Miami Heat: Recap From Pat Riley Media Conference Call

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Miami Heat President Pat Riley held a conference call Friday with local media. 

Ethan Skolnick of Five Reasons Sports was on the call, here are some of his takeaways along with others from local outlets.

 

Riley spoke about Andre Iguodala and the organization’s reset:

 

 

 

On Waiters, JJ, and Winslow:

 

Riley about the one that got away (for now).

 

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Miami Heat: Tracking the biggest news from NBA trade deadline

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The Miami Heat enter Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline in an interesting position. They have already made moves for a veteran in Andre Iguodala at the time this was written. It will be interesting to see how they handle the rest of the deadline. Many teams have made moves in an effort to get better, and the Miami Heat can certainly be included in the bunch.

Here are some of the best tweets from what has been a busy deadline period.

 

Miami Heat: Dion Waiters headed to Memphis as deadline nears

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The Miami Heat continue to make several moves ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, and Thursday saw more fireworks. The Heat  traded Dion Waiters to Memphis according to a report from Shams Charania.

Waiters is part of the trade that has seen veteran Andre Iguodala head to Miami.

Waiters had interesting tenure with Miami Heat

Dion Waiters has a complicated tenure in Miami. He came to the team in the 2016-17 season. He had a tremendous first year in Miami, playing in 43 games and averaging 15.8 points. 2017-18 saw him play in 30 games, starting all of them. He averaged 14.3 points of that year. Although there was a bit of a downturn in production in terms of points, he still remained a solid player for Miami. He provided them that secondary scoring option.

This season in particular had been filled with off-the-court issues. The issues, combined with the emergence of young stars, has led to minimal playing time. Waiters is in the third-year of a four-year $52 million contract. He is set to be paid 12.6 million next season. He will then become an unrestricted free agent in 2021.

His best game for Miami this season came on January 24 against the Los Angeles Clippers. He went five-of-12 from the field and four-of-nine from beyond the arc. Scoring 14 points in total, that would be his highest output of the season to this point.

We are now beginning to see more pieces of Wednesday night’s trade come to fruition. The Miami Heat have been linked to several other names as the deadline approaches. It will be interesting to see who they pull the trigger on. One thing is clear: Pat Riley truly believes that this team can be a contender.

These moves should help Miami stay in the thick of what is an extremely crowded Eastern Conference.

Miami Heat: Andre Iguodala headed to South Beach

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The Miami Heat have made a move prior to the trade deadline. According to multiple media reports, they have acquired Andre Iguodala in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Justise Winslow is headed to Memphis as part of the deal.

Per ESPN Miami is signing Iguodala to a two-year, $30 million extension. Iguodala has a team-option for 2021-2022. He is allowing Miami to have salary cap flexibility. If Miami does not manage to recruit an elite player, the team would give Iguodala his $15 million for ’21-22.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers were also interested in his services according to a report from of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  The veteran has an interesting story. He was traded to Memphis in the offseason from Golden State. He did not play for Memphis, staying away from the team until an agreement could be made for a landing spot.

What can he bring to Miami Heat?

This gives the Heat a veteran on the roster who has playoff experience. Aside from what he can bring on the basketball court, Iguodala has been a part of championship teams. He knows what it takes to win. He, along with Jimmy Butler, will undoubtedly serve the role of veterans on a young Heat team.

In his prime, he was a tremendous scorer. Lately, he has been serving the role of bench player. He appeared in 68 games for Golden State in the 2018-19 season. Starting 13 of them, he averaged 5.7 points per contest.

Iguodala is not going to put up MVP-type numbers. He will however offer a steady veteran presence that can score points when needed. Often times, you will see teams acquire a veteran at the trade deadline as they make a playoff or championship push. This is exactly that type of move.

This transaction also rids the Miami Heat of Winslow. The oft-injured Winslow never could get on the court consistently this season. Now, both parties can move forward. Winslow took to social media, seeming very excited to end up in Memphis.

It will be interesting to see exactly what type of role Iguodala fills for Miami. This was a low-risk high-reward move as the team looks continue their assent in the Eastern Conference.

Miami Heat: Limiting secondary scoring paramount to beating Clippers

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As the Miami Heat get set to take on the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night, there is something they have to be mindful of. The secondary scoring Los Angeles produced was a major issue the last time these two teams played. It cost Miami the game.

Kawhi Leonard is going to get his points.  If Miami wants to win on Wednesday they need to focus on limiting what the others do offensively.

Landry Shamet scored 22 points on eight-of-15 shooting. He went six-of-12 from beyond the arc and contributed six assists as well. He certainly made his 43 minutes count. It was a bit unexpected for a player averaging 8.1 points per contest. Nevertheless, that’s what makes the NBA so great. Anybody can play well on any given night.

