Champions on the Track, Heroes off the Track | Hitting the Apex

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Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel are generational rivals. Long before this latest generation of Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, and George Russell became the “unstoppable” young drivers, there was Lewis and Seb. Hamilton, having nearly won the World Drivers Championship as a rookie and completing the job in his second year being eclipsed a few years later as youngest champion by Vettel, as Red Bull entered an era of dominance.

When the upper hand went back to Mercedes, now being lead by Hamilton, it was Ferrari, Vettel’s team, that rose to meet them. The two clashed on track, once literally under Safety Car, but when Vettel finally left Ferrari for the less competitive Aston Martin, the on track tussles between the pair all but ceased.

Left in the wake of those battles is shocking dominance as these 2 combined to capture 11 championships in 13 years.

That sort of competitiveness and rivalry will naturally lend itself to some animosity, and as two of the great drivers in Formula 1 history, the rivalry sustained much of the 2010s.

The Moment That Changed Everything

And then 2020 happened, not just the pandemic, but the international unrest around primarily the murder of George Floyd, but on a more macro-level the unwillingness of people to accept institutional racism and injustice. That overarching battle is very much still a work in progress, but in the moment, the two champions stepped to the forefront.

In 2 years, these rivals have transformed into the soul of Formula 1. A sport often accused of obtuseness with regards to human and civil rights had two of its brightest stars unwilling to turn the other cheek.

And the pair carries that burden with them, wearing it well. They now serve a higher purpose.

In order to get athletes to open up about “controversial” issues, it often takes prodding, and usually results in a press officer writing something that the athlete subsequently reads to walk back whatever he or she just said.

That is not the case with Lewis and Seb.

While other drivers talked of how they had fun in Miami, enjoyed the beach, and ate great food, Hamilton discussed meeting with local kids of diverse backgrounds that had no exposure to Formula 1 and how he stressed the importance of a STEM education, because the backbone of Formula 1 is engineering.

For his part, Vettel met with climate scientists, trying to bring renewed attention to a subject that is an ever present threat to South Florida. And he went to an inner city school, describing how it is the type of place that Formula 1 drivers are generally not exposed to. That school was Miami Carol City Middle School.

They don’t have to do this. There are a million things to do in Miami, and most drivers avail themselves of the downtime afforded them to party, relax, play golf (Hamilton did play golf with Tom Brady, for charity), do whatever they can to unwind.

And as well they should.

Being an F1 driver is extremely strenuous. You have to keep yourself in pristine shape, subject your body to unnatural neck strain (the press officer advised us to observe the size of the driver’s necks, and goodness, some of them appear wider than their heads), and spend significant time in simulators even when you’re not on track. It’s only natural that a driver would take any downtime they have to unwind.

The comment on how Lewis and Seb spent their free time is not to denigrate the other drivers. But it does highlight the nobility of their pursuit. Judge man not by what he does when forced, but by what he does when left to his own whims.

Legacy Far Greater Than Driving

An F1 press conference is generally a jovial affair. The drivers joke around, some of the questions are intended to elicit comedic responses (in particular, those directed at Daniel Ricciardo). The drivers make fun of each other.

Then there is Lewis and Seb.

They carry themselves a bit differently. There is a seriousness about them. They are not absent humor, but they seemed burdened by over a decade in the sport, understanding the importance of the platform, and wearing that responsibility in their actions.

They chose this battle when they didn’t have to, and it is one that they continue to fight long after the trends have moved on. It’s a subject they voluntarily bring to the fore any time someone puts a microphone in front of them, knowing that there is always another pair of ears that they might reach, another life they might change, another lost child who might be impacted.

There will be a day when these two champions are no longer around. Even the greatest eventually retire.

But long after they’ve turned their last wheel, and pushed their last accelerator in anger, Lewis and Seb’s legacy will be felt for generations to come. Their voices will reverberate through history. Countless lives have been impacted for the better, simply because they chose to care when they didn’t have to.

And they’ve laid a blueprint for future generations to follow, having normalized having a social conscience and not worrying who they might offend.

