Duncan Robinson is even better than you think

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Until this season, Duncan Robinson was known — if he was known at all — for borrowing two names from the greatest San Antonio Spurs in that franchise’s history.

He wasn’t a given to make the Miami Heat roster this season, not shooting especially well in summer league, where he was the Heat’s third most effective player behind rookies Tyler Herro and undrafted Kendrick Nunn.

Then, after he made the team, many of us — raising hand — weren’t sure he should be a rotation player.

Now, though?

He’s a starting fixture.

He’s making a habit of sinking four three pointers… by halftime.

He’s the Heat’s toughest cover, without whom their offense stalls and sputters.

He’s a Most Improved Player candidate, in competition with his teammate Bam Adebayo, who has come further, but not from as far away.

He’s the hottest shooter in the world.

That includes the recently returned Steph Curry. With Klay Thompson missing the season due to injury, Robinson has become the NBA’s closest facsimile, a sniper with size who is dangerous out to 30 feet.

Even with an odd bruise on his neck.

Simon Smith of Hoop Habit recently appeared on our Five on the Floor podcast from his native Australia, and provided some Robinson statistical nuggets.

But he’s been spitting out more of late.

And they’re… ridiculous…

It’s gotten to the point where the Heat struggle without him…

 

Robinson is shooting a ludicrous 52% from three-point range at home, where the Heat play their next three games, against the woeful Hornets, Knicks and Bulls — as the Heat try to improve their sterling record at AmericanAirlines Arena and move closer to securing home court in the playoffs.
Although odds are not available for all three games yet, SBD updates their odds page as each game gets closer to the tipoff. To get the most accurate stats, I suggest checking back as close to the start of each game as possible.

And even the defense is better than you think, in spite of this…

Five Attributes for Picking a Real March Madness Champion

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March Madness is a race for the toughest NCAA Basketball teams in the United States.

And this year, 2020, appears wide open.

March Madness will commence on March 17 and 18, 2020, at the University of Dayton Arena, in Dayton, Ohio. It is then succeeded by the first and second rounds along with the regional semifinals. After that, the Championship rounds will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, on April 4 and 6, 2020.

 

So, how do you pick a deserving winner in the upcoming NCAA betting odds? Below are some attributes that a worthy 2020 March Madness winner should have.

The Team Must Have Upperclassmen

In any given sport, especially in the NCAA, it’s always good to have the first five players with good skill sets. A team should demonstrate an incredible offense and defense skills that can help them edge their competitor. Aside from that, their player’s mental ability should reign supreme so they can score effectively inside the court.

 

A real NCAA champion team must have a complete lineup, including upper-classmen. If you look back to the previous years of the March Madness, most players who brought their school in the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, and Final Four were composed of junior and rookie players.

 

They Should Have Experienced Coaches

Coaches play a critical role when it comes to the team’s success. Understandably, it’s the players that you see inside the court showing their best abilities to score in and out of the perimeter. They should have that strength until the end of the game. Apart from that, they should score to win.

However, all of these are not possible without the guidance of the coaches. They are the ones who guide every player and create strategies that can help them win the game. In the previous NCAA tournaments, we have seen champions that are led by Hall of Fame coaches.

They Have Impressive Point Guards

Out of the five positions in a basketball team, the point guard has the biggest role on the court. They are considered as engines that control the whole pace of the game. They get the ball to the right player at the right time, especially down the stretch of tight contests.

In the last 11 seasons, MVP recognition was granted to point guards. So, if you are looking for a team that can emerge as the 2020 March Madness champion, then you must consider the statistics of the point guards of each group.

They Should Have Large Student Bodies

It always helps to have a cheering section. To make sure that your desired team dominates the whole game, the school typically should have a large student body. It means that the student population should come in massive numbers to the tourney site to add hype to the competing school.

Although student bodies are not the main requirement for a school to qualify the March Madness ranking, the support and cheers that each team gets can boost the team’s morale.

They Should Have Robust Defensive Skills

Offense matters, of course.

But the best way to choose an NCAA champion is to pick the team with the most impressive defense skills — the ability to hold down even the most explosive opponent.

