Can Jimmy Butler and the Heat go all the way?

The Eastern Conference Finals began Tuesday night with Game 1 between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat. What started as a close game and the Celtics ahead, ended with complete second-half domination by Jimmy Butler and the Heat.

Butler led Miami to a 118-107 victory thanks to his massive stat line. The Miami superstar ended Game 1 with 41 minutes played, 41 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. His offensive command was met with an equally paramount defensive showing. Butler recorded five steals and four blocks on Tuesday. The dominant play by Butler was complimented by the Celtics missing two of their most important players and Miami playing exceptional defense.

Looking back

Miami entered the third quarter down by eight points after Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown refused to get down in the first half. It was a somewhat surprising effort by Boston, as they were without defensive player of the year, Marcus Smart (foot), and Al Horford (health and safety protocols).

Being down at the half sparked some crucial changes for Miami at halftime. The player-led adjustments in the locker room inspired an entirely new approach to the game in the third quarter. Miami’s defense stole the show, allowing their team to go on a 22-2 run to start the second half.  The Heat went on to score 39 third-quarter points, allowing Boston just 14.

Butler’s dominance continued into the fourth quarter when he blocked a huge three-point shot for Tatum, elevating the energy, and nearly sealing the game for the Heat. 

The Celtics almost came back in the fourth quarter. But in the end, Butler couldn’t be stopped, and Miami’s defense wasn’t going to back down.

Looking ahead

Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals will take place tonight on Miami’s home court. Miami is at a huge advantage due to the fact they have yet to lose at home in the playoffs. Bam Adebayo and the rest of the Heat’s core players have already shown they can contain Tatum and Brown. What will happen when the Celtics’ defensive star comes back? 

Marcus Smart is rumored to be returning to the lineup for Game 2. This will provide another challenge for Miami’s defense, and another limit for Miami’s offense at the hands of Smart’s unbelievable defensive abilities. Per Shams Charania, Al Horford’s status will be available for for Game 2.

If the Celtics want to keep their chances of advancement alive, they will have to win on Thursday to ensure they don’t get too far behind. One thing is for sure, Jimmy Butler and the Heat don’t make it easy to come back.

***This article was originally published on the ATB Network by Raina Rutschka***

  Hussam Patel is a Miami Dolphins contributor and Lead NFL Draft analyst at Five Reasons Sports Network, Director of Scouting at PhinManiacs and Editor at Dolphins ATB. Follow him on Twitter at @HussamPatel

 

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Mateo’s Hoops Diary: Jimmy Butler Channeling Dwyane Wade

As Jimmy Butler squared up at the free-throw line for his 17th and 18th attempts of the night, I wondered if the audience inside FTX Arena would shower him with roses. Miami was minutes away from a comeback win inspired by their marquee guy who had 40+ points in the playoffs for the fifth time as a Heatle.  

 

On the more taxing side of the court, Butler looked like a fighter jet gliding across different areas of the floor as he guarded his man or darted over to the paint and corners for help.  A possession earlier, JB tracked a left cut by Jaylen Brown starting at the top of the key and forced him to pick up his dribble by walling up with PJ Tucker. Next, Brown passed to Tatum at the strongside corner.  Butler then throttled towards Tatum’s airspace and spiked his triple into the stands.

 

I was about 20 feet from that play, standing at the start of the tunnel behind and next to some of the courtside seats.  The ball hadn’t made contact with a fan yet following the rejection, but the crowd erupted like Mount Vesuvius.  

 

It was the final stretch of Butler’s chef-d’oeuvre and he still looked possessed.  Similar to when an artist is spilling their soul into a microphone.  Like Jim Morrison when he sang “When the Music’s Over.”

 

The Heat had fallen into an eight-point hole heading into the intermission because they could barely hit a jumper from beyond the arc and were unable to stop Tatum from piercing the square on drives.  Aside from Butler, most of the production offensively came from the Heat’s sixth and seventh man, Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo.

 

The three of them attempted 27 shots in the first half.  The rest of their six teammates who saw action had combined for 12.  

 

At postgame press, Butler sounded like a made man when he said to reporters, “By any means necessary…” when asked if his third 40 burger of the playoffs had tickled his fancy.

 

Butler was at the free-throw line 15 seconds into the second half.  Whatever observations were mentioned in the locker room during the break seemed to have invigorated him and the other starters.  Like a running back smashing through the line of scrimmage and obstacles in their path to the endzone, Butler lowered his head and blew past or through defenders for a layup or trip to the line.

 

Miami opened the third quarter on a 22-2 run with a steady diet of off-ball screens and pick and roll.  When Butler caught a pass in space, he baited defenders multiple times into biting on his pump-fake, earning more opportunities at the line after absorbing contact.  Who else have Heat fans seen perform that distinct move?  I’ll offer a hint: he’s getting a statue someday in front of the arena.  

 

Boston lost track of Butler routinely because of his off-ball pressure.  The ten eyes on the court usually trail the ball handler.  On curls to the wing, #22 would receive a handoff and bolt to the interior while attracting a pair of help defenders, leaving spots on the perimeter open.  Or he’d create a gap by flipping an off-ball screen so a teammate could get a running start towards the handoff.  

