WrestleMania 35 Predictions! Because We Know!

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It’s WRESTLEMANIA time!

As I do every year, I will be home with my 15 year old daughter Ashley watching the event, with many snacks and even more Beer.  Of course,  I will explain the finer points in the story telling of the matches, as she will just be rooting for her favorites, because, well, she is a fan.  I, as a grown man, prefer to believe that there is greater meaning and art in the proceedings.  –Alfredo Arteaga (@UptownReport)

NxT TakeOver was epic and New Japan G1 Super Card is putting on an impressive show as I type this.  It was a great weekend of wrestling that will be topped off by the Grand Daddy of them all, WrestleMania and I will be in attendance.  That’s right, my family and I are on our way to the enemy’s stadium to watch professional wrestling’s version of the Super Bowl.  As a dude that has watched wrasslin’ for the better part of his life, I’m stoked to say the least. – Josh Houtz (@Houtz)

Now, Alfredo, Ashley and Houtz’s WrestleMania 35 predictions.

Women’s Battle Royal

Alfredo: Wow, so they put the bathroom break right at the top of the show this year.  There is no way that they open the show with what is in essence all the women they couldn’t build matches for, to just scurry about in a pointless battle royal.  There must be a surprise?  Has to be better than the rumored Eve Torres “return”.  Naomi returns this year to defend her title.  Admit it, you didn’t know she won last year.

Houtz: There are a number of women wrestlers that have not been given a fair opportunity on the main roster.  And considering WWE released a promotional image for the Battle Royal and only 10 women were showcased, I would imagine there are only so many options in this match.  Yes, there will be several “surprise entrants” and Lacy Evans will probably continue doing nothing. Nevertheless, my pick for the Women’s Battle Royal is…. Becky Lynch!  Why not have her come down to the ring and throw every remaining women’s wrestler over the top rope, before winning both titles later in the night.  It would be a perfect moment.

My Pick:  The Surprise entrant to be named later.

Ashley’s Pick:  Naomi

Houtz’s Pick: Becky Lynch

 

Andre the Giant Battle Royal

Alfredo: This was a good idea that quickly went bad.  From brief, somewhat compelling, Rob Gronkowski appearances.  As a fan of the product, you kinda get what this one is all about every year, and you tend to care even less.  Braun Strowman has never won this event.  It’s his time.  Did I get you excited for this? Yeah, I know. I might just grill burgers for the first hour of this year’s show.

Houtz: Alf and I did not discuss our picks prior to this article, nor have we talked about WrestleMania at all.  So when we both say Rob Gronkowski is going to have a role in this year’s PPV, the stars are starting to align.  We all know those two guys from Saturday Night Live are also in this year’s Andre the Giant invitational.  I refer to them as “those guys” because I don’t know who they are.  In the end, Rob Gronkowski helps Mojo Rawley for the majority of the match, before throwing him over the top rope for the win.

Alfredo’s Pick:  Braun Strowman

Ashley’s Pick:  Braun Strowman

Houtz’s Pick: Rob Gronkowski

 

Cruiserweight Championship

Buddy Murphy © vs Tony Nese

Alfredo: At this point, you scrolled down to see what I have to say about the matches you care about, and I don’t blame you.  Ashley assures me that Buddy Murphy has had a great push and is on a long running undefeated streak since returning.  I make it known that the Internet Wrestling Database has his career record at 108 Wins, 185 Losses and 3 draws.  Good god this guy is terrible.

Houtz: My #sauces tell me that Buddy Murphy is dating/married/engaged/going steady with WrestleMania host Alexa Bliss.  He’s also been the reigning, defending, Cruiserweight Champion for a very long time.  I don’t know what a Tony Nese is but I don’t think he’s the guy to end Murphy’s reign.

Alfredo’s Pick:  Buddy Murphy

Ashley’s Pick:  Buddy Murphy

Houtz’s Pick: Buddy Murphy

 

Smackdown Tag Titles

USO’s © vs Nakamura & Rusev vs Aleister Black & Ricochet vs The Bar

Alfredo: Remember when “The Bar” was a thing? No. Neither do I, but Cesaro definitely was.  Any match with Cesaro in it, is going to have moments and if you remember his work with Sami Zayn in NXT, you know he is the perfect match to work with a “high flyer/athletic type”.  That brings us to the team of Aleister Black and Ricochet.  The very best anywhere in this brand of wrestling.  Oh yeah, this match has the USO’s/Nakamura/Rusev too.  It’s been a loooong fall from grace for Nakamura, but a Tag Title can start that up, right? No chance.  I’m here for the Black/Ricochet team.

Houtz: Black and Ricochet were unable to beat War Machine at NxT TakeOver on Friday and afterward, had a heartfelt moment in the ring.  Is this their official call up to the main roster?  Will they win the Smackdown Tag Titles?  My theory is that Black and Ricochet were never supposed to get the push they did.  Instead, DIY was the intended Tag Team Champions.  Unfortunately, Ciampa’s injury made that impossible, so here we are.  Ricochet and Black have their first of many WrestleMania moments.  AND NEWWWW……

Alfredo’s Pick:  Black/Ricochet

Ashley’s Pick:  Black/Ricochet

Houtz’s Pick: Black/Ricochet

 

Kurt Angle vs Baron Corbin

Alfredo: This match makes me sad.  First of all, because Angle “supposedly” is riding off into the sunset and secondly, because his fairwell match opponent is….Baron Corbin?  Slacks and Suit Vest and all.  Somebody, somewhere, in WWE creative thought this was a good idea. It’s not.  Which leads me to believe there has to be something more to this.  A “Swerve” that manages to pit the corpse of The Undertaker in this match to replace Corbin?  See, I can do WWE creatives job.  I mean, really?  Baron Corbin.

Houtz: Kurt Angle is a WWE Hall of Famer and won an Olympic medal with a broken freaking neck.  Baron Corbin on the other hand, is nothing more than a parasite, that somehow continues to get big-time matches in wrestling’s biggest events.  Fortunately, Kurt Angle is going to win this match with relative ease, ending his prolific wrestling career.  Thank you, Kurt.

Alfredo’s Pick:  Kurt Angle

Ashley’s Pick:  Kurt Angle

Houtz’s Pick: Kurt Angle

 

The Miz vs Shane McMahon (Falls count anywhere)

Alfredo: Falls count anywhere?  Yes.  Shane McMahon jumping from the top of the Met Life Stadium sign?  Yes.  The Miz?  Yes. There is a lot to like here, even though the build to this match has been less than inspiring.  I had even forgotten that these two had a feud.  Oh well, at least we can look forward to what crazy and probably ill-advised stunt, Shane is going to pull.

Houtz: This is one of the harder matches to gauge, because both wrestlers are more than capable of winning.  Shane McMahon will almost certainly jump from coast to coast, and at some point during the match, many will think he has passed.  The Miz however, is fighting for “his family” which means he will likely beat the living hell out of Shane and get the win.  For his family of course.

Alfredo’s Pick:  Shane McMahon

Ashley’s Pick:  The Miz

Houtz’s Pick: The Miz

 

Women’s Tag titles

Sasha & Bayley © vs Nia Jax & Tamina vs The Iconics is vs Natalia & Beth Phoenix

Alfredo: The Newly formed Women’s Tag Title Division found worthy champs in the Boss and Hug connection, but have not found worthy in-ring competitors.  There is just so many times you can have some different incarnation of “The Riott Squad” job to them on national TV.  So enter Natty-Beth Phoenix.  That alone should have been the match, but they insisted on putting 4 other women in this match to take up space.  The Iconics are fun, but are pretty far out of their depth in this one.  Nia Jax will surely do some spots that risk life and limb for some of these women, and Tamina is.  Well, Tamina.  Not a fan of a quadruple threat title match.  Much less, a Tag match.

Houtz: When the WWE announced they were going to add Tag Team Titles to the Women’s division, I was rather excited.  After all, women’s wrestling has become larger than life over the last few years and adding a pair of Tag titles is exactly what they were missing.  Obviously Bayley and Sasha are the best damn Women’s tag team on the planet!  Or are they?  There’s a very good chance Natalia & Beth Phoenix win for nostalgia sake. However, I’m putting all my money on the girls with the god awful accents from down under.  After defeating The Boss and Hug connection, the Women’s Tag Team division will officially become…..ICCOONNICCCC

Alfredo’s Pick:  Natty-Beth Phoenix

Ashley’s Pick:  The Boss and Hug connection

Houtz’s Pick: The Iconics

 

United States Championship

Rey Mysterio vs Samoa Joe ©

Alfredo: We have seen this script before.  Rey Mysterio, the clever, smallish, loveable underdog vs. the imposing brute in Samoa Joe.  We usually know how it ends.  With the crowd favorite little guy and his arm raised.  But this is Samoa Joe.  One of the best and most “believable” workers in DIS BIZZNEZZ.  This Match should deliver, and while my daughter will be rooting hard for Rey Mysterio, I will be chanting “JOE IS GONNA KILL YOU.” Here’s to hoping for a great match, and for the dismemberment (not literally) of Ole’ Rey and the squashing of this common WWE storyline.

Houtz: My brother in law is a very wise man.  He brought up a good point, and that was that this was Samoa Joe’s first WrestleMania which means there’s a very good chance he retains the title.  However, Rey Mysterio came back to the WWE for a reason.  And in doing so, I believe he was promised one last opportunity to make his mark at the biggest PPV of the year.  Sure, I hope Samoa Joe dismantles Mysterio, before finishing him off with a powerbomb on the ring apron. But I think one last 619 prevails, before he ultimately loses a rematch on Tuesday’s Smackdown.