They are champions on the track, but heroes off of it. The best Formula 1 has to offer.

Kings among men.

Vishnu Parasuraman is a contributor for @FiveReasonsSports. He covers the Miami Hurricanes  for Sixth Ring Canes and Formula 1 for Hitting the Apex. You can follow him on twitter @vrp2003

Meet the Protagonists: Inside an F1 Press Conference | Hitting the Apex

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Much like everything else in Formula 1, the press conference is a technical, highly organized affair taking place over 2 hours.

First, as always, it is useful to provide context. In American sports, we’re used to having more access to athletes and doing things like going into locker rooms after games to conduct interviews.

That is not the case with Formula 1.

So this press conference is really the time to talk to the drivers before they head out on track. The schedule is pre-arranged into 4 groups of 5 drivers, with roughly 30 minutes for each group. Our pairings on this Friday were the following:

Group 1: Lewis Hamilton, Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon, Sergio Perez, Lance Stroll

Group 2: Kevin Magnussen, Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Ocon, Yuki Tsunoda, Max Verstappen

Group 3: Charles Leclerc, Daniel Ricciardo, Mick Schumacher, Nicholas Latifi, Fernando Alonso

Group 4: George Russell, Zhou Guanyu, Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, Sebastian Vettel

The format for the interview followed the same path. Each driver would be asked 2 questions by the moderator:

  1. Something about Miami specifically, or their experience in America in general.
  2. Something about how the season is going.

And then they open it up for questions.

F1 Aristocracy

One of the interesting things you notice walking through the F1 paddock is how much of a hierarchy there is for everything. Mercedes gets the best spot for their garage, based on being the top team in the Constructors championship last year. And Haas is at the other end of the spectrum. That’s just the way it is.

But that also extends to the open period of questions at the press conference. In particular the first group, which quickly devolved into a Lewis Hamilton Ask Me Anything.

I should probably amend that a bit.

It devolved into a Lewis Hamilton Ask Me Anything….about piercings.

For those that have not been following this “controversy,” technically Formula 1 bans piercings. Technically, they have been banned for over a decade. Lewis Hamilton has piercings. The FIA decided to enforce the piercing ban. Lewis Hamilton is refusing to take off his piercings. This week, he wore every piece of jewelry he could find to the press conference.

Yes, riveting stuff. Hamilton himself called the whole thing “silly” and said they had “bigger fish to fry,” which I agree with.

In the grand scheme of unforced errors, this is is certainly one of them. The amount of time spent on this at an official F1 press briefings would have you believe they were trying to broker a deal for world peace.

There were other topics covered, of course, but almost all the questions went to Hamilton, and before you knew it was time for the next group of drivers. The rest of the press conference proceeded in similar fashion, 5 drivers, answering questions.

The Skills

Outside of piercings, our fair city was the subject of intense praise. The drivers love being in Miami, and commented on the culture of the city, something us Miamians are proud of. Some of it was surely playing to the audience, but the diversity of Miami being its strength, and the drivers consistently hitting on that theme surely hit home.

The other talk was about the track itself, and the adjustment to new a track with unfamiliar asphalt. This was manifested in Free Practice 1 when several cars ran wide and Bottas eventually brought out the red flag with a crash. They talked of simulator work to prepare, visualizing corners, a ramp up and adjustment period. Things that would take a normal human years and that they were planning on accomplishing in a few practice sessions.

But what really came across was the insane amount of skill and sacrifice it took to get to the pinnacle of motorsport, and how quickly the drivers are able to adapt. It was the quiet confidence they all exuded, knowing that regardless of how the track responded, they’d figure it out.

The analogy I’d use here as a technologist is imagine you’re an expert on using a PC and then someone hands you a Mac. You know how to use a computer, it has all the familiar buttons (well, most of them at least), and it is generally familiar. But yet really different.

These drivers are adjusting to a strange asphalt, going around turns they’ve never seen before, adjusting to the track camber, trying to not just go around the corners, but go around them fast enough to extract 100s of a second. It’s a miracle they don’t crash on every lap.

