5 Takeaways from Heat’s Win Against the Boston Celtics

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The Miami Heat were coming off of a tough loss against the Toronto Raptors, but rallied against Boston to get the win, 112-106. Jimmy Butler did not play today due to ankle soreness, but the team rose up to the occasion. Here’s my 5 takeaways from this game…

#1: Tyler Herro appears to be back to himself.

Tyler Herro has struggled a bit shooting the ball during his time in the bubble. This all shifted today when Tyler finally found his rhythm. I’ve said many times that Tyler’s game revolves around his shooting early in the game, due to confidence. Once Tyler sees the ball go through the net, he’s very hard to stop. Another big improvement that was seen in Tyler’s game today was his defense. He continues to showcase his active hands, quick feet, and natural instincts on the defensive end. Definitely not too bad for a guy that’s only 20 years old.

#2: Derrick Jones Jr elevates Miami’s defense.

Derrick Jones Jr has been one of the most effective defenders on this Heat team, and the absence of Jimmy Butler improved his minutes. Derrick is definitely a card that Erik Spoelstra will use if they were to face off against Boston in the playoffs. His main assignment was to guard the Celtic’s star Jayson Tatum, and he did this pretty well. He forced Tatum into shooting 2/5 in the first half, which is not an easy task. If Derrick had the help of Jimmy Butler on defense to guard Kemba Walker, this would disrupt Boston even more.

#3: Bam Adebayo needs to trust his offensive game more.

Bam Adebayo seemed to be as present as Jimmy Butler was early in the first quarter. But that slowly changed after Bam realized the importance of his offensive game. He began to use his strength, which is his athleticism around the rim. This lead to Bam’s 21 points, along with 18 free throw attempts. This was his career high in free throw attempts. This may be because this bubble format has increased the amount of foul calls, which is why Bam will need to attack the basket just as his teammate, Jimmy Butler, does. After showcasing his offensive dominance, Bam will need to continue to trust his scoring abilities as much as Heat fans do.

#4: Without Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic is essential.

Due to the absence of Jimmy Butler, it hurts their amount of play-making leaders on the roster. This is why Goran Dragic was going to be looked to in this match-up, even on a back-to-back which definitely doesn’t benefit him. Goran’s success scoring the ball today was all strategy. He was facing a tough defensive match-up off of the bench, in Marcus Smart, but he prioritized and took advantage of switches, which lead to many Goran Dragic iso’s on Boston’s bigs. Goran was a little shaken up on the final play of the game with an apparent ankle injury, and went to the locker room. With the hopes of a healthy Goran Dragic, the duo of him and Jimmy Butler will be a scary site for teams in fourth quarters come playoff time.

#5: The Boston match-up may not be as scary as it seems.

The Miami Heat have pretty much dominated every top team in the East this season, except the Boston Celtics. This is why this win feels so much better for the Heat than any other game of this regular season restart. And of course, they were without their star Jimmy Butler. The reason that Miami has struggled with Boston is because of match-ups. But well, the match-ups didn’t seem to be a problem today. This may be because of the lineup change of Jae Crowder for Meyers Leonard, which adds much more versatility and matches up with Boston’s wings. Kelly Olynyk also entered the starting lineup, who has been very impressive in the bubble. After this win, Miami definitely feels a lot better about themselves tonight than they did yesterday.

Miami Dolphins: Wide receiver Allen Hurns opts out of 2020 season

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A member of the Miami Dolphins has opted out of playing in the 2020 season. Wide receiver Allen Hurns has elected to not participate in the upcoming season.

Hurns is the first Dolphin that has opted out of playing. The wideout offered production for Miami, and proved himself a valuable receiver. He caught 32 passes for 416 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games with Miami. He signed a two-year extension in November.

Although the Miami Dolphins would have liked his production, the organization still has plenty of targets at wide receiver. DeVante  Parker, Albert Wilson, and Preston Williams are some of the bigger names at the position. In particular, Parker looks to have a successful season. He really came into his own last year, after catching 72 passes for 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns.

Who will step up for the Miami Dolphins?

This just means that another Dolphins receiver will have to step up. Parker playing well is almost a guarantee. I would look for somebody such as Preston Williams to have a big season. After recently being cleared for football activities, he looks to really make his mark this year. After tearing his ACL in week nine, a  2019 season in which he had good momentum was put to a halt.

If the Dolphins can get a reliable secondary option to play well, this could take some of the burden off of Parker in the passing game. With how well he was playing before his injury, I expect Williams could be the one to take the next step.

With players opting out at a fast pace, this is going to allow for players all around the league to make their mark. As the Miami Dolphins get set to embark on a hopeful 2020 season, it will be interesting to see if that modifies the Dolphins passing game.

Tuesday Primer: Can the Heat free Robinson, get playmaking?