Normally, one of the biggest goals for Miami Heat would be to stop Leonard. That is still definitely a goal. However, the Heat have to be wary of secondary scoring in this matchup. Shamet for example has been playing well lately. He averaged 11.5 points in the month of January. That includes the last game against Miami. He has done well primarily coming off the bench.

Paul George is another player that can go off at any moment. In his last game against San Antonio on Monday, he scored 19 points. He is off to a great start in the month of February, averaging 21 points in the first two games of the month.

The Miami Heat will have to be on their toes

The Clippers will attack the Miami Heat. They will not be afraid to use any of the weapons at their disposal. Against teams like Boston, the Miami Heat have been exposed defensively. Miami will need to do everything they can to make sure they eliminate as many weaknesses as possible. If they don’t, it could be a long evening. A stellar defensive game will be needed. Strong rotations on defense will be critical for success.

A win for the Miami Heat would go a long way. This would certainly be a critical victory for them as the All-Star break nears. Especially against one of the elite teams in a stacked Western Conference, winning this game would give them momentum.

Panthers Must Find Offense for Quick Home Stand

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The Florida Panthers return home Thursday and must find offense in a hurry.

To kick off the second half of the NHL season, Florida trekked out on the road for three straight.

Get used to that Panthers fans, the Panthers will play seven of ten on the road starting next week.

It was an up-and-down three game set away from the BB&T Center, Florida lost two of three after a 1-0 overtime loss Wednesday at Columbus.

 

Despite taking only three out of a possible six points, the Panthers looked better against both Toronto and Columbus.

Each of those games were decided by a single goal, Florida lost a painful overtime game in Columbus 1-0 Tuesday.

Sergei Bobrovsky (20-13-5, 3.19 GAA, .901 SV%) stopped 44 out of 45 shots against the Blue Jackets.

 

His save percentage since November is .917 which is right in line with his career average (.918).

In the first half of the season the offense carried the weight, unfortunately with the improvement in net has come a decline on the other side.

Florida has endured their first two shutouts this season in the last three games.

An injury to Sasha Barkov has not helped, the Panthers captain is still day-to-day.

The Vegas Golden Knights (27-21-7, 61 points) visit the BB&T Center Thursday, winners of two out of three.

Vegas attempts the second most shots in the NHL per game (34.1) and sport a top 10 power play.

Former Panthers Reilly Smith (42 points) and Jonathan Marchessault (37 points) are among the top scorers for Vegas.

Smith is tied for the team lead with Max Pacioretty with 21 goals.

The Panthers allow 32.4 shots per game, 24th in the NHL.

Florida will need Jonathan Huberdeau and Evgenii Davodov to step up in Barkov’s absence.

Mike Hoffman has just two points in his last three games since the break after having his 10 game point streak snapped.

The Panthers will need a complete defensive effort in front of Bobrovsky to hold off Vegas.

Look for an energized team after a few days off and returning to home ice.

Puck drops Thursday at 7PM Eastern.

 

 

 

 

Signing Day Surprise: Highly-ranked safety picks Miami

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Wow.

 

The Hurricanes received a big surprise early Wednesday afternoon when highly-ranked safety Avantae Williams committed to the Canes. The Deland High ranked as the second best safety in the class of 2020 and the 44th overall prospect in the country according to 247Sports. This now moves the Canes up to 12th in the national recruiting rankings for this class. 

 

https://twitter.com/CFBONFOX/status/1225114337540374530?s=20 

 

https://twitter.com/CanesFootball/status/1225111236137799680 

 


Williams was long rumored to be a lean to Florida for a multitude of reasons. Location was going to be a big factor considering he has two children. In addition, former Hurricane RB Lorenzo Lingard recently transferred to Gainesville and is a cousin of Williams. But in the end, it seems as if the longstanding relationship safeties coach Ephraim Banda had built won out. 

 

Banda had been recruiting Williams since he was in middle school and continued to recruit Williams after he switched his initial verbal commitment from Miami to Oregon in December of 2018. After he reopened his recruitment for the final time this past December, Banda’s efforts intensified amidst all of the interest from Florida. 

 

Listed at 5’11” and 170 lbs., Avantae has shown in camps and games that he is a very physical safety and is not afraid to lay down the hammer despite his small frame. He also brings good ball skills that should only improve once he enters the weight room and it would not be surprising at all should he see playing time this season.

 

Williams becomes Miami’s fourth safety in the Class of 2020 recruiting class, joining South Dade’s Keyshawn Washington, Champagnat Catholic’s Jalen Harrell, and Miramar’s Brian Balom.

 

Miami’s only other signing on Wednesday was four-star cornerback Isaiah Dunson from Tucker, GA. 

 

Stay tuned to Five Reasons Sports for more coverage on the Canes as we get closer to the commencement of spring practice. 

 

Miami Heat: Duncan Robinson invited to Three Point Contest

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The Miami Heat will have yet another representative at All Star Weekend. Duncan Robinson will participate in the Three-Point Contest. Robinson has begun to establish himself as one of the top three-point shooters in the game.