 

On post-ups, Butler swiftly spun to his right leaving his opponent confused in quicksand.

 

In the last 24 minutes, he registered 8/11 shots from the field and 11/12 freebies.  

 

“Jimmy Buckets” walked off the court like a rockstar exiting the stage after turning the crowd delirious while he channeled his predecessor, the great Dwyane Wade.  My sincerest apologies to Denzel Washington because when I think of “Man on Fire,” Butler is the first name that comes to mind.

 

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Mateo’s Hoops Diary: Down Goes Philly

True to form, Doc Rivers’ team got schooled in their building.  The first signs of the Philadelphia unfaithful turning on the team were midway through the third quarter as they booed the embarrassment inflicted on their eyes. 

 

Embiid hit the ground more than a soldier trying to evade gunfire.   The Beard looked like he was planning his postgame affairs.  And Rivers’ bald head was the only bright spot for Philly in Game 6.

 

With 9:13 left before the end, ESPN’s cameras caught a peek into the 76ers’ huddle.  Doc pleaded to his group, “Fight for this! Come on, guys. Fight for this!”  But his group looked as deflated as the Hindenburg.

 

Jimmy Butler– the one who slipped through their fingers-  was merciless leading his outfit and attacking the interior on cuts and torching Philly’s drop coverage in the midrange. With a minute left, #22 waved goodbye to the crowd as Miami inched closer to its eighth conference finals trip since 2005.

 

As expected, one of the excuses cited by the 76ers at post Game 6 press was that this version of their team had not been together for much time. James Harden said, “We tried to build a championship contender so fast, which I still think we are, we’re just missing a few pieces, but other than that you try to go for it right away…”

 

Sure, by default, their second-best player was not integrated into the rotations during training camp and had to learn the playbook at an advanced pace.  It probably wouldn’t have made much of a difference because when matters went sideways, Harden showed who he is at those times, too small for the moment.

 

This was the 10th time in the Beard’s career that he’s had zero free throw attempts in a playoff game indicating that his abilities as an escape artist are on par with Harry Houdini.

 

 The 76ers are no closer to winning a title than when Embiid and Ben Simmons first started sharing the court in 2017. This futile effort by their big-man suiting up four games might do the trick in convincing supporters or even ownership of that reality.  But what can’t be unremembered is that Embiid is a super freak who was used up by his club.  His face was battered, his thumb on his shooting hand was compromised and he was finessed into thinking this was worthwhile.

 

Before the 76ers left Miami, I asked Embiid at post Game 5 press about how much a spiked ball to the face deterred his interest in bludgeoning the rim.  He said, “I don’t know.  I’m just trying my best, honestly.”

 

Responding to another reporter, Embiid said he’d be called soft if he didn’t play, or if he did, they say he performed poorly.  Some might knock him for worrying about the media, but he’s human and words can be sharper than a spear.  

 

Right on cue, Charles Barkley claimed Embiid was ineffective because he was distracted by not winning the MVP award.  For reasons I don’t understand, people listen to Barkley give his drivel on the game when all he does is dumb down the audience.  If only he had a clue into how much Embiid cares.  

 

 Joel’s honest answers further enlightened my understanding of him as a warrior.  It made me uncomfortable to watch him squirm on the ground in pain as he was attended by his team. Then he got up.  And he still languished in the second half of Game 5.

 

Rivers did not consider sitting his best man the rest of that night following the close call.  I know because I asked him and sternly said no.

 

In the second half of Philly’s downfall, the 76ers couldn’t stop Miami from getting two feet in the paint, where Miami made 15/21 baskets.  The home team was outscored 50-42 in the final 24 minutes.

 

The playoffs never fail to show the public which teams are for real and who thought they were.  Miami’s got next with the winner of the Boston-Milwaukee series that’s 3-2 in favor of the champs.  If only Philly could have had more to say about it. 

 

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Mateo’s Hoops Diary: The 76ers’ Shameful Handling of Embiid Situation

Word on the street is Joel Embiid has cleared concussion protocols and is doing everything he can to suit up for Game 3 against the Heat.  It comes across as poor taste that the 76ers can’t protect their star big man from himself. 

 

I don’t pretend to be a physician, but I don’t remember ever hearing or reading of a broken face healing in a week.  By not shutting Embiid down, the team is keeping the story alive that there is a possibility he could come back when suiting him up puts his career at risk.  #21, reportedly was finally able to lift his phone to his head without the light from the screen bothering his injury, and somehow the 76ers are squeezing a lucky rabbit’s foot hoping Joel makes a supernatural recovery. 

 

Perhaps the team is basing hope on their center coming back from an orbital fracture because he did it four years ago, but only after a three-week hiatus.  It was dangerous then, but the idea now should be so far removed from the realm of possibility and anyone suggesting it doesn’t care for Embiid’s health.  Injuries are a lamentable reality of the sport.  Suck it up and come back next year.

 

It’s an unnecessary risk for Embiid to waste his time in this series, especially when factoring the danger of playing and how poorly his team is performing. Basketball is a contact sport.  Suck it up and come back next year.