Alfredo’s Pick:  Samoa Joe

Ashley’s Pick:  Rey Mysterio

Houtz’s Pick: Rey Mysterio

 

Intercontinental Championship

Bobby Lashley © vs Finn Balor (Demon)

Alfredo: The WWE did it again.  They took what could have been a cool, memorable Mania’ moment in the reveal of “Demon” Balor in a title match at a WWE PPV, and just announced that it was going to happen.  I guess, anything to drum up interest in this match?  Bobby Lashley is underrated as a believable, imposing power house as he has legitimate MMA/Amateur wrestling Chops, while Finn Balor is one of the WWE’s greatest technicians.  I’m excited to see how this match is put together and look forward to the Demon getting his hand raised.

Houtz: There is not a wrestler in the entire universe, that I care less about than Bobby Lashley.  He’s a poor-man’s Ahmad Johnson with less power and a tiny elf as his hype man.  Demon Finn will likely squash Lashley in record time, becoming the NEWWWWW WWE Intercontinental Champion!!!!  The question now remains, will Demon Finn defend his newly reclaimed belt vs regular Finn on Monday?  Now that’s a match I’d like to see.  TOOOO SWEEEETTT!!!

Alfredo’s Pick:  Finn Balor

Ashley’s Pick:  Finn Balor

Houtz’s Pick: Finn Balor

 

HHH vs Bautista (No Holds Barred)

Alfredo: Bautista must be promoting a movie or something.  For two historically great performers, the runnup to their “No holds Barred” matchup hasn’t been all that great.  So let’s see if we can follow.  Bautista shows up out of the Blue (do you get the reference?), Assaults Hall of Famer Ric Flair, and we haven’t seen Flair since.  Is he ok?  HHH takes offense, and shows up on TV in motorcycle jackets (he obviously means BIZZNEZZ) cuts a few clunky promos.  Bautista then calls “Evolution” a sham and a HHH Ponzi scheme.  HHH then confirms that he’s correct.  HHH makes a stipulation that if he loses, he is done wrestling.  Bautista then comes on National TV again to cut a 3 word promo:  “Kiss my Ass.”  BAH GAWD.  I’m exhausted.  This is going to be a great match.  HHH is an all-time great, and Bautista always rises to the occasion.

Houtz: We all know by now what Bautista wants, what he really, really wants.  And that is the chance to defeat Triple H once and for all at WrestleMania.  If Bautista wins, Triple H will be forced to retire from the ring.  Which means he will no longer be able to use his Father in Law’s credit card to get dressed up and have the best entrance at Mania year after year.  This match will end with some outside interference from the Ghost of Christmas Past, I mean Ric Flair.

Alfredo’s Pick: Triple H

Ashley’s Pick:  Bautista

Houtz’s Pick: Triple H

 

A.J Styles vs Randy Orton

Alfredo: What?  AJ Styles might be the best wrestler in the world, possibly of all-time.  Randy Orton, is a once headliner, now fading mid carder that nobody cares about. I said this, you said that, I did this, you did that.  Point at the Wrestlemania sign.  We get this.  AJ Styles is worth it.  This match is the late in the show Bathroom break.

Houtz: I’m proud of the WWE for not putting this match on the kickoff show because honestly, that’s exactly where it belongs.  Both wrestlers are two of the best to ever lace up the boots.  But if it wasn’t for a nice build up over the last 10 days, NO ONE would care about this match.

Go grab a beer, let the dogs out, fold some laundry, anything is probably better than sitting through this 6 minute snoozefest.

Alfredo’s Pick:  AJ Styles

Ashley’s Pick:  AJ Styles

Houtz’s Pick: A.J Styles

 

Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre

Alfredo: Roman Reigns relinquished the WWE Universal title last October as he announced that he needed to focus on battling his ongoing bout with Leukemia.  Four Months later, Roman announced that he is/was in remission and fans rejoiced at the news.  Since then, we had a “Shield” reunion, but his best in ring moments have been his latest ongoing feud with the Scottish Psychopath, Drew McIntyre.  These are two guys that are mirror images of each other in many ways, and this match should vault the winner “back” into main event status.  Drew’s dire warning to Reigns about “thinking about what is best for his family” was a nice and ominous touch.

Houtz: Drew McIntyre is the next big thing, and I don’t think anyone can argue that.  But after Roman Reigns had to relinquish his Universal Championship to treat his Leukemia, there is no way Vince McMahon allows his favorite WWE superstar to lose at the year’s biggest PPV.  Or maybe he does.  But after a missed Claymore kick, Roman hits him with the Spear for the 1,2, 3.

“ROMAN REIGNS, THE GUY WITH THE COOL TATTOOS”

Alfredo’s Pick:  Drew McIntyre

Ashley’s Pick:  Roman Reigns

Houtz’s Pick: Roman Reigns

 

WWE Championship

Daniel Bryan © vs Kofi Kingston

Alfredo: The Ultimate Underdog meats the Ultimate Underdog.  So how did we get here?  That’s complicated.  Somehow, after 11 years, fans realized that “hey, this Kofi guy is good.”  This took place after former fan favorite Daniel Bryan, became a preachy, overbearing hippy, with a tinge of eco-terrorist thrown in while changing the WWE Championship belt from Leather, and Gold…to…Hemp.  Yes.  Hemp.  Anybody that reads this and is not a fan, is a fan now.  Either that, or I am in a drug induced creative haze.  This is one that WWE creative got right.

Houtz: Daniel Bryan has been phenomenal since his heel turn a few months ago and is more than deserving of retaining the Championship at WrestleMania.  But with Kofi Kingston, arguably the greatest underdog in sports entertainment history, FINALLY gets his chance to become WWE Champion.  The two wrestlers put on an absolutely clinic at Elimination Chamber, which is probably why EVERYONE wants to see this match.  Yes, Bryan could win with outside interference and the rivalry could continue another month or so.  But this is WrestleMania and Kofi Kingston is about to have his moment.  A moment he’s been waiting for his entire life.  “YOU DESERVE IT!”

Alfredo’s Pick:  Kofi Kingston

Ashley’s Pick:  Kofi Kingston

Houtz’s Pick: Kofi Kingston

 

WWE Universal Title

Seth Rollins vs Brock Lesnar ©

Alfredo: I’m kind of sick of all the Whiny, repetitive “You’re a part-timer” promos directed at the Beast incarnate, BRRRRAAAWCK LEZZZZNARRRR.  Even, top promo Seth Rollins, fell victim to some producer running from the back to make sure he got in that “Hey..make sure that people know that Lesnar makes a lot of money for being here for very little time.”  I hate that.  It’s dumb writing and even dumber story telling.  The Story here is that Brock Lesnar eats people.  After he beats them into a puddle of blood and bones.  Seth Rollins is the best in breed of conniving, crafty, and smart ring masters working today.  They are going to clash, and there can only be one Universal Champion.  My NAME IS ALFREDO ARTEAGA, and I’M THE ADVOCATE …ok..enough ranting.

This is top notch.  Worth the wait, and price of a WWE Network Subscription.  Does Seth Rollins complete his quest to gain the only Championship that has eluded him?  Or does Brock Lesnar murder him.  Fun!

Houtz: Truth is, I am a Seth Rollins stan.  Much like I spent my days on the internet defending Ryan Tannehill blindly for 4, maybe 5 years, Rollins has been my favorite wrestler since his triple threat match with Brock Lesnar and John Cena at the 2015 Royal Rumble.  Lesnar is going to dismantle Rollins.  He’s going to get tossed around the ring like a sack of Idaho potatoes.  Lesnar will probably F-5 Rollins three or four times, maybe even break a table or two.  But in the end, Seth Rollins will do something crazy and find a way to prevail.

Alfredo’s Pick:  Seth Rollins

Ashley’s Pick:  Seth Rollins

Houtz’s Pick: Seth Rollins

 

Triple Threat Winner takes all Women’s Championship

Ronda Rousey © vs Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair ©

Alfredo: The First All-Women’s Main Event in WrestleMania History.  Well deserved.  This match has three of the best workers in the world, and includes, ONE G.O.A.T (Charlotte Flair),ONE World Famous ICON (Ronda Rousey) and ONE…THE MAN (Becky Lynch).  To say that Becky Lynch has had one of the hottest runs in Wrestling history is an understatement.  Her “THE MAN” gimmick rivals some of the best anti-hero characters to ever grace a WWE ring.  Her run to the main event of Mania’ is very much like the ascension of Stone Cold Steve Austin many moons ago.

Oh, did I mention, that we get Charlotte and Ronda too?  Charlotte ads the historical heft of being the G.O.A.T, even after being in the game for only 6 years.  Nobody has ever been better than her, at pretty much anything in a wrestling ring.  Her overall work puts her in the conversation with the greatest’ of all-time regardless of gender.

You could not have the first all-women’s main event in Mania’ History and not have Flair in it.  This brings us to Ronda Rousey.  There is some talk out there that her promos are weak and hurt her performance, but I disagree.  She gets mad, curses on national TV, and then screams into her opponents face’ that she can cripple them if she chose too.  What’s wrong with that?  Her ring work is as good as it gets, and this mix of talent is going to make for one memorable Wrestlemania.

Houtz: When I first started watching wrestling as a kid, the Women’s division was nothing more than eye appeal.  Sure, some of the wrestlers were capable and pulled their own weight.  But a majority of the Attitude Era was spent degrading women.  NOT.  ANY. MORE.