And it is the nonchalant nature with which they approach this seemingly impossible task that crystalizes just how brilliant they are. There is something reinforcing, life affirming, and noble at seeing people excel at something the way these drivers universally have excelled to reach this point, driving in Formula 1.

That was what I left this, my first Formula 1 press conference, with. That is what I’ll remember years from now. That the routinization of greatness often makes it seem normal, but actually is what makes it great. It is a message that should inspire. And if Formula 1 is about anything, it’s about reaching the peak of man intersecting with machine.

Vishnu Parasuraman is a contributor for @FiveReasonsSports. He covers the Miami Hurricanes  for Sixth Ring Canes and Formula 1 for Hitting the Apex. You can follow him on twitter @vrp2003

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

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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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Miami’s Mecca of Sport | Hitting the Apex

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Upon hearing that Formula 1 planned to build a race track at Hard Rock Stadium, my reaction was to laugh at both the audacity and impossibility of it.

The simultaneous juxtaposition of skepticism and awe.

Hard Rock Stadium’s transformation from modern multi-purpose stadium at its inception, to soulless venue not fit for any purpose, to world class stadium rivaling the best on the planet is a story of Miami’s uncomfortable love affair with its sports stadiums.

Perhaps the meandering names of the stadium help best to signify just how unsettled the stadium has been for much of its existence. Over time, the stadiums name changed from venerating former Miami Dolphins owner Joe Robbie, to Pro Player Park, to Pro Player Stadium, to Dolphins Stadium, to Dolphin Stadium, to Land Shark Stadium, to Sun Life Stadium, and finally, to Hard Rock Stadium. As frequent and often worthless as some of those name changers were (they really needed to change Dolphins to Dolphin?), those changes are consistent with the stadium itself.

And yet as much attention is paid to the Dolphins’ on field futility, especially in light of the success of the Heat and Panthers, and the ascendency of Hurricanes’ Baseball, Basketball, and Football, not enough attention has been made to the transformation from an aimless stadium that didn’t seem suited for any purpose to the premier sports complex in the United States, if not the world.

A Boondoggle for Miami, A Boon for the Dolphins

The Marlins move out of what is currently known as Hard Rock Stadium and into the former site of the Orange Bowl is widely considered to be one of the most unpopular public policy decisions in Miami history. Politicians were recalled, but the damage was done. The historic Orange Bowl was laid to waste, the Hurricanes jettisoned to the county line, and Miami’s taxpayers were on the hook for a subsidies.

The entire city had soured on the concept of stadiums, and what was left was an aging stadium in Miami Gardens.

But a funny thing happened on the way to Hard Rock Stadium’s funeral.

The Dolphins resurrected it. For as much flak as they get for team’s lack of playoff success, it’s hard to imagine a more successful construction transformation than what has occurred here.

As the Marlins exited to Little Havana, the Dolphins were faced with a stadium that:

  • Had a poor fan experience with the seats too far from the field
  • Old video boards at either end of the stadium
  • Infamous orange seats that were weather worn
  • Oppressive heat that made fans not want to even go into the stadium

But what were they going to do? Move the actual foundational structure?

OH MY GOD THEY MOVED THE FOUNDATIONAL STRUCTURE

It was so audacious that when presented with this issue of the seats being too far from the field, the idea of actually moving the structure was not even something I thought possible. But lo and behold, they did it.

The video boards were replaced with modern ones at each of the stadium’s corners. The orange seats were replaced with a calming shade of aqua.

But surely those would fade in the oppressive heat. And the only thing more sacrilegious in Miami than getting “una colada sin azucar” is suggesting that football should be played indoors.

Ah, why not…we’ll cover just the seating areas and leave the field exposed, so the game is played outdoors, but the fans get the benefits of being covered.  What was once a dilapidated, aging stadium that no one wants to play in, is now this:

This venue now comfortably hosts Super Bowls and College National Championship games.

First Football, Now the World

Miami has always been the home of the “5th Grand Slam” tennis tournament, what is currently called the Miami Open. And that tournament belonged to Key Biscayne.

But when lawsuits prevented the old Crandon Park complex from being upgraded, the tournament needed a new home. Ideally, they’d be somewhere on the water, much like Key Biscayne. If not, perhaps Brickell?

