robinson’s first finals appearance, he hit seven threes in a crucial game five performance.

Duncan clearly has a chance to be the best shooter in the NBA, but it’ll be harder since Klay will be returning. But if he utilizes the mid-range jumper a bit more, I believe he can put a stamp on that title.

Three Piece Fight Picks: Devin Haney vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa Card

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Main Event: Devin Haney vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa for WBC Lightweight Title

 

Pick: Devin Haney

By: Decision

Fight Goes the Distance: Yes                                                                                                                                                                      

Breakdown: Devin Haney looks to continue his title reign and add another known name to the hitlist when he takes on Yuriorkis Gamboa. Haney is coming in undefeated and at only 21 years old taking on a legend in the sport in Gamboa, he can continue to build his name for himself and keep bringing in the money. For Gamboa he is coming in off of a valiant effort vs Gervonta Davis where he tore his achilles tendon and continued to fight with the knockout artist all the way to the 12th round until he took a loss. The former champ was dominant against top competition in the early 2010s but it seems like he’s on the back end of his career and is steadily declining. Haney is coming in super fresh and light on his feet and is able to put together great combinations. His 2 and 3 piece combinations are lightning quick and going against someone who is coming off an injury, we could see a lot of those fast combinations get through. Gamboa is a warrior, and will most likely do enough to see the judges, but this fight is more than likely going to be a showcase for Haney as he works his way to a decision win. 

 

Co-Main Event: Filip Hrgovic vs Rydell Booker

Pick:  Filip Hrgovic 

By: Knockout

Round: 3

Group of Rounds: (7-12)

Fight Goes the Distance: No                                                                                                                                                                       

Breakdown: Future Heavyweight contender Filip Hrgovic is coming in to take on Rydell Booker. Filip has looked great knocking out most of his opponents within the first few rounds. Just creeping into his prime at 28, he looks like all he will need is a few more fights until they put him into a title shot. We may very well see that happen in the next 2 or 3 fights. Rydell Booker is coming in at almost 40 years old and for him, this is a tough outing. He’s had a long layoff due to having a drug bust after taking the first loss of his career. It’s going to be hard for him to come in even with a few other fights under his belt but after coming out but for Filip, his power will carry him like it has over the last few fights and he should get a KO in the first few rounds. Gypsy King Tyson Fury touting him as “a future World Champion”, keep your eye on the talented Filip Hrgovic. 

 

Fight #3: Devin Vargas vs. Zhilei Zhang

 

Pick: Zhilei Zhang

By: KO

Round: 3

Group of Rounds: (1-6)

Fight Goes the Distance: No  

Breakdown: Olympic Medalist Zhelei Zhang is coming in undefeated to take on the 22-6 Devin Vargas. Zhang has shown the ability to knock people out left and right with 16 of his 21 wins coming by knockout, most of them in the first few rounds. After starting his career 17-0, Vargas has now lost 5 of his last 8. His last loss was against former champ Andy Ruiz and all 5 of those losses have been by knockout. While building his streak he was showing to be able to use his power without weighing in the risk and taking risky punches without getting caught. Now that he has faced higher talent, those risks he takes sometimes do not pay off, and with someone as disciplined and as the power to counter punch as well as Zhang, it is more than likely a KO comes out for Zhang. 

 

Fight #4: Reshat Mati vs. Marcos Mojica

 

Pick: Reshat Mati

By: TKO

Round: 4

Fight Goes the Distance: No  

Breakdown: The 22-year-old prospect Reshat Mati comes in looking to build to his undefeated 7-0 record when he takes on Marcos Mojica. For Mojica, his last 3 losses have come by knockout in early rounds. Mati has gone to decision before because but with this one, he’s facing someone who has shown to be hittable. Mati’s talent will be on display because Marcos is a fighter who will come in and try to work his offense and while he does that, he leaves himself somewhat open. More than likely we will see Mati get to show out and will pick up another good win vs Mojica. 