Takeaway

Each college team that dreams of getting the March Madness title this year makes sure that they develop both their offensive and defensive skills to the best of their abilities. Hence, if you are one of those NCAA fans who wanted to pick a real March Madness winner, then you must start to look for a team who possess the attributes listed above for a sure win.

 

Quick Recap: Bam, Heat pull away from Wizards in Washington

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The Miami Heat were coming off of a tough loss on Friday night to the Pelicans, but took care of business on Sunday against the Wizards, 100-89.

The Heat started off the game in the first quarter the way they do every night it feels, with a Duncan Robinson triple. He had a great first quarter scoring 8 points on 2/2 shooting from three. Kendrick Nunn also contributed 8 points on 3/10 shooting, which seems to be his usual stat-line. Even though this might not seem good, it is for this team who needs a guy who isn’t afraid to shoot the ball. The Heat ended the quarter with a 29-23 lead over the Wizards.

Bam Adebayo was the big scorer for the Heat in the second quarter with 10 points on 4/4 shooting. This leads to better spacing out on the three point line once the defense packs the paint to guard Bam. Solomon Hill also got some quality minutes in this game, scoring 5 points in the second quarter. He hit a nice corner three and added some defensive problems when players would attack the rim. Bradley Beal kept the Wizards in this game in the first half scoring 20 points. This led to only a 3 point lead at the half, 57-54.

The third quarter began and it felt like Miami looked just tragic on the offensive end. The Heat put up a 15 point third quarter and could not get anything going. Miami took another big hit in the third once Jimmy Butler went to the locker room with a left toe injury, and did not return. Spoelstra talked about the injury after the game and basically said it was precautionary since he had sprained his ankle in the previous game. The game was tied at the end of the third, 72-72.

The fourth quarter was a battle to the end, but it ended in a way that makes every Heat fan feel good, Bam Adebayo taking over. Not only did Bam play as the primary playmaker in the fourth, but also as the main scorer, putting up 11 fourth quarter points with 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Not bad for a center. Duncan Robinson also helped the Heat clinch this win with 3 fourth quarter threes and 7 on the game. Heat pulled away late and got the win 100-89.

This Heat team relies on their star every night when things aren’t going their way. But on this particular night, one of their stars was in the locker room. This allowed them to rely on their other star in Bam Adebayo and he delivered. Just as Duncan Robinson said postgame, “We turned to our All Star.” Bam’s best moment of the night though may have come postgame, when he traded jerseys with Beal and wore it when leaving. Great recruiting mechanism. Seems kind of Wade-esque as pointed out in Ethan Skolnick’s latest piece on this being Bam’s time. Tonight was a great example of that being true.

Road Issues Continue For Miami In New Orleans

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The Miami Heat played a nationally televised game against the Pelicans on Friday night, and Miami falls to another team on the road, 110-104.

Here’s a more detailed look at the game…

The Heat looked to Jimmy Butler in the first quarter when Miami’s shots weren’t falling, and he delivered. Jimmy scored 9 first quarter points and played great defense with 2 steals. Bam Adebayo also added 2 steals in the first quarter, which shows how much defense wasn’t the problem. Miami only trailed by 6 after all of this, and the score was 32-26 at the end of the first.

The Heat’s first quarter shooting struggles carried into the second. Duncan Robinson tried to break Miami out of this slump by hitting 2 threes early in the second quarter. Jimmy Butler also added a productive quarter with 8 more points. He scored his points by doing what he does best, getting to the free throw line. The Heat were 3/16 from three at the half with Duncan having all 3 threes. Miami can’t win a game shooting this poorly, especially on the road. The Heat trailed by 14 at the half, 65-51.

The second half was a fourth quarter story for the Heat. After Miami went down 15 at the end of the third, they tried to make a late run in the fourth quarter. Duncan Robinson led this fourth quarter run by going 4/5 from three in the fourth, who was the only positive plus minus player for the Heat on Friday night. Miami played hard late in the fourth, but it was too late. Miami fell to the Pelicans in New Orleans, 110-104.