Surely not Miami Gardens? The literati of tennis wouldn’t want to make the trek out to the intersection of all highways repeatedly over a 2 week period. This was a non-starter from a location standpoint. It’s one thing to go out there 7 Saturdays and 8 Sundays a year, it’s very different to commute there on the regular.

At this point, we should know that “can’t” is not in the Dolphins’ vocabulary. And sure enough, the tournament was moved to Miami Gardens.

The stadium became an ideal center court, allowing patrons to use the luxury boxes. The parking lots were transformed into the “outer courts” and the tournament kept on chugging.

If you’ve read this far, you know what happened when the original plans to host the Miami Grand Prix at the Port of Miami fell through.

One of the interesting things I discovered about the track upon my arrival is that having the stadium here is actually a hindrance. I had assumed that the having a full stadium facility at a track would be advantageous. But Formula 1 is all about logistics, for transporting equipment to the track and for transporting equipment between different points of the track.

And the stadium gets in the way of the latter endeavor. This facility is “tight” with the need to wind the circuit around the structure. Some of the stadium is used, including for the Media Center where I’m currently sitting. But a lot of is not really usable space.

But what has been constructed here is truly a marvel. You cannot tell it was purpose-built in a parking lot. It feels like a permanent track, so much so that some Formula 1 veteran journalists I spoke to questioned whether this was actually a parking lot.

Hard Rock Stadium to the right, Formula 1 circuit to the left. Truly a model of engineering, and of dreams.

The Dolphins spoke this week of potentially hosting World Cup matches here in 2026, including the World Cup Final. At this point, we’d be foolish to doubt their ambition and ability.

Vishnu Parasuraman is a contributor for @FiveReasonsSports. He covers the Miami Hurricanes  for Sixth Ring Canes and Formula 1 for Hitting the Apex. You can follow him on twitter @vrp2003

The Myth of the Second Round Quarterback

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There has become a myth of the second round quarterback in the scouting community.
The NFL draft has come and gone, and there were plenty of surprises, notably at the quarterback position. Among them, not a single quarterback was picked in the second round.

After Kenny Pickett was drafted by the Steelers at 20, the next QB didn’t go until 54 picks later, even though there were several who analysts believed were capable of going in round two.

There’s just one small problem: second round quarterbacks don’t exist.

I know it sounds like an odd — or maybe blatantly false — statement, but there is a case to be made. The success rate on round two signal-callers is pretty horrendous, and it all seems to lead to this one conclusion.

In order to come to that conclusion, however, there are a variety of different criteria. First, the types of quarterbacks and draftable skills. Second, the structure, and third, the history of these picks. Those three, when looked at together, bring a pretty shocking revelation that made me conjure up that statement above.

Drafting a Quarterback

Teams who find themselves drafting quarterbacks highly may be in a variety of spots, but there are three that are the most typical:

  1. One of the league’s worst teams, holding a high draft pick.
  2. Middling franchise, looking to make a change.
  3. Top of the league, finding the protégé for an older (on the verge of retirement) leader.

When teams find themselves in any of these positions, they must find the traits they value in a quarterback. Among those are arm talent, rushing ability, composure, ability to read the field, and more. However, there are two categories that those fall into, which, for the sake of the argument are production and potential.

To put it simply, teams judge what a quarterback is right now versus what he could be in a few years.

Scenario One

The top guys usually have a combination of both. Trevor Lawrence, who went number one to the Jaguars last year, combined national championships and Heisman ballot appearances with a 6’6″ frame and a cannon of an arm. Thus, he went to a team that I would place in the first set of criteria. The Jaguars were easily one of the worst teams in the NFL, and thus received a generational talent.

Scenario Two

Those with one of the two traits, however, have a wide range of options. For a team that’s just good enough to be picking outside of the quarterback window, they might be willing to take a chance on a potentially huge swing in their franchises history. Kenny Pickett is a prime example of this. While he doesn’t have the strongest arm or the highest ceiling, his production last season was hard to ignore. The Pittsburgh Steelers, who were 9-7-1 last year, decided that he was worth it at 20.