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The Miami Heat are currently 1-1 in the NBA bubble after a blowout win against Denver and a close loss to Toronto. The Heat play the Boston Celtics tonight on the second night of a back to back. 

 

As the stakes are getting higher, teams are beginning to deploy special defensive schemes against the Heat. We saw this specifically by the Toronto Raptors against Duncan Robinson by running two players at him consistently and forcing him to pass the ball, in the rare occasions he got it at all. If the Heat were going to win that game, Raptors coach Nick Nurse made sure it wasn’t because Robinson torched them from the three.

 

This is just the beginning of the special attention Robinson will face moving forward. Robinson struggled to impact the game in other ways and was seemingly unproductive in 22 minutes of play time scoring 3 points on 1-5 shooting and grabbing 2 rebounds with a +/- of -1.  And he wasn’t in at the end.

When the playoffs begin, Robinson should expect even more attention from defenses to prevent him from getting good looks. Teams are scouting him and in a seven game series teams will adapt to Miami’s offense. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra will undoubtedly unveil some new sets for Robinson to help him get better looks and to counter opposing defenses. 

 

But when opposing defenses are able to neutralize Robinson, it emphasizes the Heat’s lack of a true point guard and someone who can consistently create off the dribble other than Jimmy Butler. Rookies Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro along with veteran Goran Dragic are the primary candidates to fill that need. Herro already gets fourth quarter minutes due to his ability to score, as well as make plays for others and handle the ball. Herro lives to play in the spotlight, so closing the end of games is what Herro wants. 

 

Nunn struggled against the Raptors too. He shot 0/7 from the field including 0/5 from the three, grabbed 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 points, a turnover in 16 minutes of action. Similarly to Robinson, Nunn often struggles to positively impact the game when he is not scoring. However, Nunn has more ball-handling skill and should be able to drive and create plays for others. His playmaking skills are still developing and he is not a true point guard, so it’s hard to expect solid playoff caliber point guard play from a rookie scorer. 

 

If Nunn continues to disappoint on the offensive end, we might see a change in the starting lineup — to Herro or Dragic. Herro came to the bubble showing an improved handle and ability to score off the bounce, especially when his shots were not falling. He continues to develop into a three level scorer which will be important in the playoffs. A change to the starting guard position might be the spark the starting unit needs in playoff games. However, this switch might disrupt the overall chemistry of the rotation. Unless Nunn, Herro, or both can show playmaking (and defensive) potential this year we should expect Miami’s front office to chase a strong 2 way guard this off season.

Miami will have a good test tonight against Boston, who has beat them twice already this season. 

The Boston Celtics are also 1-1 in the NBA restart and have played in two, down to the wire, high scoring games. Boston’s wings have been fantastic, but now with Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala, Spoelstra has more options to guard them. In their first matchup this season, wing Jaylen Brown went off for 31 points and in their second matchup Hayward and Brown combined for 54 points. And of course, the Celtics have Kemba Walker who, even on a minutes limit due to a sore knee, will be a serious test for Miami’s guards.

Marlins call up

5 Most Exciting Marlins Call Ups

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The Miami Marlins 2020 season resumes in Baltimore this week. They face the 5-3 Orioles for four games in three days after spending more than a week in quarantine. During a Zoom call with media yesterday, Marlins President of Baseball Operations, Michael Hill, made several roster announcements including a number of call ups.

The team’s baseball ops crew scrambled over the last week to piece together a competitive roster. But to fill all of the holes for the 30-man roster, Hill needed to promote from within. Here’s a look at five of the most exciting Marlins call ups.

Marlins Call Ups: Monte Harrison

The road to the big leagues for Monte Harrison has been a winding one. He’ll be the last of the four prospects received in the Christian Yelich deal to reached the bigs. Now 24, Harrison made his pro debut at the age of 18, forgoing a commitment to the University of Nebraska where he would have played both football and baseball.

Harrison comes in as the No. 9 overall prospect for the Marlins via MLBPipeline and his impressive spring/summer had fans clamoring for his MLB debut. At 6’3”, Harrison boasts a unique blend of size, speed and power. He’s a plus outfield defender and wields a cannon arm.

What’s limited him in the past has been inconsistency at the plate. Strikeouts have been an issue, including 215 in 2018 at Double-A Jacksonville. But the Marlins have worked to make mechanical adjustments to Harrison’s approach, including lowering his leg kick and shortening his swing.

At Triple-A in 2019, Harrison dropped his K-rate drop 36.8 (in 2018) to 29.5 percent. Overall, he slashed .274/.357/.451 with nine home runs, 24 RBI and 20 stolen bases. He then hit .300 and posted a .397 OBP in the Puerto Rican Winter League.

Over the summer, Marlins manager Don Mattingly praised Harrison’s work and said: “I think South Florida fans are going to love this guy.”