 

Fight #5: Juan Jose Martinez vs. Movladdin Biyarslanov

 

Pick: Movladdin Biyarslanov

By: Decision

Fight Goes the Distance: Yes

Breakdown: With this fight only scheduled for 6 rounds, this one is quite likely to see the cards. Movladdin is coming in after getting a comeback win after a couple of losses in a row. He does have the power to be able to win fights with his punches, but he is not as fast as Movladdin. In this fight, we will see him use his fast footwork and his pressure to get the win against Juan Jose. 

 

Fight #6: Darren Cunningham  vs.  Juan Gabriel Medina

 

Pick: Darren Cunningham

By: Decision

Fight Goes the Distance: Yes

Breakdown: Cunningham is a 23-year old prospect out of Las Vegas, and is undefeated at 11-0. He has shown to use an amount of patience that keeps his risk low and works him to decisions. Over his last 4 fights, 2 of them have gone to decision. He is a technical monster and is able to defend, use his footwork, and use combinations to get himself a win. Cunningham is a budding star and you can see with a style like his that he can take himself far and in a few years we can see his name headlining a card. 

 

Southpaw Slinger: Can Tua Become a Top 5 Lefty?

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It’s been 5 years since the last lefty quarterback threw a touchdown in the NFL. Tua Tagovailoa was the first lefty quarterback to throw a touchdown since Kellen Moore threw for 435 yards and 3 touchdowns in week 17 of the 2015-2016 season.

Although Tua won his first career game on Sunday in a largely defensive performance by the Dolphins(4-3), he threw a few very well placed balls, including a 3 yard touchdown to Devante Parker, which was the lowest separation on a touchdown pass all season with .28 yards of separation. Talk about accuracy! Based off of this performance, where will Tua rank among all lefty quarterbacks?

Steve Young, Boomer Esiason, Mike Vick, and Ken Stabler are who I have found to be the top 4 lefty quarterbacks of all time, but will Tua earn himself a spot on this list and make it a top 5 list?

1.       Steve Young has earned himself the number one spot on this list as a Hall of Famer who has 7 Pro Bowl appearances, is a 3-time super bowl champ, and has won league MVP 2 times.

2.      Boomer Esiason receives the title of second best lefty of all time. He is a 4-time Pro Bowler with all-time records for lefty quarterbacks such as 247 Touchdown passes, 37,920 passing yards, and 2,969 completions. Esiason was also a 1-time league MVP.

3.      Michael Vick was the best running quarterback of all time and the third best lefty quarterback of all time. He is a 4-time Pro Bowler and has the most career rushing yards by a quarterback ever with 6,109 and was the first ever quarterback to get 1,000 rushing yards in a season.

4.      The fourth spot belongs to Ken Stabler (The Snake) for now, but if Tua plays to his expectations, he can easily take this spot and possibly move even higher on this list. Ken Stabler is a Hall Of Famer, 4-time Pro Bowler, 1-Time league MVP, and has 1 Super Bowl win.

5.      My prediction for Tua Tagovailoa is that he will be the Phins first star quarterback since Marino, along with the fifth best lefty quarterback of all time. I think his throw accuracy is already among the best in the league. If he can keep his cool in the NFL, he will easily be an all-time great.

 

Aidan Scully (@AScullySports) is a new contributor to Five Reasons Sports Network.

The Tyler Herro-Devin Booker Comparison Is Real

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The comparison that continually gets brought up when discussing Tyler Herro is Devin Booker, and rightfully so.

The reason they got compared originally was that they have a similar play style. They can each play off the ball through catch and shoot, but ultimately thrive more with the ball in their hands off the dribble. The shooting mechanics and form have some similarities as well, which is probably because of the fact that Tyler watches a lot of film on him to model his game.

But that is not the only similarity between the two.

For starters, they played for the same college and played the same position. Surprisingly, Tyler Herro actually had a better college career than Booker.

Herro averaged 14 points, 3 assists, and 5 rebounds, while Booker averaged 10 points, 1 assist, ans 2 rebounds. It honestly isn’t fair to compare though, since Herro played many more minutes a game.

On draft night, they both seemed to get overlooked a bit, which seems to always happen to Kentucky Wildcats until they prove them wrong.