Following that pick, there were other quarterbacks on the board, who, like Pickett, possessed one of the two main traits. Malik Willis, who some suspected may go as high as number two overall, had one of the highest ceilings in the draft, however, if he wasn’t going to go in the first, it seemed he wasn’t getting drafted until later on day 2.

Scenario Three

Teams that fall in the third category (such as the Packers in 2020) have a tough decision. While they could take their chances on a high-potential pick like Jordan Love, it makes the most sense to maximize their championship window. Green Bay took that chance in 2020, and passed up elite talent because of it. Now, teams have learned from that mistake, while quarterbacks brunt the blow to their draft position.

Thus, Malik Willis, Matt Corral, Desmond Ridder, and all of the quarterbacks who many expected to go in round one, are now available in the dreaded first half of day two.

The Structure of the Second Round

On the typical draft boards, teams have a wide range of grades on prospects. It’s common to see someone who’s viewed as a top prospect by one team be a day two pick for someone else. Due to this disparity, many “first round talents” fall into the beginning of day two.

These players are quickly scooped up in what makes up roughly 25 percent of the round. This leaves the last 24 picks for guys truly viewed as round two prospects, which doesn’t leave much room for quarterbacks.

If a team would have believed in someone enough to draft them with those first eight picks, it’s unlikely he would have slipped to begin with. Teams rarely risk the opportunity of missing out their guy. This is why it’s common to see teams move up to 32. They guarantee themselves the player they want with an extra year of team control.

If a team wasn’t willing to take that chance, it’s unlikely they viewed them very highly. That idea is exactly what makes the second round the worst for the quarterback. Would a team take a player who, at the most important position in the sport, they aren’t fully invested in or comfortable with — especially when there is still high-end talent on the board?

The Last 24

Once you find your way out of those first eight picks, it becomes time for teams to ask themselves that question. As this draft has shown, the answer has been a resounding “no.” The later picks, which are usually the teams competing for playoff spots, would rather choose someone who can contribute right away. Bubble teams are always looking for their next big acquisition, and their philosophy is that is can come then.

Quarterbacks, as a result, usually fall by the wayside. However, there are some instances where they are picked. The results of which are rather interesting.

Modern History of the Second Round Quarterback

Over the last 20 years, there have been 20 quarterbacks selected in the second round. 20 different times, teams have weighed the ideas of production and potential, and in the last two decades, have determined it’s time to take a quarterback who likely only had one of those traits.

Of those, the results are typically a failure of epic proportions. Kellen Clemens, Deshone Kizer, Drew Stanton, Chad Henne, Brian Brohm, John Beck, Jimmy Clausen, and Geno Smith all have more career interceptions than touchdowns, while Christian Hackenberg and Kyle Trask (who’s only in his second season) never played a recorded snap.

The other options aren’t great either. Tavaris Jackson, Brock Osweiler, and Kevin Kolb all showed some flashes, but never lived up to their selection.

Five of the remaining six are polarizing. Jalen Hurts has shown flashes, but fell apart in the playoffs. Drew Lock is still young, but was just traded by the Broncos and has been shaky. Jimmy Garoppolo was able to succeed in the Kyle Shanahan offense, but was just replaced and hasn’t shown an ability to transcend the system. Andy Dalton is a similar story, having rough stints in limited playoff appearances. Lastly, Colin Kaepernick led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance, but has been out of the league for the better half of the last decade.

This leaves Derek Carr, who, while having only one playoff appearance and zero playoff wins, has safely cemented a spot as the Raiders quarterback for eight years. He has made three Pro Bowls, and has continued to improve. Thus making him the only second round quarterback selected in the last 20 years who can safely be called a hit.

The Bottom Line on the Second Round Quarterback

The 2022 NFL Draft was a prime example of a philosophy at work. After a quarterback goes in the first round, teams have learned from mistakes of the past. Rather than picking signal callers with clear holes in their game in the following round, they’ve gone for contributors at other positions.