 

This team should have enough to cop a game, meanwhile, without Philly’s MVP candidate, the outfit has fallen into a 2-0 hole, with the spotlight of criticisms shining on Doc Rivers and James Harden.   Rivers gave the start to Deandre Jordan, a veteran big-man waived by the Lakers in late February, for Games 1 & 2 and his club immediately suffered for it.  Miami was quick to attack DJ through pick ‘n’ roll,  pulling up from midrange when he dropped back to protect the rim.  Considering the Heat’s versatility offensively, perhaps the operative move would have been starting Paul Reed and going smaller so Philly could Ice on Miami’s rim rolls.

 

As I sat through Philly’s post Game 1 presser, I thought I was hallucinating when I heard Rivers say he’d keep playing Jordan whether we liked it or not. The old adage, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results,” is often misattributed to Albert Einstein but the point still stands.  

 

Then there’s the Beard.  His decline is Shaekesperean because he had a part in doing it to himself.  He has not taken care of his body, and it’s likely a reason aside from age that he’s got no burst left.  On a Game 2 possession where he forced a switch to get Max Strus on him at the top of the key, Harden opted to take a dribble pull-up triple instead of cutting left for a layup or possible trip to the line.

 

In the first game, the Bearded One was a non factor from the field in the second half, missing ¾ attempts. His only made a bucket was in the low post and his three misses came from the perimeter.

 

When I asked Harden what the Heat did schematically to prevent him from getting to the line at his normal clip, after Game 1, he said “Next question.”  

 

I remember a version of the Beard who was must-see TV for three years.  He had a linebacker’s body with deep range, a tight handle and an explosive first step.  The man casually averaged 35 points a night between 2018-2020 while playing mainly in isolation, the toughest way there is to score because of the lack of ball movement.   It’s difficult to accept that person is never coming back.

 

I originally called this series in five games favoring Miami but it’s possible it won’t stretch that long because the Heat have a counter for every scheme the 76ers deploy. 

 

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Mateo’s Hoops Diary: Heat vs. Sixers, Contenders vs. Pretenders

The public was expecting a fierce second round matchup between Miami and Philadelphia, but 76ers coach Doc Rivers royally screwed his club this time.  

 

Joel Embiid’s orbital bone was fractured after taking a cheap elbow on a rip through by Pascal Siakam late in the fourth quarter Thursday in Toronto. Peculiarly, Embiid was still on the floor with less than five minutes left while his club was up 29 points when he took the smack.  A Raptors comeback wasn’t probable, but I imagine Rivers kept his crew on the floor from all the PTSD he’s felt being reminded of his historical blown leads.  

 

What’s up with that, Doc?  Embiid was already powering through a torn ligament in his thumb on his shooting hand and playing through pain.

 

Philly was hellbent to start its opening round with Toronto and climbed to a 3-0 advantage following Embiid’s bullseye from the left wing to call game.  Yet, the Raptors extended the tango to six outings and revealed cracks in Philadelphia’s armor before succumbing to a second half scoring run of 70-36.

 

While Miami was resting and waiting for their next rival, Rivers was candid after he felt some pressure amid a scrum of reporters at practice.  On the topic of his chronicled failures, he characteristically threw some of his players under the bus, but this time it was those he shared a locker room with 19 years ago (2003).  

 

“My Orlando team was the eighth seed,” Rivers said.  “No one gives me credit for getting up against the Pistons who won the title… That was an eighth seed.  I want you to go back and look at that roster.  I dare you to go back and look at that roster and you would say what a hell of a coaching job.”

 

Aside from Rivers’ memory lapse (Pistons won the title the following season in 2004), his description of his Orlando team sounded a whole lot like “I had a bunch of scrubs under my wing.” It’s underhanded enough to demean former players after so much time away from them, but Rivers gassing himself up in the process like he’s some sort of basketball savant who minimizes his part in three straight losses is dishonorable.

 

Philly’s next matchup, Miami, took out Atlanta in five, in a closeout game without two starters.  Defensively, the Hawks were not as formidable as the Raptors, but the Heatles contained the league’s second rated offense, holding their leading scorer (Trae Young) to 13 points less than his average and dropping his shooting efficiency 14% from the field.

 

Miami is capable of guarding the perimeter with length, versatile enough to switch defenders when a man is beat and quick to help on cuts or traps. Defending James Harden will not be the responsibility of one man for the Heat, but they have enough scoring options to sic Jimmy Butler on him for a large chunk of minutes without having to rely on having fresh legs for the other end.   

 

Harden is having a rough postseason scoring from the field.  He’s dropping an unimpressive 19 points a night on a 40% shooting in part because his explosive first step is gone.  It could be his age, mileage, or that he’s not as slim as he used to be.  Maybe it’s all three factors but in Round 1, the Raptors guarded Harden by sending help on cuts from a man sagging off the perimeter or picking him up outside with a longer player and baiting him into deep shots.

 

Without Embiid on the floor, the Heat will have more opportunities to send doubles and ice the Beard.  With #21’s absence, Philly loses one of their best screeners who demands immediate attention on the roll and their best backline defender.  

 

The Heat finished the regular season with the best paint protection in the league and are second in that category in the playoffs behind Milwaukee, only allowing 34.8 points in the paint, forcing their matchup to attack mostly from the perimeter. If Harden is pressured into taking most of his field goal attempts from outside the square, Philly won’t win a game this series. 