Harrison should be a fixture in the lineup for the time being, considering the Marlins wanted to have him play every day. This call up is particularly exciting because Harrison has the potential to be a 20/40 guy for the Marlins.

Lewis Brinson

The South Florida native Lewis Brinson was considered the headline prospect return for the Marlins in the Yelich deal. But after struggling for two seasons, Brinson could be on his last opportunity with his hometown club considering some of the other outfield options in Miami’s system.

Brinson struggled in 2019, posting a .197/.247/.263 slash-line with a 34.1 K-rate in 27 games. The team demoted him to Triple-A where he improved (.270/.361/.510 in 81 games) ahead of an August promotion. But his end to 2019 (160/.230/.200 ) was worse than the start.

Brinson is a plus defender with great speed and power potential but contact at the plate remains an issue. With the COVID outbreak, Brinson’s call up for the Marlins should see him patrolling the outfield.

In an interview former MLB OF Xavier Scruggs prior to Opening Day, Brinson called playing for the Marlins a “dream come true.” He admitted his first two seasons “weren’t ideal to start my career” but called this the “best offseason” of his life. Brinson focused inward and remains confident in his abilities. He wants to be “more consistent” and “a leader.”

Brinson said the Marlins are out to “prove people wrong.” He says, “a lot of people sleep on us, but we’ve got a squad.”

Marlins Call Up: Eddy Alvarez

With his call up to the Marlins, Eddy Alvarez is believed to be the first US Winter Olympian to become an MLB player. Alvarez, a Miami native who attended Christopher Columbus High School, won a silver medal as a short track speed skater at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Alvarez returned to baseball after his speed skating career and worked his way up through the minor league systems of both the Chicago White Sox and the Marlins. Last year with Miami’s Triple-A affiliate, Alvarez hit 324/.408/.559 with 12 home runs and 12 stolen bases.

The 30-year-old is yet to make his MLB debut, but made a strong impression at the Marlins’ summer camp workouts.

“I like the kid,” manager Don Mattingly said in July. “I think he’s got a chance to help us.”

As a switch hitter with speed and defensive versatility, Alvarez could prove to be a valuable piece for Mattingly off the bench.

When he learned of his call up to the Marlins, Alvarez reportedly drove down to Miami from Jupiter to tell his family in person. He didn’t go into the house, cautious of COVID-19, but yelled the news through the front door.

Jordan Yamamoto

2019’s roller coaster started fast for Jordan Yamamoto but slowed considerably. Yams began his Marlins career with a pair of seven-inning shutouts, posting 12 strikeouts, five hits and four walks in 14 IP.

But Yamamoto struggled in July and August, posting an 8.13 ERA during a seven-game stretch. He finished 2019 strong with a one-hit, 10-strikeout performance over six innings in his final start of the season.

All in all, Yamamoto posted a 4.46 ERA with a 25.2 percent K-rate. His walk-rate (11.1 percent) needs to come down though.

The 24-year-old was in the running for the fifth starter spot, but lost out to Elieser Hernandez. Miami optioned Yams to Jupiter because he doesn’t necessarily profile as a reliever. He sports a six-pitch arsenal, with his slider as his best offering.

With his call up, the Marlins now have three starters set: Pablo Lopez, Hernandez and Yamamoto. He’ll take the mound during Wednesday’s doubleheader after making 15 starts for Miami last season and posting 82 strikeouts and 36 walks over 78.2 innings.

Marlins Call Up: Jorge Guzman

During Monday’s Zoom call, Marlins president Michael Hill announced Jorge Guzman’s name among the team’s call ups. Guzman is considered the Marlins No. 19 prospect overall by MLBPipeline. The 24-year-old sports a live arm and can touch triple digits on the radar gun.

Guzman slots into a bullpen decimated by COVID-19. Eight of the 12 arms in Miami’s ‘pen have tested positive, so Guzman will initially fill one of those holes despite his pedigree as a starter. The Marlins acquired Guzman from the New York Yankees as part of the Giancarlo Stanton deal.

Mattingly didn’t rule out Guzman getting a turn in the starting rotation, though. “Our guys are going to have to be flexible,” Mattingly said, noting Guzman will “get the opportunity to pitch.”

The 24-year-old hasn’t pitched about Double-A, where the Marlins had him in 2019. With Jacksonville, he posted a 3.50 ERA with 127 strikeouts over 138.2 IP.

Guzman’s call up might surprise some Marlins fans who were expecting the arrival of top-end pitching prospects Sixto Sanchez or Edward Cabrera. The Marlins are being careful with both. Cabrera is dealing with an unspecified arm issue (that’s not being portrayed as serious). Sanchez did not make an appearance in Spring Training and Hill noted the team has “been incredibly cautious with him and his workload.”