Booker and Herro each ended up getting picked 13th in their respective draft classes. And when taking a look back at it now, they each turned out to be top three players in their draft.

When heading into their rookie years, they each didn’t have too much pressure so nobody expected much. Tyler Herro averaged 14 points, 2 assists, and 3 rebounds in 27.4 minutes a game, while Devin Booker averaged 14 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds in 27.7 minutes a game.

The only difference is that Devin had more of an opportunity to make an impact on a bottom tier Phoenix Suns team. Herro was joining a team that just acquired Jimmy Butler, and had high hopes of a deep playoff run, which obviously ended up happening. Herro’s outstanding playoff run also gives him a bit of an advantage, since Booker hasn’t had the luxury of competing in the playoffs.

Booker ended up making a huge second year jump, going from 14 points a game to 22 points a game. And after seeing all of these similarities between Tyler and Devin, I wouldn’t be shocked if Herro did the same.

Once again, it’s two totally different situations, since Miami is coming off a Finals loss. But I actually believe that Tyler Herro will be Miami’s leading scorer next season if they have this same team.

The strides he took in the bubble offensively truly stood out, since Erik Spoelstra and the team trusted him to run the offense and take big time shots in huge playoff games. If they allowed him to do that then, what makes you think they won’t let him cut loose during the regular season?

Obviously that’s a high bar to set for a 20 year old, but if there’s anybody that’s capable of doing it, it’s Tyler Herro.

Dolphins offense knows it must play better to go toe-to-toe with Cardinals

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Tua Tagovailoa’s first NFL start didn’t go exactly as many expected. And while I don’t think anyone thought he would have a big performance vs. one of the best defenses in football, we did expect more than what we saw.

Maybe, we are at fault.

After all, this was Tagovailoa’s first action since a year prior when he suffered a horrific injury—that some thought may end any chance at a professional career. It was also during an unprecedented offseason, where most–if not all–of the first-team reps went to the veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick.

On Sunday, the hip looked fine as Tua moved fluidly and played a full 60 minutes for Miami in a 28-17 win over the Rams.

Tagovailoa finished 12/22 for 93 yards and one touchdown. The numbers weren’t jaw-dropping, but I think we all realize Miami’s early lead affected the play-calling as did the Rams pressure upfront.

The Franchise

Nevertheless, Tua and his arsenal of weapons must play much better Sunday vs. Arizona–and that includes every aspect of the game.

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray is an entirely different animal for Miami’s defense to prepare for. And although Kenyan Drake might not get the revenge game he had hoped, Chase Edmonds has been every bit, if not, more impressive than Drake in 2020. And let’s not forget De’Andre Hopkins, arguably the best WR in football. Add the timeless-legend Larry Fitzgerald and the man, the myth, the legend, Christian Kirk. Miami’s defense will have their hands full.

But just like we saw the defense step up last week when the team needed it most. The offense is going to need to do much more this week.

As we heard yesterday from offensive guard Solomon Kindley, Miami’s offensive line comes into each game expecting to keep Tua clean. That didn’t happen on Sunday, and the end result led to a fumble that inevitably leads to a Robert Woods touchdown.

Miami’s wide receivers must do more.

Miami’s game plan was to get the ball out of Tua’s hands quickly. Gailey also moved the pocket for his young QB by using designed rollouts to help counter Aaron Donald and the Rams’ vaunted defense.

However, there were also instances where Tagovailoa’s wide receivers dropped the ball.

Literally and figuratively. And with Isaiah Ford headed to New England, Brian Flores needs someone, anyone, to step up.

One player who specifically needs to correct some of his consistency issues is second-year WR Preston Williams.

Williams had two drops vs. Los Angeles on Sunday. And while I won’t sit here and pretend they were game-altering miscues, they did end a few drive pre-maturely.

Another player that Tua and the Dolphins could rely heavily on is speedy wideout, Jakeem Grant.

We all know Grant is a workout warrior, but besides a monster Monday Night Football game vs. the Patriots, he’s been kept quiet for most of his career. Unless, of course, you factor in his kick returns, but that’s a discussion for another day.