Today, Women’s wrestling is at an all-time high.  They can do everything the men can do and more.  Want proof?  Watch tonight’s WrestleMania. There’s a very good chance that the main event could be the best match of the entire weekend.  But then again, Gargano vs Adam Cole (BAY BAY) was one of the better NxT Championship matches in recent memory.  Nevertheless, anytime you get three of the best women wrestlers in the industry, to fight in the main event at WrestleMania, something special is bound to happen.

There will be carnage.  There will be blood.  And there will be only be one winner.

Alfredo’s Pick:  Becky Lynch

Ashley’s Pick:  Becky Lynch

Houtz’s Pick: Becky Lynch

 

Alfredo Arteaga (@UptownReport) is one of the three-headed monster on Three Yards Per Carry. He will remind you that he called Kallen Ballage to the Dolphins last year. 

Josh Houtz (@Houtz) cooks in his spare time, when he’s not working on 65 things for Five Reasons Sports Network and Dolphin Maven.

 

IG: @StudioLucha716

Ryan Fitzpatrick’s Magical Mystery (Dolphins) Tour

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The Miami Dolphins have suffered through 19 starting quarterbacks since Dan Marino retired back in 2000.

 

Jay Fiedler

Damon Huard

Ray Lucas

Brian Griese

A.J Feeley

Sage Rosenfels

Gus Frerotte

Daunte Culpepper

Joey Harrington

Cleo Lemon

Trent Green

John Beck

Chad Pennington

Chad Henne

Tyler Thigpen

Matt Moore

Ryan Tannehill

Jay Cutler

Brock Osweiler

 

And during that time only Jay Fiedler, Chad Pennington, and Matt Moore (sort of) have taken the Dolphins to the playoffs.

Sure, Ryan Tannehill may have given his blood, sweat, and tears to the team but it wasn’t enough to rise above the fiery depths of 7-9 hell.

So the Dolphins are rebuilding, and finally doing things the right way. But what is their plan at quarterback?

It’s safe to assume Jake Rudock and Luke Falk are probably not the answer.

And yes we know Miami had interest in Tyrod Taylor, before he signed with the Chargers to become Philip Rivers backup.

Heck, even Benedict Teddy Bridgewater decided to pass up an opportunity to start with his hometown team, and circled back to Sean Payton and the Saints.

If the Dolphins had hoped to find a solid veteran quarterback, Chris Grier would need to pull a rabbit out of a hat.

A furry rabbit.

Enter. Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Biography:

Age: 36

Height: 6’2

Weight: 223 LBs.

Hometown: Gilbert, Arizona

College: Harvard

(FOR THOSE THAT DON’T KNOW, RYAN FITZPATRICK WENT TO HARVARD.  HE IS SMART.) 

Fitzpatrick has pin-balled from team to team during his tenure in the NFL.

The 15-year veteran has been on a total of eight teams–the Rams, Bengals, Bills, Titans, Texans, Jets, Buccaneers, and Dolphins. Miami is his third team in the AFC East.

Throughout his NFL career, Fitzpatrick has thrown for 29,357 yards, 190 touchdowns, and 148 interceptions.

He has his highs and lows but one thing is for certain, there’s never a dull moment with #FitzMagic.

Here is my film breakdown on one of the NFL’s most unique quarterbacks, and what Dolphin fans can expect from the Amish Rifle.

The Good

No one can argue that Ryan Fitzpatrick is a gunslinger.  And at times, he looks like one of the NFL’s better quarterbacks.

Here is a prime example of what Fitzpatrick can do when everything around him goes right.  The ball is thrown perfectly to his receiver for the touchdown.

And another look…

First, notice the little hand signal that Fitzpatrick gives to his receiver.  This is the circle game and I believe it originated on the hit TV show Malcolm in the Middle.

Secondly, check out the Amish rifle at work.

If Fitzpatrick was wearing #1 and had a visor, I would probably, almost believe that was Cam Newton.

One of his better throws is the back shoulder. Here he puts the ball where only his receiver can make the catch.

Now close your eyes and envision Mike Gesicki in man-to-man coverage vs a significantly smaller defender.

What if, wait for it, DeVante Parker transforms into a suitable number one?

First play of the game vs the defending Super Bowl Champions and Fitzpatrick connects on a perfectly thrown deep ball to DeSean Jackson.

No slight towards Jackson, but Miami has three receivers with eerily similar big-play potential.

I can’t really explain why this video looks like an old John Wayne movie but it does.

O.J Howard runs a post and Fitzpatrick waits patiently as he finds the soft spot in the coverage.  The accurate throw creates yards after the catch. Guys like Jakeem Grant, Albert Wilson, Kenny Stills, and Mike Gesicki should thrive with similar concepts.

If you were hoping the Dolphins were going to tank, this is probably the part of the article where you start to get concerned.

Fitzpatrick is a pretty good quarterback and will throw for 400 yards three or four times a season.  He can make all the throws.

Pocket presence isn’t an issue with Fitzpatrick like it may have been with previous quarterbacks.

Here, he feels the pocket collapse from his right side.  As a result, he slides to the left, squares his shoulders and fires a dime to the receiver in the end zone.  Touchdown.

 

The myth that Ryan Tannehill couldn’t throw the deep ball surrounded this team for the last 7 seasons.

Certainly, this will not be in question with Fitzpatrick under center.

Throws like this are usually made by the NFL’s #elite.  Fitzpatrick knows where he’s going before the ball is snapped and throws a strike between several defenders.

and again…

Look at Fitzpatrick catch the ball effortlessly with one hand, like Jarvis Landry once did in South Beach 🙁   Pinpoint throw that is placed between the Steelers defenders.

I guess this is why he got the nickname “FitzMagic”. 

Fitzpatrick’s ability to throw the deep ball with exceptional accuracy, should be lethal with the offensive weapons that surround him.

Can DeVante Parker be the Dolphins Mike Evans?  That’s the real question.

The Bad

This is a well timed blitz by Pittsburgh’s defensive back, which forces Fitzpatrick to rush the throw.

His pass is deflected into the air and falls helplessly into the defender’s waiting arms.  Perfect representation of the bad FitzMagic.

I like the way Fitzpatrick maneuvers around in in the pocket.  Nonetheless, the throw is wildly off target.

If this is the Ryan Fitzpatrick the Dolphins get in 2019, maybe they do have a chance at Tua in 2020.

The Ugly

Almost everything you saw from “the good” was really damn good.  Which is why the bad and ugly are both inexcusable.

Here, Fitzpatrick throws to the wide receiver that is shadowed by the defensive back.  Yes, that is Michael Thomas. And no, the ball should not have been thrown.

This play never stood a chance.

It’s the second quarter and Ryan Fitzpatrick is throwing up prayers into quadruple coverage.

As you can expect, Jameis Winston took over shortly after and would remain the starter for the last six games of the regular season.

When Fitzpatrick is good, he’s good.  But when he’s bad, things can get very ugly.

Conclusion

If the Dolphins signed Ryan Fitzpatrick to lead the team towards the #1 overall pick in 2020, they may have made a terrible, terrible mistake.  At worst, #FitzMagic will win you four games and ruin any hope Miami once had at Tua Tagovailoa.  He is going to do whatever he can to help this team win football games.  Sometimes it will be good, and other times it will be bad. Really bad.

But no matter what happens, Fitzpatrick will be a guy his teammates can count on.  He will be a welcomed addition to a quarterback room, that consists of two players that have combined for only five attempts in the NFL.  And no matter how you might feel about the team’s chances this upcoming season, Ryan Fitzpatrick will make things interesting-at the very least.

No one knows how the season will play out.  But with Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm, there is no denying 2019 should be a magical season.

 

Josh Houtz (@Houtz) cooks in his spare time, when he’s not working on 65 things for Five Reasons Sports Network and Dolphin Maven.

Ballscast Roundtable: If you could change one rule in any sport…

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There are a lot of truly great discussions that go down in the Five Reasons group chat that never see the light of day, which seems unfair. I mean, sure, you may get the pleasure of reading the statistical breakdowns and spider charts that make our group of misfit sports dorks special, but you miss out on some of our more bizarre conversations. The ones that typically happen after dark. The ones that have always just sort of floated away into the night, replaced at sunrise by the morning grind. Well, it’s time to correct that. Twice a month, for your enjoyment, hosts from the network’s various podcasts will gather here at the Ballscast Roundtable to discuss an utterly ridiculous question carefully curated by Adam Smoot. Feel free to join the discussion in the comments or on Twitter or with the complete strangers in your UberPool.

We’ll kick off the inaugural edition of the Ballscast Roundtable with a topic that’s fairly tame:

You possess the Infinity Gauntlet of sports. It’s modeled after Brian Baldinger’s hand. It gives you the power to implement one rule in any sport. What’s it gonna be?

 

Adam Smoot (Ballscast)

Here’s a way to add a bit of gamesmanship to the NFL Draft and eliminate even the very thought of tanking all at the same time.

At any point during the season, an NFL team may cash in all of their picks in the next draft to immediately select a player out of college. So, for instance, if the Dolphins, at 5-8, realized they wanted Kyler Murray, but had already won too many games to realistically be in position to draft him, they could choose to forfeit all of their picks to select him right then and there, regardless of their draft position.

This cannot be done in back-to-back seasons and can only be done twice in a 10-year period. There is no limit to the number of teams that can do this in a particular year, but multiple cash-ins will be ordered on a first come, first served basis, regardless of draft position.