 

The Heat’s coach Erik Spoelstra said after the Game 4 win in Atlanta that there isn’t a nine-man rotation, rather a “playoff rotation” with everyone on his mind.  In the closeout match on Tuesday in Miami, Victor Oladipo was inserted for Butler (right knee inflammation) and Gabe Vincent started his second straight night in place of Kyle Lowry (hamstring). 

 

‘Dipo looked like himself before his quad injury- an All-Star – dusting the opposition on the fastbreak and bursting into the interior in the half court.  Vincent was effective bothering Young, taking time off the clock through full court press.  Next round I expect to see the same coverage harassing Harden + sending blitzes his way on the perimeter.

 

Philadelphia is a talented team on paper when healthy but they need to build from the smackdown they laid on Toronto in the second half Thursday and take better care of the ball than they did in Games 4 & 5, somehow without their best player.  But I don’t find it likely.  The entire season Miami struck me as a contender and Philadelphia as a pretender even after they bartered for what’s left of the Beard.  

 

A quick prediction before the series:  Heat in Five.

 

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Mateo’s Hoops Diary: The Soaring Pelicans

Nothing elevates reputation in the NBA like a strong playoff showcase.   The same is true for the opposite.  Name and standing plummet at the sight of a poor exhibition much faster than the street cred earned through years of balling.

 

 In the west, the New Orleans Pelicans are tied 1-1 with the reigning conference champions Phoenix Suns now heading to NOLA for Games 3 & 4. The injury bug has raised its Medusa-like head and compromised Devin Booker for the rest of the series, making New Orleans’ job defensively much simpler with one less three-level scorer on the court.

 

Phoenix still has the ammo to get out alive in this series but losing Book to a hamstring injury makes this matchup a tossup. Cam Johnson was inserted after Booker left for the locker room following a failed fastbreak contest on Jaxson Hayes. Phoenix was outscored 48-40 in the remaining 16 minutes of the game.

 

In the fourth quarter, Chris Paul struggled to force separation without a screen and was unable to utilize his mid-range arsenal.  When CP would attack through pick ‘n’ roll with Javale McGee, Larry Nance was camped at the elbow waiting to ice the incoming ball handler, forcing Paul to give up the rock. While attempting a low volume of shots without option A (Booker), Paul mysteriously lost track of his starting big-man Deandre Ayton who took two shots in the final period.

 

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Centers are like wide receivers in football.  They are completely dependent on their quarterback feeding them the ball.  Surely, someone as gifted and knowledgeable about the game as Paul knows about the mismatch a 7-footer with a delicate touch creates near the rim.  It’s perplexing that only seven shots were attempted in the box while Paul and Ayton shared the court in close to nine minutes of closing time.

 

Even before Booker went down, NOLA and Phoenix were separated by a possession. Brandon Ingram was merciless, slipping past his defender on cuts to the hole and burying shots from outside the paint.  He registered 11 points in the first half yet powered his club to dub with 26 in the second.

 

The postseason is a grown man’s game usually dominated by veterans.  Meanwhile, the Pelicans are getting high-level production from three rookie role players through two outings.  The win on Tuesday for New Orleans saw 20 lead changes and eight ties before the younger and inexperienced team sent the crowd home with a frown.

 

Jose Alvarado is a defensive menace for any age.  It illuminates a dark light on some of the league’s scouts that someone like him, an ACC defensive Player of the Year in 2021, could go unnoticed through two rounds on draft night.   His skills as an irritant will sharpen with continued minutes against one of the league’s top guards this round.  

 

Herb Jones is another player that went too late in the draft.  Thirty-four names were called before him when he should have been picked in the lottery.  His work on the defensive side as a rookie is worthy of making an All-NBA Defensive Team.

 

One more draft night steal is Trey Murphy III.  At 21 years old he’s averaging 23 minutes a game in the playoffs and making 55% of his triples on 4.5 attempts this round. 

 

NOLA looks unrecognizable as the ninth seed they entered the play-in as.  Much of the credit belongs to first-year instructor Willie Green.  Back in December when Zion Williamson suffered a setback in his recovery, the betting chances for this team making the postseason were about as slim as a flagpole.  Now this squad is battling fiercely in the trenches with a team that had a better road record than any other club had at home.

 

A quick prayer to the basketball gods: Give us seven games.

The 5RSN and 5RSN Follower NBA Awards Ballot

Preseason Predictions

 

We’ve finally reached the end of a six month regular season race.  But before we move into the postseason, we wanted to look back at our preseason predictions and look forward to the upcoming regular season awards.  

 

Prior to the start of the season, fourteen Five Reasons contributors made their predictions and looking back…we were wrong!  None of our “experts” predicted the Miami Heat to finish as the #1 seed.  In fact, only Tony Schwartz, Royal A. Shepherd, and Mateo Mayorga had the “guts” to pick Miami as the #2 seed.  To no surprise of Before Floor viewers, Ricky J. Marc had Miami the lowest as a #5 seed!  