If Miami wants to make a playoff run, they need to get going early in games on the road. It seems as if it takes Miami a couple quarters to settle in when playing on the road, which can’t happen in the postseason. On nights like these, it shows how much Tyler Herro is missed. Herro is a guy who can get you going on offense when the team is in a slump and has the guts to take tough shots when needed. The Heat play again on Sunday against the Washington Wizards, then come back home for 3 home games against bottom tier eastern conference teams. Miami looks to go on another winning streak to uphold the 4 seed, which is needed for a team that struggles on the road.

Hurricanes hold off Orange on Senior Day

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This story was written by Marcos Chisholm. Follow him on Twitter @marcosgchisholm.

It was Senior Day in a Watsco Center decked in orange. Once Miami Hurricanes guard D.J. Vasiljevic and forward Keith Stone were honored in a ceremony before their final home game, the stage was set for a memorable performance: The Hurricanes defeated Syracuse 65-62 in overtime on Saturday.

Shortly after the pregame, Vasiljevic made ACC history. At the 15:58 mark in the first half, he made the 265th 3-pointer of his college career, officially passing Duke’s Bobby Hurley and Virginia Tech’s Malcolm Delaney for No. 19 on ACC’s all-time list.

“It was a little emotional, I’m not going to lie,” Vasiljevic said.

Although the Australian native put on a memorable shooting performance, both teams still struggled to make shots from deep. Miami converted 32.3% of its 3-point attempts and Syracuse shot only 20% beyond the arc.

With leading scorer Chris Lykes out due to injury, Miami was forced to use more of its roster. Despite Miami’s bench scoring 13 bench points, Syracuse’s 2-3 zone defense continued creating problems until Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga made tactical changes. The same Hurricanes team that regularly leans on Iso scoring decided to share the ball more, producing a season-high 18 assists.

“Now, that’s a reflection of the 2-3 zone,” Larrañaga said. “It’s very hard to get shots off the bounce against them, because when they’re out there on the perimeter, if you throw it inside and start dribbling, the defense collapses on you. So the best thing we could do was throw it in and kick it out.”

One of Syracuse’s greatest advantages against Miami lied in its inside scoring. The Orange scored 32 paint points with the help of Marek Dolezaj and Elijah Hughes, both of whom combined for 25 points on Saturday. Miami only scored 20 paint points, eight of which came during the final 20 minutes of regulation.

After being down five points in the second half, the Hurricanes made key plays that kept hopes alive. Rodney Miller Jr. produced Miami’s first inside points of the second half, and Isaiah Wong made a three with 3:58 left in the game.

Then, Miami’s Senior Day hero came to the rescue. Fan-favorite DJ Vasiljevic hit a momentum-shifting 3-pointer with 2:06 left in the game, giving the Hurricanes their first lead since the 16:14 mark in the second half.

“I think they went on a little run, and we didn’t score for a couple of minutes. Once I hit one, I got myself going and Isaiah got going,” Vasiljevic said. “I was happy with that.”

For once, it seemed as if this was Miami’s game for the taking.

Only it wasn’t just yet.

Syracuse’s Joseph Girard III shocked the Watsco Center with heroics appropriate for college basketball in March. Girard III hit a game-tying basket with 1.5 seconds to go, helping send the game into overtime.

The Hurricanes fell into immediate shock. However, after coming out of a team huddle with Larrañaga, Miami outscored Syracuse 13-9 in overtime.

Isaiah Wong scored 5 points within two minutes of overtime. After making two free throws, Wong converted a 3-pointer with 3:29 to play. Then Keith Stone’s crowd-erupting dunk with 28 seconds to go nearly sealed the game, giving the Hurricanes a five-point lead.

But once Syracuse got within two points of the Hurricanes again, it was D.J. Vasiljevic’s two free throws with two seconds left that sealed both the game for Miami and his college career at home.

“For me to get on that free-throw line and score the last point, I mean it means a lot to trust in myself,” Vasiljevic said.

Vasiljevic finished the game with 17 points on 5-of-13 shooting and shot 38.5% from three. Isaiah Wong led the Hurricanes in scoring with 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting while tallying four assists.

