The Miami Dolphins have agreed to a four-year contract extension with WR DeVante Parker, worth an estimated $80-Million through 2023.
2019 has been an up-and-down season for the Miami Dolphins. But truth is, this year is about evaluating the roster–and trying to decide which players fit the chemical makeup of what Flores wants from his players. Today we found out one player that fits the new culture in Miami.
DeVante Parker, the first-round WR that many experts, analysts, and fans deemed a bust after his first four seasons, has seen quite the transformation with this new coaching staff. So much so, that he was rewarded with a nice contract extension a short time ago.
Parker, 26, is having the best season of his young NFL career. This season, Parker has recorded 55 receptions for 882 yards and 6 touchdowns. Though the details of his new contract are not 100% public, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald reported Parker will cost $8M in 2020 and $10M in 2021, before the Dolphins are forced to make a decision on their star wide receiver. One quick glance around the NFL, and this seems like a great signing for an ascending WR.
DVP’s biggest game of the year came in Week 13 vs the Philadelphia Eagles when he had his way with the Eagles’ secondary.
.@devanteparker11 just signed a 4 year, $40M contract extension with the dolphins, that will lock the star WR up through 2023. this season, DVP has 55 catches, 882 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Where they hurt you is down low with Anthony Davis who absurdly leads them in points (27.2), rebounds (9.2), blocks (2.6), and steals (1.5) per game.
They do not rely on the three point shot, attempting the sixth lowest (30.1) per game, but they make them at a 37.1% clip which is fifth best league-wide.
That counters Miami’s excellent defense beyond the arc, their biggest challenge in terms of matchups may be how to stop Davis in the block – who can also stretch the floor from the outside.
The keys for the Heat
For the Heat to have a chance they will have to take care of the ball as they are turning it over a league-high 17.7 times per game. Los Angeles leads the league in blocks per game and are third in steals.
While national respect is not a motive for the Heat in any way, shape, or fashion, you know they will want to put on a show under the brighter lights.
The Lakers had an extra rest day Thursday after a 96-87 slugfest win at Orlando on Wednesday.
Miami enters off another home victory, this time a 135-121 overtime thriller against Trae Young and the Hawks on Tuesday.
Young apparently forgot the Heat are closing games this year.
Trae Young yelled “It’s over!” to the Heat crowd after the Hawks went up 6 with 1 minute left
A matchup with two teams rated in the top 10 both offensively and defensively means something has to give.
Both teams should be fresh and expect a full 48 minutes of excellent basketball in this one, the always electric Triple-A should have even more juice Friday.
As should the case for more national spotlight in Heat Nation.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/HEAT-12.12.19.jpeg6911114David Eversolehttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgDavid Eversole2019-12-12 17:33:072019-12-12 17:47:10Heat/Lakers is Game Heat Nation Deserves
All signs pointed to Miami losing their first home game last night after young Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young, hit Alex Len for an easy dunk to put them up 6.
Most considered this a dagger especially Young, which was considerable cockiness for a guy on a team that rarely wins.
Trae Young told the Heat crowd “it’s over” after the Hawks took a 6-point lead with 1:00 left.
This was followed by Duncan Robinson and Jimmy Butler hitting three’s on back to back possessions to send the game to overtime. Miami pulled away in overtime and ended up winning by 14. Shortly after the game, Jimmy Butler proceeded to clown the Hawks young rising star Trae Young with an Instagram video saying “this man @traeyoung is a teller of the future. he was right. game WAS over!”
The comments were full of notable NBA players such as Dwade, Joel Embiid, Klay Thompson just to name a few cracking up over the post of Young prematurely calling game. Young didn’t take the post to harsh poking fun at himself with a response on twitter laughing at his mistake and Butler’s post.
To make things even better, Jimmy wasn’t the only person actively trolling last night either. Bam Adebayo said during his postgame press conference last night “We got shooters” a direct shot at his former teammate Hassan Whiteside. Bam couldn’t help but burst into laughter right after he said it after one of the best performances of his career posting his first triple-double.