Grant admits the Dolphins skill-players need to do better, which is why the team has put in the extra work (after hours) to correct some of the obvious timing issues.

“The Cardinals put up numbers and we know that we’ve got to go out there and execute to the tee. We stayed after practice. We got our timing right. All of us as receivers, we stayed after practice with Tua (Tagovailoa) just to get our timing right, so we know that we’ve got to go out there and dominate. We can’t have a game like we had last week.”

Malcolm Perry, another player that could see his role expanded over the coming weeks, had nothing but high praise for Tua.

 

Most important, however, is that Tua Tagovailoa is aware he needs to do much more to put this offense in a position to succeed.

“I think there’s room for improvement every day for me. I’m getting more comfortable in the huddle talking to the guys, getting the plays out and kind of seeing where everyone needs to go. I think the biggest thing for me is pocket presence. Being able to just step up into what feels like pressure and then also just making the throws that I need to give the receivers good run after catch.”

The Final Yard

From Tua to the offensive line, to the play-calling to the skill-players, Miami’s offense must play much better on Sunday. And everyone knows it. Now they must go out there and execute, and that’s exactly what I expect them to do. We know they won’t have RB1 Myles Gaskin. And to go toe-to-toe with one of the best offenses in football, EVERYONE will need to bring their A-game.

The Left Arm of God’s first start didn’t go as planned. But don’t let that deter you from your initial thoughts. Tagovailoa is everything we had hoped for and more. Good things come to those who wait, and for most Dolphins’ fans, the wait dates back to March 2000 when Dan Marino took off his cleats for the last time.

Last week’s game may not have gone exactly as we had hoped. But this is the game that Gailey and the Dolphins #LetTuaCook.

It’s time.

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#BugBrady: Taking Your Miami Heat Questions #4

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Well, Miami definitely views KZ Okpala as apart of their young core for the future.

The reason that is so clear is because they are very reluctant to include KZ in possible trades for a star. They’ve seen his potential since the NBA draft, since they were set to pick KZ with the 13th overall pick if Tyler Herro was already taken.

I believe he has a role in Miami’s rotation this next season, basically replacing what Derrick Jones Jr was asked to do.

And as I’ve mentioned before, he’s going through a similar process that Duncan Robinson went through, by going back and forth between the G-League and Heat team in his rookie year while flying under the radar. I don’t think it’ll be exactly like Duncan, since he went immediately into the starting lineup, but he definitely will have a role.

Miami has high hopes for his future and Heat fans should too.

Well, these are definitely two separate questions.

I believe that Tyler Herro should be included in a possible deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo if needed, but I definitely don’t feel the same way about Jrue Holiday.

The only way Pat Riley and Miami’s front office will send away Tyler Herro is for a generational talent like Giannis. Jrue Holiday is a solid player, and I believe he’d fit tremendously on this Heat team, but it’s not a clear upgrade in Miami’s eyes.

Obviously Jrue is a better player than Tyler, especially on the defensive end, but he is also 10 years older than Herro. And it’s also been reported that Miami would not include Tyler Herro in any possible trade for Jrue.

But once again, if the only way to get Giannis is via trade, Miami definitely would think about trading Herro away to get the whale.

De’Aaron Fox’s three point shooting actually wouldn’t concern me at all.

For one, he’s the number one option on the Sacramento Kings, which means efficiency is not always his worry. Instead, he just makes sure to get a bunch of shots up, even if shooting isn’t his best attribute.

But if he was the third option on this Heat team, his shot selection would change dramatically, including a lot more open corner threes.

And by the way, when you have Duncan Robinson on the floor, shooting should never be a worry.

Adding De’Aaron Fox to Miami’s offense would not hurt them, instead their offense would be even more fluid and it would improve their offensive speed. It’s also clear what he would do to Miami’s defense, since he can lock up any opposing guards.

If Miami can reunite this Kentucky duo, it would be pretty ideal.

Bam Adebayo: A Chris Bosh Leap Incoming

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Bam Adebayo just finished up a very impressive third season in the NBA, averaging 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists a game. Definitely not too bad for a 23 year old, and it’s only up from there.