 

Alfredo Arteaga (3YPC)

Any call so egregious that a coach becomes furious—pass interference or holding in the NFL, a charging call in the NBA—can be challenged with a Fight Challenge. In the NFL, you are allowed 3 per year, including the playoffs. In the NBA, you are allowed 6 per year, including the playoffs.

How it works: The head coach throws a black flag with a skull and crossbones onto the field or court to issue the challenge. The head referee has the option to either immediately change the call or stand up for the call by accepting the Fight Challenge. At which point, a fight referee comes out with a set of MMA gloves and a 6′ x 6′ mat. The head coach and the referee in the best shape fight for 60 seconds. In the event that there is no knockout or submission, the fight referee then deems a winner and awards the challenge.

On the flip side, if the head referee chooses to reverse his call immediately…the opposing coach can then issue a challenge, and he would then fight on behalf of the referees to uphold the original call.

For every challenge a head coach wins, they get a point, and for every one they lose, they get -1 point. These rankings are then used as the 4th tiebreaker for playoff seeding.

 

Billy O’Rourke (Smark Your Territory)

Since the NCAA is a fucking joke anyway, let’s just go the full monty and allow for each school to bring back one alum each game to really spice up the strategy. Every team. Every sport. Obviously football will be the biggest benefactor (as it always is), but imagine the implications to, like, golf, when Stanford needs a top-2 finish to win some tournament and HOLY SHIT HERE COMES TIGER WOODS. I dare you to keep eyeballs off that event. Swimming? Florida needs a gold here to win the SEC and RYAN FUCKING LOCHTE is here. You’d watch SportsCenter every night. Imagine those bullshit week one college matchups? Yeah, Central Michigan is outgunned versus, I dunno, Auburn, but does Auburn have a CB who can stop Antonio Brown? Did Auburn waste their alum spot on Bo Jackson bc, LOL, let’s give the old man some carries? Auburn still wins, but Brown goes for 12, 300 and 4. Oh, also, pay the players.

 

Jeremy Taché (Swings and Mishes)

If a college or professional sporting event is tied at the end of regulation, each team must select one player to compete in an “America’s Got Talent” style competition. Imagine Shaq doing stand-up comedy, Damian Lillard rapping, Baker Mayfield dancing, or Hunter Pence juggling bowling pins that are on fire (okay, I have no proof he can do this, but I imagine this is what Hunter Pence’s talent would be) with the fate of their team’s season on the line.

At the end of the competition, it would come down to a 5 minute window where you can tweet a hashtag at the league (theoretically #ShaqOvertime or #DameOvertime, etc.) and the person with the most tweets at the end wins the game for their team. The tweets would have to come from fans at home watching the game as to make it a more legitimate competition and not just the home fans voting for their home team.

This new overtime rule promotes a diversity of talent across all sports, involves a much needed social media presence into the game, unifies all sports, and allows fans to feel like they can legitimately influence the results of a contest.

 

Chris Wittyngham (Five Reasons/Pitch Invasion)

Ban all kicking in football. The game starts first and ten from the 25. If you can’t get 10 yards in 4 downs, then you give the other team the ball inside your own 35. Basically opens the door for every kind of offensive innovation because you have no choice but to move the ball 75 yards. It’s like bowling without the bumpers. And, from an entertainment standpoint, you’ve eliminated all of the boring elements of the game. Your team can’t go three and out up 7 with 3 minutes to play and punt the ball. There is no settling for field goals. Your team can’t go 5 straight possessions punting. The demand is to continually and repeatedly be good at offense. And that’s why we watch the game.

Faux Outrage: Confessions of a “Social Media” Justice Warrior

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What are we mad about today?

Seriously, what is it? Because we are always mad. Furious even. Every day someone does something so outrageously egregious that we have to run to our computers or smartphones and express our complete and utter displeasure.

So we post . . . we tweet . . . we use memes and gifs. We spew bile and vitriol and we accomplish . . . nothing.

I’m not innocent. I’m one of the worst. I’m sick. One look at my Twitter timeline and you will find a myriad of online skirmishes that I’m currently involved in. Whether I’m wishing death upon anyone who advocates for the Miami HEAT tanking for a better draft slot or I’m picking a fight with a Donald Trump supporter about the latest racist policy being bandied about by the Orangutan-in-Chief, I am constantly waging some kind of social media crusade for the betterment of . . . well I’m not sure.

I am the modern Social Justice Warrior. I am super woke. I am a champion of the downtrodden and the marginalized. I don’t actually DO anything . . . no, but I do express my undying displeasure with all of those who disagree with me. I don’t attend rallies, I don’t protest, I don’t donate to charity or political campaigns. I did vote in the 2018 midterms though. I even voted early. I almost drove away when I saw the line . . . but I stayed and I endured. I’m like Rosa Parks in that respect, except I’m not. I’ve never sacrificed a single creature comfort for anything I actually believe in.

Sometimes I will boycott an artist or business that I feel has crossed the line of my personal morality clause:

  • I will not pay for a Floyd Mayweather fight. (But I will watch at a bar or at someone else’s house who paid for it. I will not chip in, but I will bring food or beverages. I’m woke . . . I’m not rude.)
  • I will not download R. Kelly’s music. (I haven’t downloaded music since the days of Napster. I actually have no idea how to download music. I still use Pandora because I’m confused by Spotify.)
  • I will not buy Gucci. (HA! I can’t afford that shit.)

I still eat at Chick-Fil-A. Yes their stance on LGBTQ rights is troubling, but that spicy chicken deluxe though . . . I’m all for equal rights, but there’s something about that pepper jack cheese and tender chicken breast that makes me not give a damn about anyone but myself.

I would march for Chick-Fil-A sauce and I would do a sit-in for waffle fries, but I won’t drive 30 minutes to attend a rally for the treatment of immigrants at the southern border.

Illustration by: Cedric Allums (@Ac3_B00gie)

I’m a raging hypocrite. I wanted Bret Kavanaugh’s head on a platter but I’m dismayed by the resignation of Al Franken. I think Trump is an absolute pig but I swoon at the silky smooth tone of a Bill Clinton speech. I stayed up all night on election night 2016 rage-tweeting from a hotel room but didn’t take the time to fill out an absentee ballot for Hillary Clinton.

Outrage and activism has become too convenient. We don’t even have to get off of the toilet to have our voices heard. (Everyone on social media between 5:30 am and 7:30 am is posting during a bowel movement by the way.) You no longer have to pick your spots, you can literally be mad about EVERYTHING and you can be mad ALL THE TIME. It’s great!

But really what it’s done is water-down our movements (not the bowel ones . . . that’s the fast food). Our rage has been diluted and those in power know it and benefit from it. They know our outrage can’t survive the news cycle. We have a president who owes his entire political career to our collective ADD.

Remember Access Hollywood?

No?

How about the mocking of a disabled reporter?

Who?

I’m really concerned about the huge wealth gap in this country but there’s a new iPhone in Saudi Arabia while Israel invades Darfur and China sexually harassed the governor of Virginia during a Terry Crews film.

So I’ll continue to tweet and post memes on Instagram and do my podcasts while the 1% robs us blind, destroys the environment and bankrupts our future. Because it isn’t bad enough yet. Life is still a little TOO good.

Which is the most depressing part of all this . . . none of us will put our phones down until it’s too late. Until climate change is completely irreversible and we are back in another economic depression because of rampant deregulation and corporate greed. Until the 5G towers go dark due to rolling blackouts stemming from our insatiable use of non-renewable energy sources.

Until I pull into a deserted Chick-Fil-A drive thru and come to the shocking realization that it isn’t Sunday.

 

Alphonse Sidney (@Alf954) of Light Skinned Opinions and Miami Heat Beat was elected Heat Twitter president without the help of the Russians. Just Ethan and Chris. (Lead illustration by Brian Shultz, or @Shultzman4ever.)

Dwyane Wade and Our Blind Belief

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There is something so powerful about the naive belief in an athlete. Feeling your sports legend will emphatically provide the goosebump moment, that whatever punctuation they deliver will be the one that echoes forever. That it will all end like that Golden State game, chest-pounding in front of 20,000 people screaming. That even though he is 37 years old and well past his prime, Dwyane Wade can do anything.

But we were reminded in last night’s loss to the Boston Celtics, it can’t always end that way. Often it ends in turnovers, missed shots and the hollow piercing sound of a losing buzzer. Entering the evening there were five games left to go, so I think a lot of us felt Wade would summon an excellence that transcends his age, like he so often has. That he might even elevate a group of cast-offs and young players to a rematch with the Sixers and the six seed.

Yet his mortality was ever apparent in the end. Wade, among many perimeter players who struggled, finished 5 of 13 and didn’t even attempt a field goal in the final three minutes. Driving lanes shrunk as help came and Wade could not generate quality looks for himself. In a game where the season and his career was on the line, Wade could not conjure the Superman that Miami so desperately wants to believe in. And we believe in it because he’s done that to us, by doing it so often. 

Reality is the most painful truth. In this ballad of memories, excellence, love and appreciation we are also at times reminded of Wade’s age and limitations. Flash is now Father Prime and the electric fourth quarter scorer has been transformed into the role of savvy old man game. The eurostep to an and-one isn’t there quite like it used to be. What once were sweeping layups and dunks overs bigs have become floaters and pump fakes. Of course we all know this, but being able to see the end makes it all the louder.