This team has been so exciting on and off the court, and it’s great to have an energy around the team we haven’t felt since the Big 3 era down here.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_0078-2-scaled.jpg17072560Eddie Santanahttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgEddie Santana2019-12-11 15:57:472019-12-11 15:57:47Jimmy Buckets Doesn’t Hold Back on IG
Wide receiver DeVante Parker has reached another level in 2019. Miami’s offense felt the void left by the fifth-year receiver after he suffered a concussion early in Sunday’s 22-21 loss to the New York Jets.
The Dolphins lacked a clear target that could push the offense into the end zone. They had drives stall at the 21, 13, 16, and twice at the 19. While kicker Jason Sanders finished the day with seven made field goals on eight attempts, finding the end zone once could’ve been the difference for Miami.
The offense lost traction after losing both DeVante Parker and Albert Wilson to concussions. Parker had only two receptions for 28 yards before exiting the game.
“It definitely made it a little bit difficult,” quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said postgame about losing both Parker and Wilson. “We had guys out there hobbled and giving everything they had. I was proud to be in the huddle with those guys. I know there’s a lot of stuff people won’t see or don’t really care to write about, but there were some guys that really gutted it out today. It was tough sledding in the second half from communications and lining up for us just because of some of the injuries we had.”
The Dolphins entered action on Sunday as one of the league’s strongest teams inside the red zone. Parker helped Miami score with touchdown grabs of 17 and 43 against the Eagles in week 13.
Mike Gesicki then caught a touchdown from 14 yards out after the defense turned its attention to Parker. The Dolphins tried to go back to Gesicki after Parker left the game on Sunday, but the second-year tight end finished with just one reception on six targets for just six yards.
Isaiah Ford stepped in and had career highs in both receptions (6) and yards (92). With that in mind, the Dolphins lacked a player with a nose for the end zone.
#dolphins WR @iaf_1 caught 6/9 targets for 92 yards in miami's 22-21 loss to the jets on sunday. and with injuries to both devante parker and albert wilson, the 23-year old WR stepped up in a big way.
“He’s a guy that has done a great job of despite not being on the active roster,” offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea said of Ford. “He’s a conceptual learner, so he can line up anywhere and that happened in the game. He basically lined up at several different spots in the game. He did a good job of getting some other guys lined up, helping ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick) in the huddle.”
The Dolphins are excited to see Ford finding himself a role on the team. However, they’re hoping to get both Parker and Wilson back sooner rather than later. Both were still in concussion protocol as of Wednesday morning.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/D8A7CF2F-80CC-4D8D-BC1E-E0D1AF410FB9-scaled.jpeg17112560Jake Mendelhttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgJake Mendel2019-12-11 14:00:252019-12-11 13:48:37DeVante Parker was missed by the Dolphins against the Jets
If Chris Grier and his staff could emulate this latest 3-round mock draft from Tankathon, Dolphins fans everywhere would be over-the-moon excited!
The Miami Dolphins are now 3-10 and where they will pick in April’s draft is still very much undecided.
However, one thing we are very certain of is that the Dolphins need a complete overhaul of the roster. As of now, Miami has glaring holes at QB, RB, OL, DL, DB, SAF, and everything in between. And although mock drafts remain the flavor of the moment, very few have left fans satisfied. That is until now.
There is plenty of speculation on whether or not the Miami Dolphins will take the chance on Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa. And although most of the fanbase is divided, for a team that desperately needs a quarterback the answer could not be easier.
Let’s take a look at what I believe to be one of the best three round-mock drafts in the world.
First Round
Despite his season-ending injury, Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa is still at the top of many fan’s draft boards. And although he himself has said he might never be the same, the reward is far greater than the risk. And although many teams could remove him from their draft board altogether, the Dolphins have several draft picks to play with. So, as long as Miami’s doctors don’t make a similar mistake as they did in the Daunte Culpepper/Drew Brees fiasco– they should finally get their QB of the future.
With the fourth-pick in the 2020 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins select–Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
Despite his gruesome hip injury, Tagovailoa remains the favorite to land in Miami. After all, his skill-set is perfect for Chad O’Shea’s offense, and many believe owner Stephen Ross and his minions have been enamored by the young QB for several years. In 2019, Tagovailoa completed 180/252 passes for 2,840 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. And if you ask anyone, there was a very good chance he would’ve been one of the Heisman finalists if he never got hurt. Of course, there’s still a chance Tua decides to return to school. But after Utah State QB Jordan Love reportedly received a favorable grade from the draft committee, one would expect Tagovailoa to receive an even better one. And if he does declare, there’s a team and fanbase, in South Florida anxiously awaiting his arrival.