Marlins Zoom

5 Takeaways from Marlins Zoom Call Featuring Jeter, Hill & Mattingly

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The Miami Marlins resume their 2020 season tomorrow in Baltimore, weather permitting. On Monday, the Marlins hosted a Zoom call with CEO Derek Jeter, President of Baseball Operations Michael Hill and manager Don Mattingly. The three discussed the team’s COVID-19 related issues, as well as what’s to come.

Here’s a look at five takeaways from the Marlins Zoom call this afternoon.

Marlins Zoom: COVID Not Result of ‘Salacious Activity’

Over the last week plus, members of the national media have posited irresponsible rumors and wild accusations about the Marlins COVID-19 outbreak. MLB and the team conducted investigations and both determined players were lax with the protocols. No discipline has been levied toward any player or the organization.

Marlins CEO Derek Jeter said on the Zoom call Monday that the affected players are “doing ok.” Jeter reinforced the reports that the players were largely asymptotic or suffered just mild symptoms.

“All things considered, they’re in good spirits,” Jeter said of the 18 players and three staff members who’ve tested positive.

Jeter blamed the COVID issues on a “false sense of security” and said: “Guys let their guard down and as an organization we have to pay the price.”

Jeter flatly denied the rumors surrounding the outbreak, saying there was no “salacious activity.” He admitted a couple players left the hotel in Atlanta, but just to get coffee and buy clothes. One went eat dinner at a former teammate’s house.

“Hopefully, this has been a wakeup call not only for our team but the rest of baseball and sports in general.”

Players are Expected to Return

Jeter also claimed the team expects all 18 players to return at some point this season.

“I expect them to come back. They expect to come back,” Jeter said. “Who knows what that timeframe is, but our players are looking forward to getting back on the field.”

While the team hasn’t officially moved all 18 players to the IL, several have been. Jorge Alfaro, Garrett Cooper, Harold Ramirez and Jose Urena all await their teammates on the injured list. Among those expected to be placed on the list Tuesday: Sandy Alcantara and Miguel Rojas.

One Marlin who will not return in 2020 is Isan Diaz. The second baseman informed the Marlins that he’s opting out for the remainder of the 2020 season and posted his full statement to his Instagram Story.

“This has been a tough week to see so many of my teammates come down with this virus, and see how quickly it spreads. After much deliberation and thought, I have made the difficult choice of opting out for the remainder of the 2020 season. This has been a decision that I have discussed with my family, and I feel it’s the best one for me and my overall well-being. I will deeply miss my teammates and competing on the field. I wish my brothers the best and look forward to taking the field again with them soon!”

Jeter spoke with Diaz prior to the announcement and backs his young star.

“Every player has the right to opt out,” Jeter said during the call. “We support and respect him for making that decision. We look forward to him coming back next season.”

Manager Don Mattingly also had kind words for Diaz.

“We respect Isan and his right to make a choice for himself,” Mattingly said. “We’ll support him through that and look forward to him being back next year with us.”

Marlins Zoom: Some Prospects to Join the Big Club

Marlins President of Baseball Operations Michael Hill also took part in the Zoom call. Hill expressed concern for the afflicted players and reiterated that the team is supporting them in every way possible.

He also called the reality of replacing more than half an active roster over a week’s time a considerable undertaking.

“When you have to put 18 players [on the IL], it’s something that you never really expect,” said Hill. “It’s been a challenge for our entire baseball operations department.”

Hill and his staff have signed several free agents, made multiple waiver claims, completed two trades and purchased a contract from an independent league. Many of those players will join the team in Baltimore.

But, in order to fill all 30 roster spots, the Marlins will also call up a handful of prospects.

Monte Harrison, Jorge Guzman and Humberto Mejia all received a call up, per Hill. Big-name prospects, like Sixto Sanchez, Edward Cabrera and Jazz Chisholm, did not.

“We’re not going to put a player in the big leagues who we don’t feel is ready to be in the big leagues,” Hill said.

Who’s On the Roster Now?

The Marlins roster on Tuesday will look very different from Opening Day’s. Hill revealed on the Marlins Zoom call that, in addition to Harrison, Guzman and Mejia, the team also promoted INF Eddy Alvarez, C Ryan Lavarnway, RHP Josh A. Smith and RHP Nick Vincent.

Alvarez, a Miami native and former silver-medal-winning Olympic speed-skater, will make his MLB debut, as will Harrison, Guzman and Mejia.

The Marlins promoted Jordan Yamamoto from Jupiter and activated Lewis Brinson and Matt Joyce from the injured list.

The team will have several of the recent acquisitions in tow, too. All are bullpen arms, including LHP Richard Bleier, RHP James Hoyt, LHP Brian Moran, RHP Mike Morin and RHP Justin Shafer. Free agent second baseman Logan Forsythe will also be with the club.

Mattingly has yet to meet all of the players acquired but knows some from previous tenures with the team.