UP NEXT: ACC Tournament

Following Saturday’s win, the Hurricanes (15-15, 7-13 ACC) will begin the next chapter of their season in the ACC Tournament. Leading up to next week’s games in Greensboro, Jim Larrañaga believes his players will need to treat any of their remaining games differently.

“The first thing is the regular season is one season, you put it behind you. The postseason, ACC Tournament, and beyond is like a whole other season,” Larrañaga said.

However, he also acknowledges that Miami’s efforts today exemplify what he still needs out of his team.

“We beat Syracuse today in overtime, we beat Clemson in overtime, we beat Virginia Tech in triple overtime. So in those games, it often comes down to somebody making a big play and stepping up and making a big free throw or a big block or rebound or what have you, and today that was DJ Vasiljevic, Kam McGusty, and Isaiah Wong all making a series of very important plays.”

The Hurricanes fly to Greensboro tomorrow to prepare for their second-round matchup on Tuesday against Clemson.

Miami Hurricanes

Miami Hurricanes: Michael Irvin Jr. enters transfer portal

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The Miami Hurricanes are losing a player. On Thursday, it was announced that Michael Irvin Jr. would put his name in the transfer portal.

As a recruit, he was ranked the 33rd overall tight end prospect in the class of 2016 and the 90th overall player from the state of Florida per the 247Sports Composite Rankings. In addition to Miami, he also had offers from Bowling Green, Georgia, Idaho, and Michigan.

Tight end position is full for Miami Hurricanes

This marks a tremendous time of roster turnover for the program. Just looking at the tight end position alone, Miami has several options. They currently have five tight ends on the roster. Brevin Jordan is perhaps the most notable tight end at the position for Miami.

Last season, he was able to put together a bit of production in what was a difficult passing year for the team. Jordan was second on the Hurricanes in receiving. With 35 catches for 495 yards and two touchdowns, he certainly made an impact. A 51-yard pass was his longest reception of the season.

Dominic Mammarelli is a freshman that brings a ton of potential to the Miami Hurricanes football program as well. A native of Naples, he was the 15th overall tight end the 2019 class in the 63rd overall player from the state of Florida per the 247Sports composite rankings.

Simply put, the tight end position was a crowded one for the Miami Hurricanes. We have seen the shakeup that Miami is undergoing as a program, and it is possible that Irvin just never fit into the plans the Hurricanes had for 2020.

It will be interesting to see what the Miami Hurricanes can get from their tight ends. There are a lot of mouths to feed at the position, and this wasn’t a position that was overly successful last season. Now with D’Eriq King in the fold, things could certainly change.

Game Notes: Hurricanes fall to defending champs in final seconds

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This story was written by Marcos Chisholm. Follow him on Twitter @MarcosHoops.

For once, things were going as planned by Miami Hurricanes head coach Jim Larrañaga.

Miami’s defense was stopping Kihei Clark and Mamadi Diakite early. The Hurricanes were shooting 40% in the first half against the best defense in the nation. And they even took the lead in the second half.

Yet no other game this season has ridden their optimism in March like Wednesday’s 46-44 home loss to the No. 22 Virginia Cavaliers.

Guard Harlond Beverly fouled Clark — an 86.5% free-throw shooter — when the game was tied 44-44 with 8.3 seconds left. Clark then gave Virginia a two-point lead with both free throws. But Larrañaga did not tell Beverly to foul him.

“Harlond thought I meant for him to foul as he was listening to me,” Larrañaga said. “So we didn’t get a chance to actually defend them in that last possession.”

Miscommunication was not the only setback in the final seconds for Miami (14-15, 6-13 ACC). DJ Vasilvejic attempted a game-winning 3-pointer that fell short, costing the Hurricanes the game and improved odds for a first-round ACC Tournament bye.

Miami still played one of their best games this season. Chris Lykes reminded the ACC why he is an overlooked playmaker in a year lacking generational talent. The junior rarely struggled to create separation, scoring 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting.