This Last Dance might not be extended into the playoffs where Wade has made so much history, one of the greatest postseason scorers of all time, at 22.3 points — ahead of Oscar Robertson and just behind Wilt Chamberlain — on pretty good efficiency too. His ballet has been about proving doubters wrong, about giving us moments and it will feel vapid if it doesn’t end with a playoff berth.

Humanity is a frail thing and despite Wade’s 17 points and his effort driven plays when the game was to be saved, when Miami needed a savior, it never came. 

That was the most gutting feeling of all, realization of the end. That the greatest athlete in the history of South Florida, that my damn hero couldn’t fix this. Some nights he has it and others he won’t but the betrayal of a superstar’s body is never more actualized than at the end.

Wade didn’t even make a shot in the entire fourth quarter (0-1) and that was the worst part of it all, because I still, naively believe he can do anything. I still believe that he can single handedly win games. I still believe he can take over when the chips are down. I still believe in the basketball deity that is Dwyane Wade.

So as that fourth quarter was slipping away and Wade was working the pick and roll only to pass out of any advancement to the rim it had hit me that if he couldn’t do it then no one could. It almost felt like it had to be him or no one else. Fittingly, Wade or bust, like it always has been. While even in this season Wade has been a master at the end of games.

In the Heat’s incredible March, the Heat had a net rating of +12 in fourth quarters when Wade was on the floor and had a -11 net rating when he was off it. This is why I still believe. I am still seeing it night after night. And this is a testament to his greatest, that after so many miles, playoff battles  knee procedures he can still be this kind of excellent. That he can still inspire this unwavering faith in miracle making. 

With four games left the Heat are gonna continue to turn to Wade for heroics and legend building. For, as he calls them, moments. With the sixth hardest schedule in the NBA to close out the season there is a lot that needs to break the Heat’s way. The one thing I am naively certain of however is Wade won’t have another 0-for-1 quarter. Dwyane Wade will not go quietly. 

It may all not be the Golden State buzzer beater but it’s tough to stop believing in Dwyane Wade, miracle maker.  He erased one of the most impossible finals deficits ever single handedly, he overcame his knees not working in Indiana to score 99 points across three games and finish off the Pacers after falling down 2-1. He hit a game winner over the next young star on the night where the Stoneman Douglas victims were honored.

His triumphs are storybook and for the Miami Heat to extend his one last dance, they will need everything he still has, because they’re not ready to reach the levels he has. And the naive sports fan in me will keep wishing and believing them. Hoping it can end with chest thumping and 20,000 screaming the name of the best to ever do it in this city.

 

Giancarlo Navas (@GNavas103) is the host of Miami Heat Beat, and very proud of his Shaquille O’Neal takes. 

Sour end feels near for the Heat

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MIAMI — It’s been exactly a half-century since the slick Pennsylvanian by way of Alabama and Manhattan  made his proclamation in this same city, a response to a heckler at a promotional dinner for Super Bowl III, a hearty promise of victory his ragtag Jets would fulfill.

As guarantees go, this wasn’t exactly that.

Justise Winslow, just 22, isn’t Broadway Joe.

But what is the Heat swingman supposed to say when asked if his squad can still pull this out? That his team hasn’t shown any consistency all season, not enough to inspire confidence, not with him still a bit rusty returning from injury and his Kid cohort Josh Richardson leaving Wednesday’s loss to the Celtics with another of his own, this one to the leg and seeming at least semi-serious? That the Heat has three difficult contests remaining on the 2018-19 slate, including two against two of the three best teams in the East? That it’s looking like ninth, the worst possible outcome for this Miami Heat squad — neither in the playoffs nor really in the lottery hunt — is also the single most likely one now?

Of course not.

“What is it, four games?” Winslow asked reporters. “4-0.”

So that’s as close as you’ll get to a called shot on a night that the Heat’s core perimeter players — Winslow, Richardson, Dion Waiters, Dwyane Wade, Goran Dragic — missed 43 of 64 shots, wasting excellent efforts from Hassan Whiteside, Bam Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk. But that’s the thing with this team. That’s been the thing all along. Everything is half. Half a good quarter. Half a good game. Half a good week. Half a good roster one night. The other half the next.

Half the time the zone works.

Half the time — especially when it’s used as much as it was Wednesday — it doesn’t, even if Erik Spoelstra said otherwise.

And it’s not just on the court. The front office and coaching staff have been half-stepping all season, never diving into anything. Half committed to the guys with the contracts, half committed to the Kids. Half committed to the present and future, half committed to the past. Half committed to pushing for the playoffs, half committed to holding rotation players out or dealing them for nothing to cut into the luxury tax.

Half measures.

Half wins.

Half losses.

Well, two more losses than wins, 40 compared to 38, with too many of those defeats to terrible teams (Phoenix, Atlanta) coming back to haunt now, as you knew they would. If this season is lost, it wasn’t lost with this loss Wednesday, to one of the conference’s supposed contenders, quirky as the Celtics may be. It was lost with the losses against the tankers, when it was obvious the Heat’s talent wasn’t enough to overcome arrogance.

And it’s hard to ignore the obvious, that they will be one step away again.

One win from the playoffs in 2016-17.

One spot from Donovan Mitchell in that next draft.

Stuck in the middle, again and again.

South Florida’s visionary franchise…. often, oddly without a direction.

“The Heat have set the tone for being ahead of the game,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst told us on our podcast this week. “They’ve been ahead of the game on so many things. You listen to Tony Fiorentino talk about when he first came to Miami, and how ahead of the game Pat was on video work, and how they were ahead of the game on scouting. And Chet Kammerer, one of the great scouts has been ahead of the game on finding players. And the way they were ahead of the game on getting their players physically fit, Riley was ahead of the game on that. They were ahead of the game in salary cap manipulation. They were ahead of the game in Super Team building. Certainly there had been Super Teams that were built before the Heat, but the way the Heat did it all in one fell swoop and managed it, they were ahead of the game.”

Now they’re just below middle of the pack, and have been only slightly better in the cumulative over the past five seasons.

“They’ve always, always, always been ahead of the game, and thought it out,” Windhorst continued. “And so it’s just such a shock to the system that they made the mistake of locking themselves into a non-All-Star players the way that they did. And the fact that this summer, the biggest free agent summer since 2010, the Heat are completely locked out of it. And it’s just so unusual.”

It’s not as if they haven’t tried, of course. They tried for Kevin Durant, but ended up just keeping Whiteside. They tried for Gordon Hayward, and were close, and Hayward (25 points, eight rebounds, five assists) showed Wednesday why the Heat courted him so vigorously prior to his calamitous injury.

“He had a big night for them,” Wade said, after the second-to-last regular season home game of his career, with the last coming next Tuesday against the 76ers. “That’s what good teams do. They have different guys on different nights that can have those big nights for them and you don’t have to just rely on one guy. That is why this team right here (the Celtics) is good.”

The Celtics are good enough for fourth in the East, which is actually a disappointment compared to preseason projections. But better than the Heat, because the Heat haven’t known which player to rely on this season. It was Richardson early, but he doesn’t fit the alpha role. It has been Dragic at times, when he’s gotten healthier after an extended absence, though he struggled Wednesday. It has been Winslow some, too, but then he suffered the thigh bruise setback, and he didn’t look sure of himself in his return. And even then, the Heat haven’t turned over the keys to him completely; too often, he’s put in a watching role, as others get their turns; in a sense, this season has been Justise vs. Justify (the expensive presence of the veterans). Of late, it’s Dion Waiters, who had 21 points Wednesday, but is averaging an outlandish 11.2 three-point attempts per game over the past six games, making some shots for sure, but also snuffing out possessions that could be used by others.

Oh, yeah, and often, the player relied upon been a 37-year-old who was more than 80 percent sure he wouldn’t even play this season, until he did. (Check out our episode with our cinematographer Bob Metelus for that, with the back story of how he, Lisa Joseph, Gabrielle Union and others had to convince him to play). It’s a tribute to Wade that he’s carried so much burden, but it’s also reflective of an organization in flux. He wasn’t supposed to be needed like this. Not now. Not anymore.

And now he has four games left, unless Miami fulfills Winslow’s guarantee and wins them all, or at least three. Do you expect them to do that? With Winslow gimpy? With Richardson uncertain? With Waiters chucking? They’ve won at least four straight only once this season, a five-game stretch just prior to Christmas.

“We have four left,” Wade said. “We knew we have a tough schedule. We have to figure out a way to win some games down the stretch. We are going to go out there and give our best every night and hopefully we get a few to put ourselves in.”

Not exactly Namath.

“It feels like we’ve been in the playoffs for several weeks,” Spoelstra said. “We need to shut our doors and not listen to everything out there. It’s going to go down to the last game as expected.”

You know they’ll shut them halfway.

And go 2-2.

 

Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) has covered the Miami Heat since 1996, which means he hasn’t seen many teams miss the playoffs. (inset photo by Alejandro Villegas)

El Miami Heat, Wade y los playoffs prometidos

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Dwyane Wade parece destinado a despedir su carrera con una temporada por debajo de .500.

El Miami Heat cayó 112 a 102 ante los Celtics de Boston la noche de este miércoles y dejó su récord en 38-40, a medio juego de la clasificación y a uno del sexto puesto en la Conferencia del Este.

Pero esta temporada no era para estar preocupados por eso.

Este es el año de Dwyane Wade. El año de homenaje que tanto se merece, digno del legado del jugador más importante de esta franquicia.

En Miami, ciudad en la que no sobran las victorias en el deporte profesional, los fanáticos y analistas (incluyéndome), dábamos por sentado que el Heat estaría entre los clasificados, sobretodo por jugar en la “débil” Conferencia del Este.