Fortunately, Miami made several moves at the beginning of the 2019 season that has set them up to do as they please in April’s draft. However, with each passing week, those two picks are looking a lot later than many had hoped. Both Pittsburgh and Houston are very much alive and well in the playoff picture. And if the Dolphins decide to stay put, they will currently be drafting back-to-back in round one.
There should be plenty of talent available in the latter part of the first round. In Tankathon’s latest mock draft, the Dolphins get an EDGE defender that would fit nicely in Flores defense. Yeteur Gross-Matos, the 6’5 262 lbs. pass-rusher from Penn State has been nearly unstoppable this season. And for a team that desperately needs anything resembling a pass-rush, this would be the perfect pick at #22. Next, the Dolphins get one of the best offensive linemen in the 2020 draft at #23 with Alabama’s Jedrick Willis. Willis would be the perfect tackle to help protect the blindside of Tagovailoa, his former Crimson Tide teammate.
Tagovailoa, Gross-Matos, and Willis would be an A+ first round for Chris Grier and his staff.
Second Round
There is no team in the NFL worse at running the football than the Dolphins. And although Patrick Laird is starting to emerge as a nice piece to the puzzle, they will still draft an RB in April. With the first of their second-round picks, Miami selects Georgia RB D’Andre Swift. In 2019, Swift carried the ball 195 times for 1,216 yards and 7 touchdowns. The explosive back would be the perfect thunder to Laird’s lightning.
Later in round two, Miami lands yet another premier offensive lineman in Oklahoma’s Creed Humphrey. The addition of both Humphrey and Willis would not only make Tagovailoa and Swift very happy. And will help solve a problem the Dolphins have struggled to fix for years.
Third Round
Lastly, in round three Miami adds a defensive back to their secondary. Jaylon Johnson, the 6’0 shutdown CB from Utah would be the perfect addition for Josh Boyer, who has consistently got the most out of his unit. The Dolphins need more depth in the secondary and Johnson fits what Flores and his staff covet. The perfect ending, to the perfect three-round mock draft.
This will change many more times between now and April 23, 2020. With that said, how do you feel with Tankathon’s latest mock draft?
Josh Houtz (@houtz) is a die-hard fan of the Miami Dolphins, and all he wants for Christmas is TUA #Tankovailoa
To make matters worst, the pass interference wasn’t called on the field, but was reviewed and reversed.
Flores didn’t want to answer questions about the call when speaking to the media. As we saw during the game, he was quite animated after discovering the no-call was reversed.
Brian Flores is rightly furious. They have made such a farce of these interference calls. #Jets would’ve been fourth and long even if it was complete. Instead they win on a last second field goal. I would trade coaches with the #Dolphins in a heartbeat.
“It’s a tough call,” quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said. “We had guys step up. Pat Laird made some nice plays and Isaiah made some nice plays. Those are the things I try to focus on as the positives for us and the things we did well and maybe some of the things we could have done better. We obviously scratched and clawed our way back into that game and it would have been a nice one to win.”
Jason Sanders converted a franchise-record seven field goals in the loss. However, if Miami had found the end zone at least once, the call would’ve been a non-factor.
“I think we’re all disappointed,” Fitzpatrick added. “We’re just disappointed in losing the football game. There’s a lot of emotions that go into that.”
Nik Needham finished with four tackles, two passes defended and was in coverage for the game-changing call.
“Honestly it’s trash,” Needham said of the call. “We lost on a call. It’s trash. I’m not going to lie.”
Despite low expectations, it is clear that the Dolphins were never trying to “tank” the season away.
“Any loss is tough to swallow,” Flores said. “So, this is no different than any other loss. They’re all tough to swallow. Our guys played hard and I’m proud of the way they work. It’s a tough one.”