Wednesday’s defeat serves as a sobering reminder: No matter how competitive the Hurricanes appear in certain matchups, some problems were simply unavoidable. Lykes received an elbow to the face with 11:51 left, leaving the Hurricanes without their best scorer. Then lack of roster depth hurt the Hurricanes late.

The same effects of Larrañaga’s reduced lineups reemerged whenever freshman Harlond Beverly substituted in for Lykes. While Beverly finished the night with 6 points, he was exposed on defense. Failures switching on pick-and-rolls left him guarding Diakite inside. Virginia found mismatches to open up easy looks at the rim. Diakite scored 11 points in the second half. And Beverly tallied the second-lowest net rating out of Miami’s roster. Keith Stone, Rodney Miller, and Kameron McGusty each tied for the team’s worst (-5).

Still, the Hurricanes protected the rim exceptionally. Stone, Miller, Isaiah Wong, and Sam Waardenburg each tallied at least one block. Stone also had four steals in an elite defensive performance, where he frequently guarded Clark.

As complementary scoring options, McGusty (13.0 PPG) and DJ Vasiljevic (13.2 PPG) struggled. McGusty went scoreless on three shot attempts and Vasiljevic didn’t score until he made a 3-pointer with 17:40 left. Vasiljevic has shown flashes of being a versatile initiator from different areas of the floor. But he found himself spotting up for contested looks against a Virginia defense that allowed only 16 points in the paint. He shot 25% from three and struggled to help the offense beyond spacing the floor.

Miami will finish this season winless against AP Top 25 teams (0-6). With Virginia Tech’s 70-58 victory over Clemson at home, Miami now falls to 12th in the ACC Conference with one game left on its schedule.

Heat Solidify Florida’s Best Team Status On Record Setting Night

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The Miami Heat played their last game of a 5 game home stretch against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night and got a 116-113 win. This may not be a well known rivalry, but it is for the players.

At least, for Meyers Leonard, who watched from the bench as he recovers from injury.

The Heat started this game spreading the ball around, which usually starts with the leader of the offense, Jimmy Butler. He is the one who controls the tempo on a nightly basis. You can always tell the way he is going to play at the start of the game. On this particular night, he was more passive and interested in getting guys like Bam, Nunn, or Duncan going to begin the game. After having eight guys in the points column at the end of the first, the Heat had a 30-26 lead.

The second quarter was led by one guy in particular, Duncan Robinson. Duncan went 5 for 5 from three in the second quarter alone and was 7 for 8 from three at the half. Not only is it important for Duncan to get hot, but it’s also important for his teammates. Once guys start flying out at him whenever he runs off picks, it leads to either an open big man rolling off of the screen or an open man in the corner for three. Orlando’s Terrence Ross helped keep it interesting after scoring 17 second quarter points. Duncan lifted the Heat to a 60-55 lead at the half.

The third quarter was a continued back and forth game. The Heat’s bench unit was a big reason Miami was leading just as they are a lot of nights. Guys like Kelly Olynyk and Goran Dragic add a great amount of shooting and scoring off of the bench. Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala provide a defensive toughness off of the bench, on a night that looked like one of Iguodala’s best games in a Heat uniform. The quickness of his hands on defense and using them in a way that he doesn’t foul goes unnoticed. This helped the Heat to an 88-84 lead over Orlando at the end of the third, needing one last fourth quarter push.

The fourth quarter still contained a couple more lead changes between these two teams. Miami’s bench unit continued their dominance behind Dragic’s 9 point fourth quarter. Kelly Olynyk and Andre Iguodala also added a combined 8 points in the fourth. The bench unit all had a positive plus/minus while it was another story for the starters. This isn’t a bad thing always since it’s good for guys like Jimmy and Bam to get a bit of a break, especially after playing the best team in the NBA two nights prior. Orlando made a last minute push but it wasn’t enough as Miami got the win, 116-113.

Miami set a franchise record 22 threes behind 9 threes from Duncan Robinson alone. Dragic also added 5 threes, and ended the game with 25 points and 9 assists. Not only is it amazing to hit this many threes in a game, but to do it on 50% shooting from beyond the arc makes it that much better. This win helps Miami to a 4 game winning streak, while heading back on the road for a game Friday night against Zion Williamson and the Pelicans. It’ll be interesting to see how Bam matches up with a guy like Zion. Miami looks to continue this hot streak so they can uphold the 4 seed for home court advantage come playoff time.