Sin embargo, nos ha tocado vivir un carrusel de emociones.

Ha sido una temporada frustrante, pero divertida, en mi opinión.

El Miami Heat llegó al American Airlines Arena la noche del 3 de Abril a un juego del sexto puesto, con medio juego de ventaja sobre el noveno lugar.

El público se fue sabiendo que estaban fuera de la clasificación tras dejar su récord en casa en 18-22, y con apenas cuatro encuentros por disputar.

Para muchos, sería el Heat el equipo que sacaría las patas del barro de los equipos profesionales de nuestra ciudad.

En el Five Reasons Sports Network había un concenso: el Miami Heat ganaría alrededor de 43 juegos, y perdería 39, clasificando cómodamente a los playoffs de la NBA.

Para algunos otros, la dirección correcta era hacer tanking y buscar a Zion Williamson en el draft colegial.

En todo caso, se sabía desde un principio que este equipo no estaba ni para superar una fase de los playoffs.

El último baile de Dwyane Wade

Antes de comenzar la campaña, se llegó a dudar si Dwyane Wade estaría con el equipo una vez más o si decidía retirarse.

One Last Dance, fue lo que pidió el referente de Miami, luego de meses de incertidumbre. Y vaya que ha sido un baile cansón, pero entretenido, aunque con muchos altibajos.

Este Miami Heat es bipolar, extraño, indescifrable. Con personajes peculiares, que parecen agua y aceite cuando se juntan en el tabloncillo.

Un equipo que parece un rompecabezas de 18 mil piezas. Complicado de armar.

Y ha sido difícil, hasta para el mismo Erik Spoelstra, un experto en sacarle el máximo provecho a sus jugadores.

Hassan Whiteside dunking against the Boston Celtics in the 112-102 loss against the Boston Celtics / Photo by Alejandro Villegas

La rotación de sus piezas parece que por fin ha llegado, gracias a las lesiones y los cambios que se hicieron. Y hasta Whiteside parece convencido que venir desde la banca es lo mejor pare el equipo.

Se descubrió al Winslow armador, y Adebayo se ganó su puesto como titular.

Todos lo vimos.

Este equipo juega mejor con estas dos piezas en cancha.

Pero esta temporada es sobre Dwyane Wade. Que quede bien claro, se clasifique o no, pues sigue todo muy apretado en la Conferencia del Este.

Dwyane Wade with the ball in the final minutes of the game against the Boston Celtics in his last season as a Miami Heat Player / Photo by Alejandro Villegas

Yo no quería mirar hacia atrás y recordar la última temporada de Wade con el Heat como una temporada de tanking, sino como una temporada de su último viaje a los playoffs.

Y eso es lo que han parecido estos meses, con Wade como líder de este grupo. Dos o tres meses de playoffs, en los que cada derrota pesa y es la culpable de la eliminación.

Se pierde con el último, y se le gana al mejor de la NBA. Así es este Miami Heat. Un equipo inconsistente.

Pero ha crecido, y bastante, y seguirá creciendo, gracias a Dwyane Wade.

Quedan cuatro juegos para tratar de buscar la clasificación, pero bien pueden ser estos los últimos cuatro encuentros que disfrutemos con Wade con el uniforme de Miami.

Sentémonos a disfrutar de los últimos cuatro juegos de playoff con Dwyane, vengan cuando vengan…

 

 

Disfruta de los episodios de Cinco Razones Podcast haciendo click aquí.

 

 

Heat can’t afford to lose Juwan Howard twice

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The star player-coach relationship remains one of the most enigmatic, fascinating dynamics in all the NBA. Most any head coach will tell you that building chemistry and maximizing the skill set of a super star can be one of the most challenging elements of the gig. Even the coaches who do it well don’t do it perfectly.

Those challenges extend far beyond relationships with just star players. However, it can’t be denied that a team often takes its cues from how the head coach and the alpha personalities mesh.

Sometimes the challenges go beyond X’s and O’s. It comes down to establishing trust through communication. We see it year after year as it relates to virtually all the big NBA names and their respective head coaches.

Jay Z told us “It’s a secret society, all we ask is trust”, then that line was skillfully recycled by Kendrick Lamar to remind today’s generation. That sentiment is held in high regard by the fraternity that is NBA players and coaches.

It’s something Erik Spoelstra has at times excelled at, particularly on the court.

However, Spoelstra has also experienced struggles with some of the back of the house stuff from a communication perspective. His player relationships have ranged from perfect moments of on court maximization, to clumsy works in progress.

Thankfully for the Heat and Spoelstra, any gaps have been filled by arguably the most popular coach on the staff among the players, especially since David Fizdale left for bigger opportunities. Communication is the utmost strength of the man that many consider the most underrated head-coach-in-waiting throughout the entire league.

And that’s Juwan Howard.

Howard, in only a handful of seasons as NBA coach, has become the roots of the Heat coaching tree as it bears fruit in areas such as player development. He fills the spaces between the boxes on an org chart. He’s become the glue.

When the time comes for the Heat to execute succession plans, one that may entice Spoelstra off the sideline and into the front office, count me among those who think Howard is the right man to usher in the next evolution of Heat basketball as head coach.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Dan Craig. Craig is one of the best basketball minds around. But as superstar player relationships have become as important as ever in team building activities, I am in favor of a shift to the prototypical player’s coach.

Howard is a Heat player magnet; there is always a Heat player within arms reach of him when in the facility. In working so intently on building trusting relationships off the court, he organically compels them to work harder on it. Howard also seems to repel all the noise that only gets in the way. Because he’s been there. He gets it. From the perspective of lottery pick to All Star to role player and now coach.

“Having someone who has played the game and lived the NBA lifestyle,” Heat guard Rodney McGruder told Five Reasons Sports. “Someone you can relate to, who played in the league for 19 years, for so many different organizations. Anytime he speaks you listen because of that respect, because of the type of player he was and his success in the league. Anytime he talks you buy in because he’s lived it, he’s been in your shoes, he knows every situation, every predicament. You try to stay around a guy like that. His energy, the energy that he gives to prepare before a game. Even when we are working with the scout team in practice, just the energy and feedback that he gives us is big time.”

Speaking of scout teams in practice, his working sessions with Heat players often extend through media availability at shoot around and are an frequent mix of footwork and movement.

And lots of defense.

Defense is the longstanding calling card of all successful Heat teams, so defense being the specialty of Howard makes him the ideal fit going forward.

“He’s probably our biggest defensive coach.” Josh Richardson told Five Reasons Sports recently. “Any defensive adjustments that need to be made, he’ll normally pick those out and tell us about it. He’s our emotional coach. The coach that will get us going, get us back in the ball game, get us excited.”

Howard’s passion is contagious. His ability to relate to players, get them to buy in to the culture and want to be coached, is exemplified in his relationship with Heat point guard Justise Winslow.

“He’s been great. Just with me, we have of connection through Coach (John) Lucas down in Houston.” Winslow told Five Reasons Sports. “He knows the basketball environment that I grew up in and where I come from.”

Howard has the unique ability to tangibly challenge players in a genuine, healthy way. There’s an evolutionary balance that exists in how much you effectively push today’s NBA athlete.

“He’s always pushing me to be the best player on both sides of the ball,” Winslow added. “Holding me accountable to a different and higher standard than most (other players) defensively is something that I am extremely grateful for. He wants me to be an all- defensive player. I told him that’s one of my goals for my career, to be a 1st or 2nd team All defensive player at different points of my career. He has been holding me to that standard.”

Howard seems to evoke the respect of the players in an almost intuitive fashion… likely because some of his players were his peers not so long ago.

“For me, I played with him, so I still have that relationship with him as a player,” Udonis Haslem told Five Reasons Sports. “I respect him so much, not only as a coach, but a guy who has been in the trenches with me. So, it’s like double respect. It’s the respect as a coach and it’s respect as you’ve been in the trenches with me. I know if my back is against the wall you are one of the guys I can depend on it. I still call him (Howard) Big Homie. Even though we’ve played together and had so many opportunities together I still look up to Juwan and value his opinion and everything he can bring.”

Juwan has helped Derrick Jones Jr. continue to refine his game and learn new positions to maximize his skillset.

“Coach Juwan helped me out a lot personally, because coming here I had never played the four,” Jones Jr. told Five Reasons Sports. “Switching to the four, and having to learn the pick and roll coverages with my man as the screener, he helped me fast track that a whole lot. Sitting down watching film with him, Bam, Hassan and KO. That helped me out a lot. He is just one of those people here to help. He’s here to serve you. Whatever you need he’s always going to be there to help teach you everything he learned in this game. For him to be here and devote his time to us, I’m grateful for that.”

And here’s another thing: you hear him.

“He’s obviously a really important voice for us.” Kelly Olynyk told Five Reasons Sports. “Having played so many years in this league at a super high level. He’s been there, he’s done it, so he knows what it takes. Just trying to be there offensively and a lot of times defensively. Especially for the bigs, how to guard certain actions, pick and rolls. A constant reminder of what you’re doing and how to do it better. For us he’s all about that.”

Now let’s pivot back to the star player-coach relationship topic.

Currently such a dynamic would be classified as a luxurious, first world problem in Miami. The next superstar centerpiece for any coach to relate to in Miami is as much a mystery as Heat injury reports are these days. I mean yes there’s still Dwyane, but he is not there to make waves at this stage. Beyond Wade, no true alpha super star has been identified or acquired.