 

Leading our contributors was Kendale who proved he’s “one of them ones” when it comes to predictions.  He correctly forecast the seeds of Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Phoenix.  Only Ricky, Brady Hawk, Gadiel Cartagena, Toine, and myself had two correct picks in our seeding predictions.  

 

Even worse?  Nearly all of our contributors fell into the Lakers trap.  Ten of the fourteen had the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.  Nine of them had the Lakers in the Finals.  Five of them had the Lakers celebrating with the Larry O’Brien trophy.  We missed more than Russell Westbrook’s jump shot this season!

 

Were there ANY good predictions by this crew of misfit contributors?  Everyone had some combination of Miami, Milwaukee and Brooklyn in the East Finals which looks very promising.  Brady Hawk predicted a battle of the #1 seeds with the Suns beating the Heat in the Finals.  Eight of our contributors correctly assumed the Kings would be the Kings and be the first team to fire their coach this season when they relieved Luke Walton of his duties.  The panel also correctly named many of the big names who would be traded this season – including Ben Simmons, CJ McCollum, and Domantas Sabonis.  

 

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Postseason Awards

In the final week of the season, 11 Five Reasons contributors and 160 listeners cast their votes for the postseason awards.

 

5RSN MVP:  Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

5RSN Fan MVP:  Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

No surprises in the top three for the MVP race, but our contributors gave Giannis more 1st place votes than Jokic or Embiid.  Jokic took a majority of the 2nd place votes to fall just two points shy of the MVP.  Five Reasons experts confirmed Embiid’s belief that “the media hates me” by voting him 3rd in the poll.  

On the fan ballot, Nikola Jokic was voted as the back-to-back MVP.  Jokic led the way in 1st place votes (69) by a significant margin, followed by Giannis (45) and Embiid (37).  In total, Jokic (1,188 points), Giannis (1,049 points), and Embiid (1,035 points).

 

PLAYER 1st (10 pt) 2nd (7 pt) 3rd (5 pt) 4th (3 pt) 5th (1 pt) TOTAL
Giannis 5 2 4 84
Jokic 3 6 2 82
Embiid 3 3 5 76
Booker 7 3 24
Doncic 4 4 16
Morant 3 3
Tatum 1 1

 

5RSN Rookie of the Year: Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors

5RSN Fan Rookie of the Year: Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors

 

In our contributors’ vote, Scottie Barnes narrowly edged out Evan Mobley for the Rookie of the Year.  Cade Cunningham finished third, and both Herb Jones and Jalen Green received one vote each.  

 

In the fan vote, Scottie also took Rookie of the Year.  The finish was similarly close with Barnes (552), Mobley (522) and Cunningham (316) finishing in the top 3.

 

PLAYER 1st (5 pts) 2nd (3 pts) 3rd (1 pt) TOTAL
Barnes 6 3 1 40
Mobley 4 4 3 35
Cunningham 1 4 5 22
H. Jones 1 1
J. Green 1 1

 

5RSN Defensive Player of the Year: Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat

5RSN Fan Defensive Player of the Year: Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat

 

In no surprise, the contributors’ vote picked Bam Adebayo as their Defensive Player of the Year.  The vote is being investigated after one contributor managed to vote Bam for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd on their ballot, but nonetheless, it was a landslide victory over Marcus Smart.  In similar fashion, Bam dominated the fan vote with 151 of the 160 1st place votes.  

 

PLAYER 1st (5 pts) 2nd (3 pts) 3rd (1 pt) TOTAL
Bam 10 2 1 57
Smart 3 4 13
Bridges 2 2 8
Giannis 2 1 7
Gobert 1 1 6
R. Williams 1 3
Embiid 1 3
Jackson Jr. 1 1
Draymond 1 1

 

5RSN Most Improved Player: Dejounte Murray, Spurs

5RSN Fan Most Improved Player: Ja Morant, Grizzlies

 

In our contributors’ vote, Dejounte Murray (32) edged out Ja Morant (28) despite Ja receiving the most 1st place votes.  With Morant only appearing on six of the ballots, it appears that some may have discounted the former #2 pick and Rookie of the Year in their “most improved” criteria.  However, on the fan ballot Ja Morant (330 points) won the award and led with 52 1st place votes.  Darius Garland (280) finished second, Tyler Herro (236) third, and Dejounte Murray (222) fourth overall.  

 

PLAYER 1st (5 pts) 2nd (3 pts) 3rd (1 pt) TOTAL
Murray 3 5 2 32
Morant 5 1 28
Garland 3 2 3 24
Poole 2 2 8
Miles Bridges 1 3
Herro 2 2
Bane 2 2

 

5RSN Sixth Man of the Year: Tyler Herro, Miami Heat

5RSN Fan Sixth Man of the Year: Tyler Herro, Miami Heat

 

In no surprise, Tyler Herro dominated the Sixth Man of the Year vote on both ballots.  Tyler received 99.4% of the 1st place fan votes – and we are currently investigating the single vote that was cast for Kevin Love that kept the award from being unanimous.  On the contributors’ ballot, Tyler received all 11 1st place votes.  Similar to the DPOY vote, he also managed to receive 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place votes from one of our contributors – but we will allow it when Tyler is such an overwhelming favorite.