Harrison will likely slide right into the starting lineup. Mattingly mentioned one of the reasons for Harrison not making the club out of summer camp was in an effort to get Harrison consistent at-bats.

“I think the South Florida fans are going to love this guy,” Mattingly said of Harrison over the summer.

Tough Road Ahead

The Marlins are faced with a monumental task of piecing together a team on the fly. And these players have a tough road ahead. Miami will play four games in three days versus the Orioles, proceed to face the New York Mets, then travel to Buffalo to play the Toronto Blue Jays. The Marlins aren’t currently scheduled for a home game until August 14th.

Mattingly announced Pablo Lopez will start tomorrow’s game and Elieser Hernandez will start one of the two games for Wednesday’s doubleheader. There was no mention of Caleb Smith, which means he might be IL bound.

The Marlins are currently 2-1 and in second place in the NL East, 1.5 games behind Atlanta. This week, they’re facing an Orioles team that sports the third-best record in the AL (5-3).

5 Post-Game Comments from Spoelstra, Adebayo, Dragic

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After the Miami Heat had a tough loss to the Toronto Raptors, they talked with some media about the game. There seems to be one common mistake that they all think came up. Here’s what was said…

Post-Game Comment #1:

Spoelstra begins talking about the number one thing on people’s minds. Duncan Robinson. Spoelstra said that Duncan will need to figure out how to work through this. This definitely is true, but it’s difficult when the offense runs through your three point shot. This will cause Spo to adjust the offense into a different direction when this occurs. Another thing Spoelstra mentioned is that he thinks this will ultimately help Duncan in the long run. As mentioned before, this defensive scheme is going to come up a lot in a playoff series, once teams realize his importance. Hopefully he can develop his game on ball, which will ultimately help his game off the catch and shoot.

Post-Game Comment #2:

Goran Dragic talks about where the game went wrong and how to fix it. He said, “We were down 17, and we came back.” This comeback was all lead by Goran himself, since he seemed to be one of the only ones that could get his offensive game going. He also mentions that although they came back, they need to be careful how they got down by 17. This seemed to just be because of Miami’s inefficient shooting today. They looked pretty crisp on defense throughout, but went through long stretches without scoring the ball, which was evidently where the game got lost.

Post-Game Comment #3:

Goran Dragic also touched on Duncan Robinson’s inability to get his offensive game going. He said, “For us, it’s about us figuring how to get Duncan more open shots and get the ball in the paint.” This seems to lead back to the same conclusion as before. Adjustments. If they want to get him open looks, they’re going to need to take advantage of the other parts of the offense, which is something they didn’t do today. Goran also says he felt that they got open shots in the first half, but just couldn’t make them. He said that ended up affecting their defense in the first half, which expanded the lead to 17. These are definitely easy things to fix, but will need to lock back in for a tough game against Boston tomorrow.

Post-Game Comment #4:

Bam Adebayo gave some pretty straight up answers today in his media availability. He said, “We gotta execute, that’s the bottom line.” The problem with the execution today was in the first half. They looked to clean it up in the second half, but still wasn’t what they’re happy with. Bam definitely needs to be more active on offense in games like this, since he’s a major part of this team. He definitely was huge for Miami with his perimeter defense on smaller guards, but needs to be more confident in his mid-range. Bam also wasn’t too happy when he saw Duncan only took 4 shots. He kept emphasizing that this needs to be fixed and will look to get Duncan more shots.

Post-Game Comment #5:

Goran Dragic also got to talking about the most crucial play in the game. The final one. He says, “We want to be in this situation,” when discussing the dive pick and roll with Jimmy Butler. This is obviously a play that they’ve went over a bunch in practice, but ultimately wasn’t the best decision against this team. With the Raptors scrappiness and active hands, there’s no need to force a pass like that. You ultimately want a guy like Jimmy Butler or Tyler Herro with the ball, since they can create for themselves. It was also an interesting move not to have Duncan in the game on the play, even if he was to just be a decoy. These situations will definitely be critiqued over the next few weeks, since Spoelstra will need to get late game possessions corrected for the playoffs.

5 Takeaways from Heat’s Loss Against the Toronto Raptors

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The Miami Heat came up short against the Toronto Raptors, 107-103. Toronto seemed to have a good game plan for Miami early, while Miami battled back in the second half. Here’s my five takeaways from this game…

#1: Butler can score when he wants, but it’s his choice.

Jimmy Butler has been looked at as everything except a scorer this season, since his play-making abilities have been so elite. But today, he came out the gate with a scoring purpose. He showed that when this team isn’t knocking down their threes, he can step up. The problem is that sometimes he doesn’t choose to step up. He seems to get a little passive at times when he can easily attack the basket and score. Especially at the end of the game, Jimmy should be looking to score, instead of giving the ball up every possession. Jimmy will need to take more of a scoring load when the playoffs come around, especially late in games.