But let’s fast forward and operate under the assumption that, within the next two years, as flexibility increases and the team’s core solidifies, that the Heat find a way to nab a true alpha to lead the way. Howard sure seems like the type of coach that players around the league will want to run through walls for.

“Just his voice in the locker room, we have a lot of great coaches and they all have great backgrounds and great basketball intelligence, but he’s a legend.” Winslow said. “What he’s seen on and off the court, being a part of the Fab 5 and some of the things he had to go through.”

All of this points to the inevitably that Howard will be a highly sought-after head coach option throughout the league, maybe even by LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers as soon as this summer. Whispers are getting louder that he is the darkhorse candidate when the Lakers begin their search for a replacement for current, beleaguered, leader Luke Walton.

And now Vegas is catching on:

If the Heat organizational chart is close to an unavoidable shuffle, don’t let timing get in the way of doing what’s best for the franchise going forward. Figure out what needs to happen to ensure he isn’t lured away by James.

The Heat had and then lost Juwan Howard, the player, in 1996. That ultimately worked out in the Heat’s favor, as they recovered to sign Dan Majerle, who was an ideal fit for the lineup. I’m not so sure the second time around will be as fruitful or fortunate for Miami.

The Heat should do whatever is necessary to keep him in that locker room. With the the allure of LeBron and LA on the horizon, do it now, before it’s too late.

What happened to the Mike Gesicki we were promised?

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So, about Mike Gesicki….

The former second round draft choice of the Dolphins came in with a bevy of impressive highlight reels on social media and a set of measurements that had some referring to him as the most athletically gifted tight end the NFL Combine had ever seen.

Just look at this spider chart, via the MockDraftable website.

Sure, his weight (247 lbs.) came in perhaps 10 lbs. shy of distinction, and his height (6′ 5½”) has been bested by a few tight end prospects throughout the years. But the combination of the above has arguably never been seen.

For reference, compare the above chart to that of infamous Dolphins draft bust Michael Egnew, who became known for failure to deliver on his athletic promises (and for using his jersey number as his phone passcode):

In Dolphins training camp, Gesicki made “wow,” plays nearly every day.

Here’s just a taste of that action:

Fast-forward to the regular season and, according to Pro Football Focus, Mike Gesicki played a total of 400 of the offense’s 921 snaps, with 31 targets, 22 catches, 202 yards, and 0 touchdowns.

So…what gives?

In addition to obvious factors such as unacceptable quarterback play, low number of offensive snaps due to the offense’s inability to convert third downs, etc., the answer may lie in the rookie tight end’s usage.

When Gesicki and fellow rookie tight end Durham Smythe were drafted, Dolphins coaches such as offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains made it clear that while Smythe was considered a classic “Y” (in-line tight end), Gesicki’s primary role would be the “F” (off-formation or move tight end) position.

In some ways, this seemed immediately problematic.

Nowadays, NFL offenses have become completely reliant on what is known as “11” personnel, which is to say a group of personnel featuring only one running back and three wide receivers. This is a single-TE personnel grouping. According to Sharp Football Stats, the NFL used this “11” personnel group a staggering 65 percent of all plays in 2018.

Indeed, during the 2017 season head coach Adam Gase himself was at the forefront of “11” personnel usage. With a 73 percent share of the Dolphins offense’s snaps, only the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions offenses showing a higher reliance on “11” personnel.

In order to get a lot of work out of an “F” in an offense dominated by single-tight end, three-wide receiver personnel groups, the offense would have to line up in a lot of spread formations. Over-reliance on spread formation can make the offense susceptible to blitzes, while simultaneously posing challenges to a successful run game.

A quarterback that lacks mobility would be particularly challenged within this approach, as there is more pressure on the quarterback to handle blitzes with his own ability. Coming off two knee injuries in two years, this did not bode well for quarterback Ryan Tannehill, nor his relatively immobile backup Brock Osweiler.

The reality of the team’s quarterback situation dictated that if the team were to stick with reliance on “11” personnel, rookie Mike Gesicki would have to spend a significant number of snaps being used as a “Y” lined up on the shoulder of the offensive tackle, despite the Dolphins coaches’ own assessment of the player.

Being forced into such usage meant the rookie Gesicki would have to block like a “Y” in the run game and stay in to pass protect when certain blitz fronts called for it. The in-line position is not conducive to clean releases on pass routes, and fans saw multiple instances of Gesicki losing his balance while trying to deal with the physicality.

To put it bluntly, he was put in positions and roles his own coaches publicly acknowledged to be incompatible with what he showed in college. And, when it was apparent he could not be relied on to carry out these roles, he came off the field altogether.

According to Pro Football Focus, Mike Gesicki lined up on the shoulder of the offensive tackle nearly half of all snaps (44 percent). He stayed in to pass protect on about 20 percent of pass snaps. He was the lone tight end on the field on 72 percent of the snaps he took as a rookie.

When Mike Gesicki was put in position to make plays, the rookie actually came through.

Watching his full target reel on coaches tape was illuminating. He caught everything that was catchable, and he even made some things happen after the catch. He showed some ability to leverage off physical coverage and create his own windows. And he got open for some big plays that the quarterback missed.

The problem is one of frequency and opportunity. Those opportunities did not come often enough. If the Dolphins merely did the obvious, which would be to roll out multiple-tight end offensive personnel groups on a regular basis, that might have been different.

The Baltimore Ravens, who got impressive results out of rookie tight end Mark Andrews, used multiple-tight end personnel on 39 percent of their plays. The Philadelphia Eagles, who got impressive results out of rookie tight end Dallas Goedert, used multiple-tight end personnel on nearly 43 percent of their plays.

Back in 2010 the New England Patriots selected tight end Rob Gronkowski in the second round, followed by tight end Aaron Hernandez in the fourth round. It was very similar to the Dolphins selecting Gesicki in the second round and following up by choosing Durham Smythe in the fourth round.

But that is where the similarities end. From 2011 to 2012 the Patriots used multiple-tight end offense a staggering 66 percent of their plays, while in 2018 the Dolphins used multiple-tight end offense on only 16 percent of plays.

Aaron Hernandez played the “F” position in those New England offenses. He was on the field with other tight ends about 86 percent of his snaps. He only stayed in to block on 4 percent of pass plays. And he lined up on the shoulder of the offensive tackle only about 14 percent of plays.

I bring up those numbers not just because of their stark contract to Gesicki, but because they may be a harbinger of what we could see from Miami going forward.

Some of the coaches designing Miami’s offense, including offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea and tight ends coach George Godsey, were coaching that Patriots offense built around multiple tight ends. What’s more, last year the New England Patriots were one the offenses in the NFL that were least reliant on “11” personnel, bucking the league trend.

When the Dolphins signed tight ends Dwayne Allen and Clive Walford to join Durham Smythe and Nick O’Leary, many saw this as increased competition for tight end Mike Gesicki, who could easily fall far down the depth chart.

But all four of the other tight ends are classic “Y” players. None of the four players look, or play, like Mike Gesicki. Given the experience of Miami’s new offensive coaches, a more plausible explanation for the acquisitions of Dwayne Allen and Clive Walford might be an attempt to unlock Gesicki’s potential.

And if that happens, we just might see the Mike Gesicki we were promised.

 

Chris Kouffman (@CKParrot) is a fan of the Miami Dolphins and long, long, long Twitter threads. Find him here on the @3YardsPerCarry podcast. 

The Miami Heat’s March Madness

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The month of March has brought quite the change of fortune for the Ballers on Biscayne. The Heat entered the month with a 27-34 record and sitting at 10th in a weak Eastern Conference. They were coming off a February that saw the team go 3-9 including bad blowout losses at home to the Thunder and Pistons. #TankSzn was in full effect. However, the end of February saw the Heat pull off a miracle win against the defending champion Warriors, thanks to an incredible buzzer beater by the one and only Dwyane Wade. Since then, the team is playing with a new lease on life and they’ve put it all together in March.

18-19 MIAMI HEAT BEFORE MARCH MARCH
RECORD
27-34
11-4
PLUS/MINUS PER GAME
-1.1
4.5
OFFENSIVE RATING
106.6
108.1
DEFENSIVE RATING
107.8
104.1
NET RATING
-1.2
4.0

Then again, Spoelstra-led teams have a pretty consistent habit of transforming themselves into a problem come spring time.

Let’s dig a little deeper into how the Heat have turned it around the past few weeks and who the difference makers have been.

March By the Numbers

Miami Net Rating Leaders

(via NBA STATS)

1. Kelly Olynyk | + 11.6 in 435 minutes

2. Justise Winslow | + 10.6 in 208 minutes

3. Bam Adebayo | + 10.4 in 402 minutes

4. Dion Waiters | + 6.3 in 410 minutes

5. Josh Richardson | + 5.9 in 467 minutes

Miami’s Best 2-Man Lineup Net Ratings

(minimum 100 minutes played)

1. Kelly Olynyk & Josh Richardson | +15.6 in 291 minutes

2. Kelly Olynyk & Justise Winslow | +15.5 in 165 minutes

3. Dion Waiters & Justise Winslow | +15.4 in 140 minutes

4. Justise Winslow & Josh Richardson | +15.1 in 138 minutes

5. Derrick Jones Jr. & Bam Adebayo | +14.4 in 174 minutes

Miami’s Most Used 5-Man Lineups

1. Justise Winslow | Dion Waiters | Josh Richardson | Kelly Olynyk | Bam Adebayo

89 Minutes • 124.6 Offensive Rating • 97.8 Defensive Rating • 26.8 Net Rating

The New Starting Lineup (before Justise and Josh went down with injuries) had been dominating opponents with an inspired offensive attack that has been one of Miami’s best offensive units EVER. This lineup actually has a 121.4 ORTG in 121 minutes the entire season, and if they don’t play together again this season, would be the 2nd best offensive unit (min. 100 MP) in Spoelstra’s tenure as Head Coach. Back in 2012-13, the Heat had a 124.6 ORTG in the 112 minutes that Mario Chalmers, Dwyane Wade, Ray Allen, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh shared the court.