 

PLAYER 1st (5 pts) 2nd (3 pts) 3rd (1 pt) TOTAL
Tyler 11 1 1 59
Love 6 3 21
C. Johnson 4 5 17
Clarkson 1 1
Oubre Jr. 1 1

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5RSN Co-Coach of the Year: Erik Spoelstra & Monty Williams

5RSN Fan Coach of the Year: Erik Spoelstra

 

In the fan ballot, Erik Spoelstra (689 points) received 108 first place votes as he cruised to his first Coach of the Year award, followed by Monty Williams (417 points) and Taylor Jenkins (205 points).  On the contributors ballot, there was a tie between Spoelstra and Williams.  After reviewing the by-laws, the 7th tie-breaker was Greg Sylvander’s vote powered by #HeatCulture to give Spo the edge.  

 

PLAYER 1st (5 pts) 2nd (3 pts) 3rd (1 pt) TOTAL
Spoelstra 5 5 1 41
Monty 4 3 4 41
Jenkins 2 3 4 23
Bickerstaff 1 1
Udoka 1 1

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: End of the Fake Show

I didn’t know it then, but Rajon Rondo pointing a finger gun at a courtside fan foreshadowed the season that had yet come for the Lakers: a total embarrassment. Five and a half months later, with three games left on the calendar, LA was officially extinguished from Play-in contention in their trip to the desert by Devin Booker and co.  Rondo was lucky enough to get shipped out of town in January.

 

It makes it sweeter that Phoenix was the outfit that derailed LA’s chances of playing in the money grab games, excuse me, Play-in Tournament.  Just over two weeks ago Anthony Davis took a cheap shot responding to a question in a presser when he said that last year’s first-round between the two teams was decided by injury.  “It was… They got away with one,” Davis said. 

 

It was tone-deaf.  The Lakers must be living in the past if they think they are every bit as powerful as they were on a neutral fielded bubble two seasons ago.  And if they don’t think so privately, it’s worthless to front for the camera.  The painful reality of this group was obvious back in November that it was a poorly constructed roster not built to handle adversity.

 

Davis even went as far as to say the team had more starting lineups than wins.  He wasn’t lying. The Brittle Brothers (Davis, James) couldn’t stay on the court for more than 21 games next to Russell Westbrook, but the excuse is “soft like Charmin,” as Kobe Bryant once said.

 

Some media members, factions of fans, and according to the streets, degenerate gamblers everywhere held out hope that at some point, the King, in his ultimate wisdom, would find a way to kickstart this group into contention.  For the record, I made a break for the fire escape back in January.

 

Unless management sets up the greatest raid in league history to offload Westbrook for some pieces that will comfortably acquiesce to James and Davis’ playstyles, there could be an encore next year for the purple and mold.  My sources tell me, the chances of an equitable trade are about as low as the bar to hold a congressional chair in Florida (see Matt Gaetz). 

 

Getting rid of Westbrook will not solve every issue.  The Fakeshow will need a coach, as Frank Vogel is expected to be the first casualty on the team after Denver ends LA’s misery.  He’s already speaking to the press like he expects to clean out his office no later than the end of next week.  

 

A message to whoever is left in charge after the season: Good luck finding a new instructor who can turn the sour grapes of this team into wine.  James is unwilling to guard his man or closeout on each possession so that he keeps fresh legs for offense.  Davis is reluctant to play the 5, limiting the room for cuts to the basket.  And Westbrook needs to lead his four other teammates in time with the ball to be effective on the court.

 

It needs to start with James. A squad cannot win if its best player will not commit to guarding the opponent.  His age doesn’t give him a pass here, no matter how dazzling his strikes against the rim are in hot pursuit of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record.

 

If James won’t sacrifice his numbers and guard his man, why should his teammates?  I’m old enough to remember Tim Duncan at 37 years old neutralizing Chris Bosh from the field in Game 7 of the 2013 Finals.  With James’ athletic superiority over most of the league even at his advanced age in basketball years, there’s still a possibility that he can return to being a pivotal defender if he starts trusting AD and Russ to do more of the heavy lifting on offense.

 

The only way James will be able to do that is if he accepts he’s no longer the player he once was.

Mateo’s Hoops Diary: Look Who’s Back for the Nets

With a stroke of a pen, the eastern conference playoff picture will change. New York Mayor Eric Adams lifted the COVID-19 private-sector vaccine mandate on Thursday, just a week after he said he wasn’t concerned about one man rather than nine million.  

 

Adams probably made his friends with the Yankees, Mets and Nets happy.  Politico pointed out that Mets owner Steve Cohen donated $1.5 million to a PAC supporting the mayor’s campaign last summer, while his team didn’t meet the 85% threshold of vaccinated players for relaxed protocols this upcoming MLB season.   Brooklyn also paid lobbyist Corey Johnson to persuade important figures at city hall on the matter.

 

Well, when there’s a will by the wealthy to throw money at a problem you can be sure someone somewhere will swallow their morals.

 

Concerning the NBA, positioning in the standings may not matter to the Brooklyn Nets.  They currently sit at eighth in the east and could make a cameo in the play-in tournament as they are three games out of sixth place.  If they survive the play-in, which would likely be the case, Brooklyn will see one of the two top-seeded groups, which could be any four between Miami, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Boston in round one.  Fingers crossed for a Philadelphia and Brooklyn matchup so James Harden’s former teammates can show the Beard what he’s missing.