#2: Heat’s defense continues to show improvements.

Miami’s perimeter defense has continually been a problem this season. But, it was pretty clear they improved this in their first game back against Denver, when Denver shot 8/35 from deep. Today, it showed positive signs as well, even though Toronto scored the ball pretty efficiently. This may have a little something to do with the versatility in the lineup, now that Jae Crowder entered the starting lineup for Meyers Leonard. As Bam said, it’s a lot easier when you can switch everything. Miami also seemed to play a lot of help defense throughout. This forced Toronto into having 21 turnovers, which was one of the major keys to Miami’s second half run.

#3: Duncan Robinson gets targeted on offense.

Duncan Robinson has been Miami’s biggest offensive weapon all season. But, the Toronto Raptors seemed to read the scouting report, since they absolutely blanketed Duncan throughout this game. This did lead to more paint points for others, especially Jimmy Butler. This technique will definitely not be a one time thing. Teams will do this more and more, especially when they know your offense in a playoff series. I definitely don’t think Duncan should’ve just been taken out of their regular offense, which seems to be what happened in the second half. The Heat are going to need to figure out how to adjust their offense when this happens, since they’re losing a major scoring piece.

#4: Goran Dragic seems to be Heat’s biggest X-factor.

Goran Dragic entered the game in the first quarter and took control of the team. The play was slightly sloppy early, but he got the offense going. He also was Miami’s most important piece in their second half run. Goran Dragic will be a very key piece for this team since he has such a complete offensive package coming off of the bench. He seemed to struggle with the play-making side of his game today, but this is why Tyler Herro has taken some of the play-making responsibility off of the bench. Goran will also begin to be utilized more in games when Kendrick Nunn doesn’t have his shooting stroke going, like today. He will definitely be looked to down the stretch of games, since he’s one of the Heat’s most trusted players.

#5: Heat’s toughness is team’s best attribute.

The Toronto Raptors seemed to pull out of reach early in the third quarter, with Miami’s inability to shoot the ball. And well, this all changed midway through the third. This was lead by the bench unit with Goran Dragic and Kelly Olynyk. This lineup, surprisingly, began to adjust on defense, and eventually lead to Miami hitting some shots. This is because the guys on this roster are both physically and mentally tough. Coach Spo seemed to not only lean towards the hot hands down the stretch, but also the scrappy and physical players. This toughness is why the Heat are such an interesting team this year. If Miami hits their shots like usual, it’s hard not to categorize this team as one of the contenders.

5 Key Moments from Media Session with Spoelstra, Crowder

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The Miami Heat had an early practice on Sunday, before they get ready for a back to back against the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics. Erik Spoelstra talked with media after practice, along with Jae Crowder. The team also released some information to media that was a bit of a surprise. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Jae Crowder talked about the fact that Jimmy Butler had an excused absence from the team today. Jae said, “We want to talk to him as soon as he gets out of quarantine or whatever he is in.” This seems to point in a certain direction, but there is still much unknown of what the exact reason is. Jae also said, “It’s definitely a curve ball to us to hear stuff like what’s going on with him.” This definitely leaves the Heat on a negative note after a very positive win yesterday, but as Jae said, “You never know what to expect.”

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Coach Erik Spoelstra began his time with media talking about Heat’s star Jimmy Butler. He said he had an excused absence for the day and will not say whether he will play tomorrow against Toronto. Jae definietly gave a much more expanded answer than Spo may have wanted to, but still nothing was released. It was confirmed that he is currently still in the Orlando bubble, but this is the only information that will be released. The number one priority of the NBA is to make sure every player is 100% in this bubble, which is why he will be given as much time as he needs regarding this unknown circumstance.

 

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Erik Spoelstra touched on the offensive side of Jae Crowder he wants to continue to see. He says not only does he feel comfortable with him shooting contested threes, he wants him to shoot from even deeper to stretch the floor. This was the main reason he got the starting spot in Saturday’s game against the Denver Nuggets. Meyers Leonard will most likely be back in the starting lineup for Monday’s game against Toronto, due to match-up reasons against Marc Gasol. Jae Crowder may still get a starting position as well if Jimmy Butler doesn’t play in tomorrow’s game. This decision will be made on the fly, since this news has just been brought to everyone’s attention.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Erik Spoelstra got to discuss tomorrow’s match-up with the Toronto Raptors. He said, “They have a great defense and their team speed is unique.” This was definitely on display when the Heat and Raptors faced off earlier in the season. The score was 84-76, in an absolute defensive match. This will be replicated again as well, since the Raptors showed that they haven’t slowed up on defense in Saturday’s game against the Lakers. It’ll be much harder for the Heat to contain the Raptors game speed if Jimmy Butler doesn’t play, but the most important thing is making sure Jimmy Butler is both 100% healthy and doing well in his personal life.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Erik Spoelstra got to talk about a lighter topic than the rest of the media session. He mentions he loves dressing casual and he hopes the NBA continues it. He says, “Its a lot less to think about.” It definitely gives coaches a bit more freedom while coaching, and also provides much more option instead of the same old suit. This is something that will definitely be considered by the NBA to permanently be changed.