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/Flores2-scaled.jpg17112560Jake Mendelhttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgJake Mendel2019-12-09 11:00:032019-12-09 10:10:44Coach Flores and players on the Miami Dolphins voice frustration following loss to Jets
One of the key philosophies of the New England Patriots for the past decade has been their ability to take backup players and make them play like starters. Whoever takes the place of the injured player has to provide the same level of play. Teams in the NFL look for that “next man up” mentality year in and year out. Only some actually manage to find it. However, it seems that the 2019 Miami Dolphins are on their way to putting it all together in that regard.
Observe what Miami has endured this season in the injury department. Even after trading a vast majority of their best players, those who remain on the team still are not contributing due to circumstances beyond their control. They are now all on season-ending injured reserve.
CB Xavien Howard – Knee
WR Jakeem Grant – Ankle
WR Preston Williams – ACL
SS Reshad Jones – Chest/Ankle
FS Bobby McCain – Shoulder
And the list goes on and on from there. As a result, the Dolphins are being forced to call on players who normally wouldn’t even make an NFL roster to take their place. Yet they make it work. They compete week in and week out in spite of their withering roster.
Unfortunately, it got even harder for Miami on Sunday. Both DeVante Parker and Albert Wilson, two of the Dolphins remaining wide receivers, left the Jets game with possible concussions. That left only Allen Hurns, newcomer Mack Hollins, and the returning Isaiah Ford as their wide receivers for the game. Parker is having a career year, so losing him especially hurt.
“It definitely made it a little bit difficult.” Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said after the game. “We had guys out there hobbled and giving everything they had. I was proud to be in the huddle with those guys. I know there’s a lot of stuff people won’t see or don’t really care to write about, but there were some guys that really gutted it out today. It was tough sledding in the second half from communications and lining up for us just because of some of the injuries we had.”
But again, while it was tough, it wasn’t impossible. Isaiah Ford responded by playing the best game of his career. The young receiver out of Virginia Tech caught six passes for 92 yards against New York. Obviously, he’s unhappy with the loss. But he’s glad he got a chance to show what he’s capable of.
Undoubtedly, it’s good to see players like Ford stepping up. But who could predict the Dolphins would even be in this situation by this point?
“Just when you thought this season couldn’t get any crazier.” Fitzpatrick said. “Isaiah has been on the active (roster) and off, on the practice squad and up and down. He’s worked so hard. He’s a guy we have so much faith in as quarterbacks because whenever anybody has a question, sometimes when coaches have questions, we’ll go back to Isaiah and say, ‘What is this signal? What is this route?’ and he knows everything. I was happy to see him get out there and get an opportunity to catch some balls and really take advantage of it and make the most out of it today.”
In spite of that, Brian Flores admitted that it isn’t easy to compensate for the loss of top players like that.
“It complicates things a lot.” He said. “Obviously, when you go into a game with a specific game plan with guys in mind. When you lose one player at any position, you have a backup for that. When you lose two, that’s when it’s tough … Again, Isaiah Ford stepped in and played well. Mack Hollins who we just got a couple days ago, he stepped in and gave us some good snaps, drew a pass interference penalty. And then our tight end group, they really stepped up for us. So, I thought as a collective group, given the adversity of losing two guys, I thought we battled through it.”
Once again, coaching deserves credit for adapting and helping players shine in bad circumstances. Flores will have a lot of roster turnover come next season, with talent coming from free agency and the draft. But here and now, he has to work with what he has. What he has is not good. However, that’s what “next man up” is all about. The Dolphins are taking players who have far less talent, and bringing it to the wire every game. That alone is a sign of things to come.
Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for six years. Follow him on Twitter:@LuisDSung
The Miami HEAT came into Friday night’s matchup with the Washington Wizards off of a 2-1 road trip highlighted by an OT win against the Toronto Raptors. After another road back to back loss against one of the league’s top teams, a home tilt against the sub .500 Wizards felt like a welcome respite.
Before the game Wizards coach Scott Brooks had high praise for Bam Adebayo and the Heat coaching staff saying, “(Bam) is a bonafide star big in this league.” As a thank you for the kind words, Adebayo scored a quick 10 pts in the first quarter, including a couple of butter smooth jumpers that other teams have been daring him to take.