 

The legislation passed significantly helps the Nets by allowing Irving to play in home games. So far into the season, Brooklyn is three games below .500 at home (16-19), but has six more wins than losses on the road (22-16).  Of the seven teams with better records away than at home, only three are likely playoff teams: the Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers.

 

When evaluating the potential postseason landscape, it’s difficult to identify a more potent offensive duo than Kevin Durant and Irving.  Both of these juggernauts may occasionally become enamored with iso ball, but when they are moving the rock to exploit mismatches and are finding the man with space, Brooklyn could be as formidable an opponent as there is in the postseason.  

 

One of Brooklyn’s biggest concerns are its frontcourt’s defensive limitations.  With the exception of Simmons when he’s healthy, Brooklyn doesn’t have a versatile disruptor that can switch and cause havoc when rotating assignments between quicker guards or stronger forwards and big men.

 

Andre Drummond is still a fierce rebounder, but he struggles to stay in front of his man or to close out quick enough on opposing cuts.  Lamarcus Aldridge at 36 years old is not as laterally quick as he used to be and guarding was never his forte, although he was adequate.  And Blake Griffin at this stage in his career can get hunted down by an opponent forcing a switch, but he has solid instincts defending in transition. Evident by his 25 charges taken, which are tied for first with Miami’s Kyle Lowry.

 

As my colleague Ethan Skolnick has discussed on Five On The Floor, Drummond, Aldridge and Griffin were once franchise players that usually were not relied upon to be the glue guys that dive for loose balls, take charges, or crash the offensive glass.  That’s what their role is now and it takes a colossal amount of sacrifice for a former All-star to get comfortable exclusively performing a job that isn’t as glorious as dropping buckets en route to a W.  

 

 

The Nets inexplicably are optimistic that Ben Simmons will play, but he shouldn’t touch the court if his back has not completely recovered from his herniated disk.  If by some miracle Simmons does manage to suit up, the results may not be the desired outcome.  It’s complicated to incorporate a key player into a lineup past training camp, but in this case, there are nine games left for Broolyn.  He may not have enough time to learn Durant and Irving’s on-court tendencies and develop some chemistry with them.

 

But even without Simmons, now that Irving is getting his full-time gig back, the Nets become a larger headache for everyone in the east.  Brooklyn may be undermanned, but they still have enough ballers to win a round or two.  Durant and Irving have limitless range and can get to any spot because of their tight handles and elusive movements.  The last five times they’ve played together, Irving has averaged 38 and Durant 26 points per game.

 

An advantage that Brooklyn will have over every team is that Irving has fresh legs because he’s  only participated in 20 of Brooklyn’s 73 games played. An 82 game season is a marathon and players eventually hit a slump because of fatigue.  Irving probably will not have one.  He’s had extensive rest and he is so lethal that an opponent can study all of his tricks in the film room and it probably still won’t be enough to help stay in front of him.

 

Regardless of Irving’s position on the vaccine, I’m glad he’s back on the court as a full-time player.  At least for me, the east playoffs would not have been as exciting without one of the game’s greater players today.

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Miami Heat report card… so far

Through 74% of the regular season, the Miami Heat have smashed even the most optimistic expectations set by media and sportsbooks before this year’s basketball calendar began.  In ESPN’s NBA preview, they predicted 49 wins for the outfit.  FiveThirtyEight set the bar at a 44-38 record.  Caesars Sportsbook forecasted 48.5 dubs.  

 

Currently, the Heatles sit at first in the east, with a 40-21 record and 23 games left.  Of the three predictions mentioned above, for Miami to reach ESPN’s more “confident” projection, the team would have to go 9-12 the rest of the season when at no point have they had more losses than wins.

 

For those that placed wagers following the advice of these outlets, chances of bets hitting are about as likely as Jesus making his epic comeback in this lifetime. 

 

A team has four primary facets. Here are their evaluations:

 

Executives

 

The work of the front office behind the scenes often gets overlooked, but those at this post are responsible for acquiring and assembling the pieces for the coaching staff to use.  Pat Riley and Andy Elisburg hit a grand slam this past offseason bringing in PJ Tucker, Kyle Lowry, Markieff Morris, Caleb Martin (What was Charlotte thinking?)and bringing back seven familiar faces.

 

The trade deadline passed and the only move made by the front office was swapping KZ Okpala to OKC in return for altering the conditions to the first round pick owed to the Thunder, making it lottery protected in 2025 and unprotected in 2026. The Heat also moved to $1.9 million below the luxury tax.

 

Coaches

 

This is perhaps the best year the team has had in terms of player development. Before the season began, the biggest question about this group was how much could their bench contribute.  Six weeks until the postseason, and the Heatles are #1 in the east in large part because they have the deepest rotation in the league.  

 

Adebayo and Butler missed meaningful time in December and January.  Down two All-Star caliber players, Miami slugged out a 10-4 record in games they both missed in that stretch.  Lowry, Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, and Tyler Herro were the Heat’s stabilizing forces in the backcourt.  Caleb Martin, Dewayne Dedmon and Omer Yurtseven deserve praise as well filling in for the frontcourt.