Marlins Outbreak: On to Baltimore

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The Miami Marlins haven’t seen the field in a week and won’t do so again until at least Tuesday. We hope. The Marlins have been dealing with the league’s worst COVID-19 outbreak, and while some thought it was an isolated issues for MLB, other teams, like the St. Louis Cardinals, have seen their own issues with the virus crop up.

The Marlins hold first place in the NL East despite playing only three games this season. If they’re going to keep that position or challenge for a spot in the playoffs, they’ll need to navigate the coming days and weeks carefully. Here’s a look at the latest with the Marlins Outbreak.

Buses Home, On To Baltimore

With 21 members of the organization, including 18 players, testing positive for COVID-19, the Marlins outbreak seemed on the brink of cancelling their season. The team remained sequestered in two Philadelphia hotels this week, but on Friday, they finally got MLB approval to transport the sick players home via sleeper bus.

They’ve since arrived in South Florida, where they will be quarantined. Thankfully, none of those who have tested positive with the Marlins have reported major symptoms.

Harold Ramirez told Telemundo this week he doesn’t have a cough anymore and his body aches have gone away. Miguel Rojas took to Twitter on Thursday to thank fans and supporters and say he can’t wait to get back on the field to represent Miami.

While the recent round of negative COVID tests is good news, the Marlins remain in a holding pattern. The healthy Marlins are still in Philly, as MLB has postponed their games through the weekend.

The current plan is for the Marlins season will resume on Tuesday in Baltimore. They’ll play four games there in three days, then likely move on to play the New York Mets and then Toronto Blue Jays, who are playing home games this year in Buffalo, NY.

Don’t look now, though. Isaias might have other plans.

Trades!

One of those roster holes will be filled by LHP Richard Bleier. Miami acquired Bleier from the Baltimore Orioles for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The 33-year-old was born in Miami Beach and grew up in Davie. He attended South Plantation High School and Florida Gulf Coast University.

He made his MLB debut in 2016 with New York Yankees and has pitched the last three seasons with Baltimore. He owns a career 8-1 record and 2.99 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 177.1 IP working almost entirely out of the bullpen. This season, he’s appeared in two games and did not give up a run in three IP.

The left-handed pitcher relies on sinker and cutter, with a fastball, curve and slider, too. His ability to locate, induce ground balls at a 59-percent rate and surrender hard hits only 21-percent of the time, will help the Marlins bullpen.

Bleier said via Instgram: “I’m excited for the next chapter of my career heading home to Miami!”

On Saturday afternoon, the Marlins also acquired RHP James Hoyt from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for cash. The 33-year-old Hoyt pitched three years for the Houston Astros before joining the Indians in 2020. He sports a 4.16 career ERA with 104 strikeouts over 80 IP. Hoyt had been designated for assignment on July 28th.

Isan Opts Out

Isan Diaz informed the Marlins that he’s opting out for the remainder of the 2020 season. Here is Díaz’s full statement, posted to his Instagram Story:

“This has been a tough week to see so many of my teammates come down with this virus, and see how quickly it spreads. After much deliberation and thought, I have made the difficult choice of opting out for the remainder of the 2020 season. This has been a decision that I have discussed with my family, and I feel it’s the best one for me and my overall well-being. I will deeply miss my teammates and competing on the field. I wish my brothers the best and look forward to taking the field again with them soon!”

Diaz’s memorable debut came on Aug 5th when he homered off Mets ace Jacob DeGrom, much to the delight of his father who was being interviewed on camera by Fox Sports Florida’s Craig Minervini at that moment. However, it was an underwhelming 2019 for him in the MLB after tearing up Triple-A. Diaz finished slashing .173/.259/.307 with five HR and 23 RBI. He struck out 59 times in 201 PAs.

In 2020, Diaz went 2-for-9 with three strikeouts, but made solid contact on several at-bats.

Mattingly called Diaz the Marlins’ second baseman “now and of the future.” He’ll lose whatever development may have come this season, and if he’s not the one, there are a couple of intriguing prospects behind him. Jose Devers, the 20-year-old lefty who came over as part of the Stanton trade, is one and Joe Dunand, a 24-year-old Miami native who went to Gulliver Prep and the nephew of ARod, is the other.