On the season, he has a 43.8% three-point conversion percentage. He has proven himself to be quite the marksman for Miami.

Take the December 10 game against the Atlanta Hawks. He went 10-of-14 from beyond the arc, shooting at a 71.4% clip. In total, he scored 34 points on the evening.

The first game that he really began to come into his own was on November 20 against Cleveland. He went nine-of-15 from beyond the arc. We really began to see what type of shooter he was from distance.

Robinson has the third-highest three-point shooting percentage on the team. As it relates to this contest, he should be able to do pretty well. When he can get on a roll, it seems like he won’t miss. Robinson becomes the sixth Miami Heat player at All-Star Weekend.

Miami Heat have been here before

The last time a Miami Heat player participated in this was Mario Chalmers. He competed in the 2011-12 season.

It will be great to see Robinson compete on a national stage. In what is set to be a big weekend for the organization, he should be able to put up a fight. The full list of participants has not been announced yet, but there are sure to be some of the best shooters in the league.

It will be a fun weekend for everybody, and this will give Robinson more national exposure. He is certainly deserving of it given how much he has contributed so far this season. He is proving to be a key cog in the Miami Heat offensive attack. It will be imperative for him to keep it going as we inch closer the postseason.

Kansas City Chiefs: Damien Williams saved his best for last

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Patrick Mahomes may have won the Most Valuable Player award in Sunday’s Super Bowl, but it was Damien Williams who stole the show for the Kansas City Chiefs.

A former Miami Dolphins castoff, Williams lit up the Miami field. He rushed the ball 17 times for 104 yards. He also managed to score a touchdown. That touchdown was what sealed the deal for the Kansas City Chiefs. A 38 -yard run, it was his longest of the evening.

For Williams, this was only his third 100-yard rushing game of the season. The last time he accomplished the feat was on December 29. In a season-ending win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Williams rushed the ball 12 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns.

That final December game seems so long ago  now. Williams shined brightly at the Super Bowl. He looked comfortable running the football, and complemented the passing offense of the Kansas City Chiefs very well. He ran hard on every single play, and it seemed like he didn’t lose any steam in the later stages of the game. Most impressively, it always seemed like he made the first guy miss as they attempted to tackle him with futility.

Williams anchored Kansas City Chiefs rushing attack

The more Kansas City fed him the football, the more comfortable he looked. After the first couple of carries, you could definitely tell that he was getting into a rhythm. His first carry of the game was for seven yards. That set the tone for the rest of the game.

He didn’t try to do too much, he just stuck to running the football with confidence and physicality. It’s something that has made him such a dependable running back for Kansas City over the past couple of years. He’s not going to break off a ton of yards every single carry. On the other hand, he is going to keep his feet moving until the whistle is blown. Williams is a physical and gritty running back in every sense of the word.

This was his chance to shine, and he owned the moment. This is something that he has been working towards his entire career, and he certainly has not taken an easy road to get there. With several former Miami Dolphins players winning the Super Bowl, Williams has perhaps the best story.

Time will tell how he fits into Kansas City’s future plans, but chances are, he probably isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. One thing is for certain: Damien Williams saved the best for last.

Super Bowl LIV: Kansas City Chiefs orchestrate comeback win over 49ers

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It was an exciting game Super Bowl as the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-20. In the process, they rallied from 10 down for their first Super Bowl since 1970. The 49ers scored the first points of the game on a field goal by Robbie Gould. From then, the two teams traded barbs. A 10-point swing in the third quarter helped the 49ers take a 20-10 lead.

However, you can never count out the Kansas City Chiefs. With a 10-point deficit, they scored 21 unanswered points. Damien Williams and Travis Kelce played huge roles in the game. Kelce scored the first touchdown in the fourth quarter, closing the gap with 6:13 left. Williams scored two touchdowns, following the tight end’s contribution. With 2:44 remaining in the game, Williams caught a  five-yard pass from the arm of Patrick  Mahomes. That put Kansas City ahead 24-20.

With the game already in hand, Kansas City would score once more. Following a drive from San Francisco that would yield no points, Williams ran 38 yards to paydirt. Scoring a touchdown, he would put the Chiefs up by a 31-20 margin. That would seal the deal and give Kansas City the victory.

Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes wins MVP

The MVP for this game was Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He went 26-of-42 on the evening. Throwing for 286 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, he averaged 6.8 yards per reception.

He also proved to be effective running the football, carrying the ball nine times for 29 yards and a touchdown.

Although some of his throws were not pretty, he made the right ones in order to set Kansas City up in good field position. It seemed like he executed his trademark on-the-run throws when he needed to. He kept the chains moving and moved the ball down the field. He did a little bit of everything in this game, and it was the type of game where he showcased all the skills he can bring to the table.