 

Yurtseven got minutes out of necessity and he ended up setting team records.   In 14 straight games, Yurt hauled in double-digit boards, establishing a new rookie standard in rebounding for big-men in Miami.   

 

Duncan Robinson hit a shooting slump in the early phases of the season, but from January until the All-Star break, The Longshot Pod founder has buried 39% of his deep shots.  Spo lowered Robinson’s minutes after November, until January, then gave an uptick in time for the last eight games played.  

 

When coach Spoelstra was put under the microscope about his sharpshooter’s struggles by the press, before Duncan found himself,  Spo always had his back.  In front of reporters after the Nov. 10 loss at Lakers HQ, Miami’s coach was asked about Robinson’s poor shooting (3/13 from deep) and said, “With 13 attempts, that could have been 18-to-20 attempts… I want him to play aggressively with almost a reckless abandon hunting for shots.”

 

Being a solid dude who never throws his group under the bus goes a long way.  Apart from that, Spo’s defensive schemes are the blueprint for the sixth best defensive rating and top paint defense in the NBA.

 

Starters

 

Butler- There are four rotation players that could have easily been All-Stars, yet only Butler was chosen.  This is one the finest years the Big Face Coffee don has had in the league.  He’s setting new career highs in free throw percentage (89.6% on 7.9 attempts) and offensive rebounding (2), to go along with his 22 points, six rebounds and six assists per game.

 

Adebayo- The Heat arguably have the best defender in basketball this season in Adebayo.  His strength, speed and lateral quickness at 6’9, allows him to protect the paint and roam out to the perimeter to harass opposing guards. Only a handful of matchups present a disadvantage for Adebayo.  

 

In the eight games played in February, Miami’s starting center is averaging 22 points (55FG%), 11 rebounds and a 3 dimes a night.  If Adebayo maintains this level of offensive production and efficiency, he’ll enter the conversation for best two-way players in the league.  

 

Lowry- The Heat’s lead guard doesn’t have eye-popping stats but his impact is “10X” what the numbers say.  Lowry’s ability to launch the half-to-full court outlet pass and organize the offense in the halfcourt, is one of the factors that helped raise the Heat’s offensive rating this season to eighth in the NBA (111.9) from 18th last year (110.6).

 

In year 16, Lowry is still sacrificing his body on defense by establishing his position before an offensive opponent gets to the same spot.  In charges drawn, #7 is second in the NBA, only two behind Blake Griffin. 

 

Tucker:  Tucker in his 52 games with Miami, at 36 years old, has unleashed tools of his game that previous instructors failed to incorporate in their plan of attack.  Almost a quarter of his field goal attempts come from within 3-10 feet of the basket while he never took more than 18.5% of his attempts from that zone in his career.  He isn’t just hurting matchups by splashing triples from the corner on catch & shoot opportunities.  Tucker can fool opponents if they give him enough space to put the ball on the floor, or if he eludes them rim rolling on a dribble hand-off.

 

Defensively, Tucker is savvy and strong enough to guard the outside and interior.  The ability to place him in different coverages, allows the Heat at some moments to have Adebayo guard the perimeter, which makes it more difficult for other team to make the entry pass to the paint or post on #13’s side of the court. 

 

Robinson- Despite his up-and-down season, Robinson is a historic marksman. Even when shots aren’t falling, #55’s steady movement on the perimeter often causes mismatches because his defender often times get tangled on a DHO or back screen that’s trying to free up Robinson.

 

Against the Charlotte Hornets in Miami’s last game before the break, Robinson splashed six triples in the Heat’s double-OT win, bringing his career total of 3-point makes to 702.  It only took him 216 career games.  

 

Bench

 

There’s an old proverb in basketball among coaches that goes, “You need talent to win, but you can lose with it.” 

 

The depth of Miami’s reserves is one of the main reasons this team sits atop the conference.  Everyone knows their role and doesn’t try to play outside of their game.  Of the 84 charge fouls Miami has drawn this season, 39 have come from the second unit.  

 

The Heat don’t just have deep shooting and scoring off the bench, they also have rebounding specialists.  Yurtseven and Dewayne Dedmon are like magnets attracted to the basketball on missed shots. Per 36 minutes, Dedmon and Yurtseven average a combined 7.6 offensive rebounds a night.

 

Herro is the leading scorer in the league off the bench, dropping in 20 points per game, but he’s surrounded by outside threats who can put the ball on the floor.  Guys like Vincent, Martin and Strus, who each have turned into dependable rotation players because of their commitment to themselves and the Heat’s developmental staff.  

 

Miami even has the luxury of having a 20-year lifer in the locker room in Udonis Haslem who never lets the team lose focus, stays ready for action and serves as the team’s self anointed bodyguard.  

 

The Heatles are still waiting for the return of Morris and Victor Oladipo.  Incorporating them will be difficult for the coaching staff to do as the season reaches its final phase and rotations are cut shorter.  But this gives Miami two quality weapons to use or keep in the armory just in case things go wrong.

 

Final Grades:

 

Executives: A

Coaches: A

Starters: A

Bench: A

 

 

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