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MLB Season on the Brink

MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported today there are no new Marlins positives from yesterday’s tests. They’re holding at 18 positives for now. But a new rash of positives have sprouted within the St. Louis Cardinals organization. The Cardinals have had six positive tests over the last couple of days, three players and three staff members.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told MLBPA executive director Tony Clark on Friday that if the sport doesn’t do a better job of managing the coronavirus, it could shut down for the season.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the conversation between Manfred and Clark was “not a threat but a reality check that was relayed to players — and has spread quickly among them: We — all of us — need to clean this up, because if we don’t, Major League Baseball in 2020 is going to be over.”

Manfred has since backtracked off that position some, saying he’s “not a quitter.”

This weekend is seen as a crucial juncture for the sport, both in terms of hoping for a limit of positive tests and in players abiding by protocols. The Marlins outbreak could be the defining development of the year.

Other Roster Moves

On Monday, the team announced the addition of two pitchers via waivers, RHP Justin Shafer and LHP Josh D. Smith. Shafer is a South Florida native and Smith pitched for the Marlins in 2019.

Shafer made 40 relief appearances for the Blue Jays over the last two seasons. He sports a 3.75 ERA with 41 K and 32 BB over 41 IP. Smith pitched six games for Miami in 2019 and posted an 8.31 ERA. He surrendered four earned runs over 4.1 IP.

A day later, the Marlins announced they claimed RHP Mike Morin off waivers from Milwaukee. Over a six-year MLB career, the 29yo Morin has appeared for five different clubs, posting a 4.65 ERA.

Free agent signings

Miami also signed minor league free agent outfielder Travis Snider, who last played in MLB in 2015. Over an eight-year career, 32yo Snider played 630 games and hit 54 home runs. His slash line in 2015, his last year in the Majors, is .232/.315/.350.

Wilkin Castillo’s signing signals the return of a former Marlin. Castillo spent most of 2019 with the Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate New Orleans, but he played two games for Miami. He went 1-for-7 with two RBI. His 6/22/19 start came nearly 10 years to the day (6/20/09) of his last MLB appearance.

Pat Venditte‘s signing brings back the “switch pitcher” after he was with the club in Spring. 35yo Venditte has the ability to work off the mound with either arm, depending upon the handedness of the hitter.

Venditte’s career ERA sits at 5.03 over 68 innings pitched. He’s another MLB-experienced arm to add to a Marlins pitching staff that must have been decimated by the COVID outbreak.

5 Main Comments from Post-Game Media Scrum with Spoelstra, Butler, Adebayo

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After the Heat’s impressive win against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, a joyful Heat team talked with some media about the game and their chances going forward. Here’s what they had to say…

Post-Game Comment #1:

Jimmy Butler seemed pretty happy with how the team played in their first official game back, especially in the second half. Jimmy said, “We didn’t play our style in the first half.” It was pretty clear that they began to play their style in the second half, when they began to knock down their threes and most importantly attack the basket. This evidently lead to getting to the free throw line, which is definitely Jimmy’s “style.” He also mentioned that they had the mentality of not being complacent. It’s pretty tough to be complacent on this roster with the amount of leadership on the floor.

Post-Game Comment #2:

Bam Adebayo seemed pretty confident in this Heat team’s chances after the game. Bam said, “I feel we can go against everybody.” This attitude seems pretty familiar. Jimmy Butler had said that he felt they can win a championship a few days ago. And that’s because they play on a team with a winning mentality. It is true that they can go against anybody, but they will only go as far as Bam Adebayo takes them. If he plays the way he did today, they’ll be a tough out in this year’s playoffs.

Post-Game Comment #3:

After another offensive display by Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler talked a little about his impact. Jimmy said, “We told Duncan it’s okay to dribble the ball once or twice.” This was pretty clear in today’s game. Duncan seemed much more comfortable in all of the other aspects of the game. His passing improved, his shot-creating improved, and even cut to the basket more times than normal. Jimmy also said that he’s “not just a shooter,” which is something that’s been taken for granted this season. Jimmy ends with “I’m glad he’s on my team.”

Post-Game Comment #4:

Bam Adebayo talked about their defensive strategy when he was on the floor with Jae Crowder. He said, “It became a hassle for the other team.” This was one of the major reasons that their perimeter defense was much better today. After Coach Spo started Jae Crowder over Meyers Leonard, it added much more versatility, and clearly helped Bam Adebayo on the defensive end. Bam also talked about his conditioning in the game. He said, “I did get a little winded,” which will slowly improve the more games they play.

Post-Game Comment #5:

Coach Spo talked about Meyers Leonard regarding a couple of different topics. He began saying, “This is one game. I have not forgotten about Meyers.” He will definitely be utilized based on different match-ups, especially against Brook Lopez and the Milwaukee Bucks. Spo also talked about Meyers standing for the National Anthem. He said, “He has the backing of everyone in the locker room. Everyone knows where his heart is.” Meyers has repeated supported this movement throughout the process and will continue to do so, but will clearly do it in a way that he feels comfortable.