Bam starting to get comfy w/ the midrange jumper as a face-up move. Made two in the first 5 minutes
Adebayo got some help in the 2nd quarter as Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro came to life. Despite their efforts, the Heat trailed going into the half for only the second time this season due to an uncharacteristically poor defensive effort. The Heat struggled to contain Bradley Beal and Davis Bertans in particular, with Bertans going 4 for 7 from beyond the arc in the 2nd quarter. Kendrick Nunn continued his recent struggles with only 3 points in the first half and a couple of sloppy sequences.
The 2nd half defense was far better than the first as the Wizards – one of the most potent offenses in the league – only managed to score 38 points. Offensively, the trio of Butler, Adebayo and Herro continued their scoring barrage but the Heat struggled to increase or even maintain a lead going into the 4th.
So with a tight game and the clock winding down, the Heat turned to their closer. Butler was brought to Miami for a myriad of reasons, but foremost amongst them was to give Coach Erik Spoelstra the kind of closer the team hasn’t seen since Dwyane Wade left for the Chicago Bulls.
With just over a minute left and the Heat leading 108-103, Butler had seen enough. He calmly stepped into a 25 ft 3 point shot that iced the game and gave the Heat a win. In typical Butler fashion, he stomped his way to the Heat bench after the Wizards called timeout and shared some “colorful” words with his teammates. The kind of aggressive action that may have rubbed some of his past franchises the wrong way, is embraced in Miami, if not encouraged.
Jimmy Butler is the closer we’ve needed the last 3 years
Miami went on to win by a score of 112-103 as Butler finished with a triple double (28-11-11) to remain undefeated at home. Adebayo chipped in a double double (24 pts and 14 rebs), while Herro added 22 pts of his own.
But the night belonged to Butler who shared some words with this former coach Tom Thibodeau on his way off the floor. Thibs was all smiles as he watched his former superstar close out an opponent in familiar fashion. Seemingly happy for Jimmy, as he has finally found an NBA home.
The Miami Heat (15-6) return home Friday against Washington after finishing their three game road trip with two solid wins.
Those two wins against the Nets and Raptors showed Miami could compete with anyone away from the American Airlines Arena.
Now the Heat return home where they are 8-0 and have once again solidified their home court advantage.
This bodes well for a Heat squad that either narrowly missed the playoffs or had less than ideal postseason seeding in recent years.
Taking a look back at some of those past seasons may not be an indicator of future success, but it can provide some context on the importance of holding serve on your home floor.
The 2010-11 Heat team featuring the “Big 3” lost in the NBA Finals to Dallas and finished 29-12 at home and 58-24 overall, the road success was equally as important that season.
Miami had winning streaks of 12, 9, and 8 games that season, but did have a four game home losing streak as well. They stepped it up on their home floor in the NBA playoffs with a 9-2 home record, winning all home games in the first three rounds before collapsing and losing two out of three to Dallas in the NBA Finals -including Game 6 to end it.
In the 2011-12 season the Heat were once again strong on their home court en route to their second NBA title, finishing with a 28-13 home mark. This team was less streaky than the previous year with a long winning streak of nine games, the Heat would have several five game runs as well.
GUTS CHECK: Dragic Delivers, Herro Heroics, Jimmy the Closer – Five Reasons Sports Network https://t.co/pcfyu7F9PS
— Five Reasons Sports Network (@5ReasonsSports) December 3, 2019
Miami would elevate their play at home during the playoffs, only dropping two games. The Heat were down 3-2 to Boston in the Eastern Conference before a season saving win at the TD Center in Game 6 would set up a closeout game at home. In Game 7 Miami wore down Boston 101-88 at home and earned their second straight finals trip. Having home court in that series made a huge difference.
Miami would match up with a young Oklahoma City team featuring Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden in the NBA Finals. After dropping the opening game on the road, Miami would put their foot down and swept the next four including the last three at home.
The 2012-13 team took that earlier success to new heights on the way to back-to-back titles and they obliterated opponents at home, finishing with a 37-5 record.
During that campaign the Heat opened with a 9-0 home mark, and won 16 straight at home during their epic 27-game run overall.
That season would also end with two of the most iconic home games in Heat history.
Miami was down 3-2 in that series against San Antonio and on life support coming back to Miami after losing twice in the Lone Star State. Lebron James would silence the critics on his home court with a triple double (32/10/11) in Game 6, followed by dropping 37 points in Game 7.
