Entries by Ethan Skolnick

The numbers-crunchers (kinda) like the Miami Heat

While 538 is best known for its political predictions, the statistical website runs plenty of models on sports too. And it has run one on the Miami Heat and other NBA teams. Here’s the entire article, which we will explore in more detail — zeroing in on specific Heat players — in future posts here. […]

Butler and the Bucket: the Love Affair continues

We first saw this Butler affair flourish in Chicago. That’s where Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro started posting Instagram love letters to each other, shooting and sneering together in workouts. Now, though, their affection is in full bloom. Jimmy Butler clearly likes guys who get it. Who not only can play, but play really really […]

Miami Heat scrimmage showcases team’s new look

The Dolphins couldn’t lose Sunday. Neither could the Hurricanes. And of course, neither could the Heat. They were playing themselves, after all, for the Red, White and Pink Scrimmage to benefit breast cancer research. Naturally, not much defense was played. But the energy was different — as in better — than it’s been the past […]

A South Florida team wins! Panthers take home opener

Some team needs to save us. The Miami Heat may do it. They feel better about this particular roster than any since the Big 3 era. Erik Spoelstra couldn’t stop smiling all week at training camp at Keiser University in West Palm Beach. But the Florida Panthers may have more talent, as ranked in its particular […]

Jimmy Butler: “Who says I’m the best player?”

It’s odd to think of Jimmy Butler as especially modest. He’ll openly tell you that he will beat you at just about anything, whether it’s dominoes or paddleball. Basketball? Well, he’s willing to concede a bit. Pat Riley called him a top-10 player. Erik Spoelstra declared him “one of the 15 best players on the […]

Identifying the Miami Heat’s best longshots

The 2019 NBA offseason will forever be remembered for its wealth of player movement, much of which involved basketball’s marquee names. The lasting legacy of the Miami Heat’s summer will be no different. Landing four-time All-Star Jimmy Butler—with zero cap space discernible to anyone other than expert number-cruncher Andy Elisburg—could be a fortune-changer for the […]

The best of an energized Erik Spoelstra press conference

Somebody’s happy again. Welcome back, Spoelstra. If you’ve followed my feed, you’ve known that Erik Spoelstra just hasn’t seemed quite the same the past couple of years. A mismatched roster. A max player who didn’t always go with the program. Too many low-upside players who played the same position. Well, that’s changed. Here’s the best […]

Miami Dolphins now 0-4, outscored 81-0 in second half

There’s only so long the dam can hold. Right, Miami? We’ve now seen that two straight weeks with the Miami Dolphins, as they were competitive in Sunday’s first half against the depleted Los Angeles Chargers — just as they were frisky in last Sunday’s first half in Dallas against the Cowboys — only to collapse […]