As much fun as that last paragraph was, even at 121 minutes we are still very much in the realm of Small Sample Size Theater, and I bring that up because of this incredible stat: all 4 players that have taken a 3 while this lineup is on the court are shooting 42% or better from behind the arc.

Name Minutes FG3M FG3A 3pt FG% Shot Quality eFG% TS%
Kelly Olynyk 121 9 13 69.2% 0.55 81.7% 87.1%
Justise Winslow 121 10 17 58.8% 0.54 66.7% 67.0%
Josh Richardson 121 8 19 42.1% 0.5 62.8% 60.7%
Dion Waiters 121 11 21 52.4% 0.57 54.4% 55.1%
Bam Adebayo 121 0 0 0.0% 0.56 73.3% 75.9%
(Shot Quality and Lineup Breakdown Data via PBPstats.com)

There is no way that Dion, Justise, and Kelly will continue shooting above 50% from behind the arc. That will come back down to Earth. However, it is encouraging that every player but Richardson has a Shot Quality well above the league average of 0.52. Shot Quality’s value shows you the expected effective field goal percentage on the type of shots a player takes. For example, a wide open 3-pointer is going to have a much higher Shot Quality than a guarded mid-range jumper. This lineup is doing a great job of getting high percentage looks and they are capitalizing.

Fun Fact: This Heat lineup has made 3x as many corner 3’s (18) as the 5-man lineup that has the second most made corner 3’s (6) on the team.

2. Dion Waiters | Josh Richardson | Derrick Jones Jr. | Kelly Olynyk | Bam Adebayo

80 minutes • 109.0 Offensive Rating • 96.8 Defensive Rating • 12.2 Net Rating

The Winslow-Less New Starting Lineup has also been doing a good job of beating teams down with Derrick Jones Jr. injected into the New Starting Lineup in place of the injured Justise Winslow who has been dealing with a bruised thigh the past few weeks. While the team wasn’t blowing teams out to the same extent as it’s predecessor, this lineup in particular really clamps down on the defensive end as they’ve held opponents to 44% eFG, which is 8% lower than their opponents expected shot quality, via pbpstats.com. They’ve also held opponents to 56% shooting at the rim (7% below the league average).

Offensively, they’ve been helped stay afloat thanks to Dion Waiters being 9 of 17 from 3 and holding a robust 75.8 TS% while this lineup has been on the court. The other surprising contribution? Bam Adebayo has shot 10 of 17 from mid-range during their minutes. Bam forcing defenders to respect his shot will help open things up offensively for this young group.

Defensively, the team just plays much better when they are using guys like Derrick Jones Jr. and James Johnson at the 3 instead of the 4. This gives the Heat more length, size, and athleticism to make things difficult for opposing offenses.

3. Goran Dragic | Dwyane Wade | Josh Richardson | James Johnson | Hassan Whiteside

57 minutes • 88.9 Offensive Rating • 107.3 Defensive Rating • -18.4 Net Rating

The #FlashMob with Richardson saw it’s struggles in March, specifically on the offensive end. Despite having a pair of very capable handlers in Goran and Dwyane, this lineup has been let down by shooting struggles from Dragic (16 points on 24 FGA), Richardson (14 points on 19 FGA), and Johnson (10 points on 14 FGA), as well as Dragic (0.51 SQ) and Johnson (0.47 SQ) having below average shot qualities, which implies there have been a lot of tough shots in those attempts. James in particular has struggled to provide spacing during their minutes, as he’s shot 1 of 8 from behind the arc.

(Not so) Fun Fact: His lineup has yet to make a corner 3 this season on 7 attempts.

4. Goran Dragic | Dwyane Wade | Josh Richardson | Derrick Jones Jr. | Hassan Whiteside

36 minutes • 94.6 Offensive Rating • 106.5 Defensive Rating • -11.9 Net Rating

The same lineup as before with Jones Jr. replacing James Johnson at the 4 fared a bit better, though still having struggles offensively. A couple of things stood out about this lineup in regards to those offensive woes: This lineup is shooting 23% from behind the arc as a unit, and they are taking an unusually high amount of mid-range jumpers during these minutes. 75% of Richardson’s attempts came from mid-range, where he shot 33% FG. 53% of Wade’s attempts came for mid-range, where he shot 40% FG. 44% of Dragic’s attempts came from mid-range, where he shot 42% FG. I’m not one of those people that says NEVER TAKE A MID-RANGE JUMPER like some of the MoreyBall purists, but I do believe that leaning into them too heavily is not good for your offense, and it plays out that way here.

5. Goran Dragic | Dion Waiters | Derrick Jones Jr. | Kelly Olynyk | Bam Adebayo

36 minutes • 117.5 Offensive Rating • 103.8 Defensive Rating • 13.7 Net Rating

Following the injuries to Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson, this became the starting lineup that Miami turned to once they lost both of their minutes leaders. It is the most used lineup that featured the 7-11 attack of Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters and has brought back memories of the 30-11 run from a few seasons ago. The offense is humming with this unit as Jones Jr. and Adebayo are living at the rim, combining for 13 of 16 FG around the basket. Goran Dragic is absolutely dealing while this lineup is playing, as he has 11 assists in those 36 minutes, with all 11 assists leading to either 3-pointers or baskets at the rim. Goran’s lob game has really come alive in recent weeks, which has always been a bit of a problem area for him. Another sign of a crisp offense: 75% of the baskets scored by this lineup have been assisted. Given that the Heat are only shooting 37% from behind the arc in these minutes, this could prove to be a sustainable lineup that Miami can lean on as they try to sneak into the playoffs.

Bam Adebayo – Unleashed

It’s not a coincidence that the Heat turning their season around began the very night that Bam Adebayo was inserted into the starting lineup against the Warriors. Bam played undoubtedly the best basketball of his career in March, and it’s not very surprising that it’s come in the first full month that Bam has started in his career. It could not have been an easy decision to replace Whiteside with Adebayo, considering Hassan is having one of the best seasons of his career.

Both big men have things in common that make them valuable: length, verticality, rim protection, and rebounding. However, there are a few things that Bam does that separate him from the Great Wall of Whiteside. Offensively, Bam brings more speed and activity to the role of screener and roller. Per NBA Stats, Bam’s average speed on offense is 6% faster than Hassan, meaning he covers ground faster and helps the offense get initiated, considering Miami’s propensity for running the pick and roll. It shows in the screen assist stats, as Bam is creating 11 screen assists points per 36 minutes compared to the 9.5 screen assists points Hassan created per 36 minutes. Part of that added value comes from the fact that 78% of Bam’s assists come either at the rim or from 3-point land, which is 10% higher than Hassan’s percentage of “Moreyball” assists.

The other significant difference is their mentality regarding passing, and I can’t find a better way to represent the difference than this: In about 100 more minutes played this season, Bam has generated more than 3x as many points as Hassan via assists (422 vs 125). While Bam was doing a lot of that damage via hand offs early in his career, we’ve seen a lot more dynamic passes in recent weeks.

In the first clip, you see Bam receive an entry pass at the elbow from Justise, and then the second he recognizes that both his man and Derrick’s man have turned their attention to him, he makes the smart pass to Jones Jr. for the quality look at the rim. In the second clip you see Kelly with the nice entry pass into the post. Bam begins to establish position in the post against Allen until he feels Harris cheating off of Winslow trying to create a turnover, and makes him pay for it the second he is committed with a quick kick out to Justise for an open three. Next you see Bam’s court vision in action as he quickly recognizes that Winslow has sealed off the nearest defender to Dwyane, who was never picked up in transition by the Raptors. Wide open splash down for Wade. The last clip best shows off Bam’s passing mentality, as he knew Justise was wide open even before receiving the pass and he instantly whipped the Richardson pass right out to Winslow for the open 3. These quick instinctual decisions are a big part of what separates Bam from his predecessor at the center position.

Defensively, Bam is a very different defender from Hassan. I’m not sure that Bam will ever be the rim protector that Hassan is, though very few players in the league can make that claim. What makes Bam a valuable defender is that he is more suited to go against small-ball lineups due to his ability to defend guards and athletic wings well in situations where the team is switching defensively.

Bam just eats up space defensively and makes it that much harder for opposing team’s to get clean looks whenever they are trying to get Bam’s assignment involved offensively. Bam is holding both pick and roll ball handlers as well as pick and roll roll men to 0.75 points per possessions, which is in the 85th percentile in the NBA in both metrics according to Synergy Sports. The other area where Bam makes a substantial impact is in transition defense due to his ability to get back quickly. The Heat allow almost 3 points per 100 possessions less in transition when Adebayo is on the court compared to Hassan.

When he brings all these things together, Bam Adebayo is a force to be reckoned with, as he showed in a big road win over the Wizards.

At 21 years old, Bam is just scratching the surface of his potential and now that he’s been thrown into the starting role, he is only going to get more reps to continue adding to his game. Just don’t forget who was on this hill from the beginning.