In the last season of the Big 3 era, 2013-14, Miami would again finish with a stellar home record of 31-10. They won five straight games at home twice, and also notched a nine game run during the regular season. It seemed like the Heat were poised to win their third consecutive title once the playoffs started, Miami won all eight home games in the first three rounds on their way to a Finals rematch with San Antonio.
Home Court Taketh Away
That series would be different in one huge regard as the Spurs possessed home court, opening with a 110-95 win in San Antonio. Miami would bounce back in Game 2 and send it back to the 305, however the offense would fall apart in spectacular fashion.
The Heat would lose Game 3 111-92 and Game 4 107-86, their lowest point total of the postseason. This collapse would be too much to overcome as San Antonio would exact revenge in Game 5 on their home court 104-87 and emphatically closing the championship window for that Heat team. James would subsequently depart back to Cleveland, and a middling era of Miami Heat basketball would ensue.
Miami would miss the playoffs in the 2014-15 season and had a losing record (20-21) at home, finishing 37-45 overall and missing the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. In the five years after losing in the finals to San Antonio, Miami missed the playoffs in three of them. In 2016 they finished 41-41 overall and just 23-18 at home, narrowly missing out on extra basketball.
Last year the Heat again missed the playoffs and played losing basketball at home, finishing 19-22 at American Airlines Arena. In a mediocre Eastern Conference outside the top group, Miami was poised for a spot in the postseason but could not get it done at home. They lost six straight home games twice and closed out the year losing five of six overall.
Needless to say, this year’s team looks much different than recent versions. The additions of Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro, along with the huge advancement of Bam Adebayo has altered the course of the franchise on a dime.
With suffocating defense and timely offense, the 2019 Miami Heat are beating the teams they should.
Whether on the road or at home, they seem less susceptible to extended stretches of inconsistency this year.
While past accomplishments may not affect the present – given the history and impact of the home record, this version of the Miami Heat is on the right trajectory.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/HEAT-EDIT-2.14.19-1.jpeg425680David Eversolehttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgDavid Eversole2019-12-05 16:48:282019-12-05 17:00:28Home is Where the Heat is: Why Miami Needs Home Cooking
The Miami Heat are set to take on the Boston Celtics in what should be a great test for a young team. With the Boston Celtics coming in with a 14-5 record, they are certainly one of the top teams in the conference. Miami needs to focus on limiting Boston’s free-throw opportunities if they want to win this game.
Coming into Wednesday’s action, shooting guard Brad Wanamaker is ranked ninth in the NBA in free-throw percentage. With a 90.7 % from the line, he is extremely successful from there. Point guard Kemba Walker also touts a 90.7 percentage from the line. Part of the reason for their success is that they are able to get the line often.
One of the things the Boston Celtics have done well this year is get to the line. They are a team that likes to drive to the basket, and initiate contact. Walker does it very well in particular. Once he gets a full head of steam heading to the basket, it is difficult to stop him. Wanamaker does a good job of initiating contact on the shot. As soon as he releases the basketball, he looks to initiate contact with the defender.
Walker is 78-86 from the line this season while Wanamaker Is 41-45 from the free-throw line on the season.
What can the Miami Heat do to stop this?
In addition to Walker and Wanamaker, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are also very good at driving to the basket. That quartet will undoubtedly keep Miami off-balance. Miami needs to force them to take perimeter shots and play tight defense. It may sound a bit strange, but Miami should live with them making jumpers this game. If Miami lets them go to the rim, they will force the Heat into foul trouble and put the Celtics at the free-throw line.
The Celtics are in the middle of the pack when it comes to making three-point shots. Converting at 34.5%, Boston has struggled a bit in that area. Miami should look to contain the drive to the basket and forced the Celtics to take uncomfortable shots. It’s easier said than done, but It can be done. If Miami wants to keep the winning streak going, they must avoid putting Boston at the free-throw line.
https://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/2019-12-04-1.png10801920Danny Jaillethttps://www.fivereasonssports.com/wp-content/uploads/FiveReasonsWebsiteLogo.svgDanny Jaillet2019-12-04 18:47:062019-12-04 18:47:06Miami Heat: Team needs to avoid fouling inside the paint