Perfect against the Best: Miami Heat maul Milwaukee

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The Miami Heat played the best team in the NBA Monday night and got the win in commanding fashion, 105-89.

Here’s what happened…

The Heat came into this game off of back to back wins against Dallas and Brooklyn. With the Heat gaining the confidence that they played with earlier in the season, a win against Milwaukee would help it even more. The Heat were 1-0 with Milwaukee prior to this game.

Nunn and Jimmy came out aggressive to start the first. This is what Miami wants Jimmy to do every night, especially against a team like the Bucks. Nunn and Jimmy each had 8 points on 3/5 shooting. Kelly Olynyk ended the first quarter strong for the Heat going 2 for 2 from three, which lifted the Heat to a 31-26 lead at the end of the first.

The second quarter was more of a defensive battle with the Heat going through a bit of a cold stretch. The only guy who was the complete opposite of cold in the second quarter was Jae Crowder. Crowder hit 4 second quarter threes, and ended the first half with 5. A complete recap of this first half was one word, threes. The Heat scored 33 of their 53 first half points from beyond the arc. The Heat took a 53-52 lead at the half.

After a scoreless first half from Goran Dragic and Duncan Robinson, they started to settle down in the third quarter. They each hit 3 threes in the third quarter for the Heat. This helped Miami take a 81-70 lead over the Bucks, holding them to only 18 in the third.

The fourth quarter was just a recap of all the other quarter, defense and shooting. Bam finally got going in the fourth quarter after having a tough game scoring the basketball. He scored 8 fourth quarter points, while Jimmy and Dragic combined for 16 fourth quarter points. This led Miami to a 105-89 win over Milwaukee to go 2-0 with them on the season.

Miami generally wins games against better teams, most likely since they’re more aggressive against those teams. Being at home also helps our odds in which our defense plays significantly better at home. This proved true while the Heat held Antetokounmpo to only 13 points in the game. He also had a -16 rating while the rest of the Bucks team also had a negative rating. This was big win for the Heat, but it might’ve been a bigger win for the 2021 free agency. This was just a sample of what a polished Miami Heat defense looks like which should be intriguing for a player like Giannis.

Miami Heat: Team will have to stop Milwaukee’s secondary scorers

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As the Miami Heat get set to take on the Milwaukee Bucks, one thing is for sure. The Miami Heat are going to have to weather several storms. Milwaukee is the most talented team in the National Basketball Association, and they have not slowed down.

Just in terms of statistics, Milwaukee is at the top in many categories. They rank first in points per game with 119.6. They also rank first in rebounds per game with 52.2. Milwaukee has also managed to smother their opponents on defense, averaging 6.2 blocks per game. The bottom line is, they have won basketball games both with their offense and defense. Miami will certainly be in for a challenge on Monday.

The Miami Heat need to stop Middleton and Lopez

The top priority for the Miami Heat should be stopping their secondary scorers. Normally, I would say that Miami needs to stop Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, it is becoming apparent that nobody can. For Monday, Miami needs to make sure that they stop the shooters that Milwaukee has. Khris Middleton comes to mind. Middleton is averaging 21.1 points per contest. He is coming off back-to-back successful games. He scored 40 points against the Wizards on February 24, and 22 points the next night against the Toronto Raptors.

Middleton has been dealing with a neck injury. However, he is expected to be back in the lineup for this game.

A player like Brook Lopez is also somebody Miami should be worried about. He doesn’t put up incredible numbers. However, he can get it done on both the boards and in the scoring department. In his last game against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday, he recorded 16 points and seven rebounds

Lopez is the type of player that can be a constant pest throughout the game, and that in turn will put Miami in a difficult spot.

Antetokounmpo is going to get his points. That is a given. Miami will need to focus on the other players who help the team be so successful. This is not going to be an easy match up at all, and Miami will certainly be tested.