When taking a deep dive into the stats of Bam Adebayo and former Heat player, Chris Bosh, you find many similarities. Bosh seemed to be one year ahead of Bam, since he didn’t have the luxury of making immediate impact like Chris did.

Chris Bosh averaged 17 points and 9 rebounds a game in his second year in the NBA with Toronto, which is pretty similar to Bam’s third year stats.

Chris then went on in his third year to average 23 points a game, without shooting the three ball.

The thing that people seem to want to see different from Bam next season is an improved jumper, which makes sense since that’ll elevate his game to an entirely different level. But it’s definitely not a necessity, since self improvement may hold an even higher importance.

The only difference that Chris Bosh seemed to show in his game when he made that third year leap was offensive confidence. I feel that’s a big thing when discussing Bam Adebayo, since it’s obvious what he can do on the basketball court, but his unselfishness seems to hold some of that back.

Even Jimmy Butler would repeatedly say throughout the season that he needs to try and score more. Miami already has an unselfish leader on the floor with Butler, so it’s Bam’s job to utilize his talent.

Chris Bosh got to the point towards the end of his third season where he’d attempt 20+ shots a game, while a big night for Bam is when he attempts 15 shots.

Once again, it’s just about a certain level of comfort and confidence when he has the ball in his hands to go and make a play.

The reason I know that’s the case is because he proved in the closeout game against Boston that if he has it going, he just can’t be stopped. He began to score at will towards the end of that game, which led to a 32 point performance to send Miami to the NBA Finals.

Another clear similarity between the two is they each have historical Miami Heat playoff blocks. Two guys who aren’t afraid to put their body on the line on the defensive end to make a play when it truly matters.

Although Bam Adebayo just made a huge leap in this past playoff run, that was just the beginning.

Be prepared for yet another breakout season for Bam Adebayo, even if Miami gets another superstar.

That Chris Bosh leap is coming, but I believe it’ll be a much larger one.

Three More Miami Heat Draft Possibilities

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One name that I haven’t gone too in depth about is point guard Kira Lewis Jr. That is because he’s been gaining more and more steam as of late to be a lottery pick, some even projecting him to possibly get into the top 10.

For that reason, there are a couple other intriguing prospects that Miami may have their eye on, which the first one is Jahmi’us Ramsey.

He’s a combo guard out of Texas Tech, who carries a wide variety of ways to score the basketball. He can score at all three levels, but most importantly he does it very efficiently, which usually is the downfall of most offensively talented players entering the draft.

He also can defend the guard position very well, which would definitely entice Miami.

It’s been clear that he’s more of a scoring guard than a true point guard, but with the development of Tyler Herro running the offense, that may not be a big deal.

He has actually gotten some comparisons to Marcus Smart, and it’s obvious that those are the types of players that Miami really likes.

Another guy that has been discussed is Desmond Bane out of TCU. He’s a knockdown three point shooter with very good size. He seems to have the ability to turn into the prototypical 3 and D guy, which could definitely help Miami.

And when evaluating other parts of his game, many have said that he’s the best passer in this draft who is not a point guard. But, he is far from being the best ball-handler in the draft, which is why people think his ceiling will be a quality role player.

But Miami doesn’t need a superstar in this draft. They might actually rather go the route of getting a guy that has a lower ceiling, but can contribute right away since he looks to have a fluid transition.

He has also been working out in South Florida preparing for the NBA Draft…

Grant Riller got brought up recently as well, which I believe is actually very intriguing. As I mentioned with Jahmi’us Ramsey, Grant Riller can also score from all three levels at a very efficient rate.

He’s a guy that was not supposed to be considered around that 20 range, but has slowly been creeping up the draft board.

People have said that not only is Riller the best finisher in the class, but he’s also one of the best scorers off the dribble. I’ve seen comparisons to Fred VanVleet, which makes sense since they have a similar size and have similar abilties on offense such as the step-back.

I’ve mentioned some other possible draft selections in past articles, but these three guys could potentially be considered as well.

We will see the route Miami elects to go on Draft night on November 18th.