Several teams would love to have the next Derek Carr, but with that comes the chance of Brian Brohm or Deshone Kizer. Just like every other selection, the second round has it’s fair share of bust potential. However, it seems that the combination of quarterback traits, draft tendencies, and a simple history lesson will tell you that it simply isn’t the same.

General managers across the league will continue to take swings on quarterbacks, but when doing so, it’s important to look at the most glaring fact:

Second round quarterbacks don’t exist.

 

***This article was originally published on the ATB Network by Tyler DeSena***

 

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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The Calm Before the Storm | Hitting the Apex

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Formula 1 Thursdays are a bit odd. The track is ready. The teams are setting up. Everyone has arrived.

And yet, no cars have been driven competitively.

It’s the proverbial calm before the storm.

But for media, it’s actually the best chance to see the track, see the pit lane, and see everything that has gone into putting on a complex sporting event.

I will admit it is a bit strange to pull up to Hard Rock Stadium for this, the definition of worlds colliding.

Entering the grounds I immediately walked the wrong way, missed the entrance to the Media Center, and am pretty sure almost entered the Race Director’s booth. I’ve never been so much at home (in Miami, at the home of the Canes) and yet so out of my element.

Seeing the paddocks emblazoned with the famous names of Mercedes AMG, Red Bull, Ferrari, and, of course, McLaren, is like being in Formula 1 Fantasy Camp. But I suppress the urge to geek out and head into the Media Center, which is behind the Paddock.

A lot of different languages are being spoken, a lot people that know each other. I know no one. Foreigner at home, how Miami of me.

I take my seat in front of a series of screens where you can see the track, the FIA messages, and the timing screen, as well as the race itself. This will be my “home base.” First adjustment: the temperatures are in Celsius. Somehow, 54.4 degrees Celsius for the track temperature seems a lot more palatable than the 129.92 degrees Fahrenheit that translates to.

The Workshop & Track Tour

This is where the Pirelli meets the asphalt.

For a Miami Hurricanes’ fan to be escorted through the bowels of Hard Rock Stadium in and of itself is a treat.

But to then be whisked into the familiar Press Briefing Room was a level of surreality that was hard to fathom. If you’ve ever seen a Formula 1 press conference, you’ll know the scene, with the black curtain, the make shift podiums. But it still doesn’t prepare you for being in the room.

The other thing that struck me was the kindness of everyone that I encountered, both in the press, and even more so from those working for the FIA. After getting a brief introduction from Jason Jenkins of the Dolphins and a brief overview of F1’s history and this year’s driver’s lineup (for the uninitiated), we met Egbert Thamm. It was Egbert’s birthday and his 40th year working with Formula 1. To mark the occasion, Jason Jenkins presented him with a cake, from Publix, of course. Sometimes, you have to Miami.

I fully expected to get an earful about rules, regulations, and what we can’t do.

Instead, Egbert was warm and was focused on making sure we had a good experience. He openly said there are not a lot of regulations other than the safety ones (don’t try to enter the Pit Lane, don’t hop fences, etc.)

It was at this point that I realized how remarkable the people are that put an event like this together. Egbert has been in rooms like this thousands of times, and it must be easy to take it for granted. And yet he was engaging. Everyone we encountered was.

Before we knew it the workshop was over and we were whisked away to the highlight of the day, the track tour. We were driven in vans, and allowed to get out at several stops while the press officer gave us facts about the asphalt and potential graining, as well as answering questions about where photographers can shoot from, and how to avoid blocking TV cameras. There is so much planning and logistics that go into an event like this, and the fact that it comes across so seamlessly on TV is astounding.

Finally, we headed back to the paddock, where we were dropped off, ending the tour, and my “work” for the day.

What European Snobbery?

One of the interesting things about taking the track tour with fellow journalists and photographers is realizing how much time some of them have dedicated to the sport and importantly, how appreciative they were to be in Miami at this venue. Sometimes, we lose sight of the fact that people online are putting on a show. I fully expected to be inundated with churlish conceit. Instead, I traded stories about my local knowledge and the stadium (fortuitously, we’re at the home of the Canes) and received in trade stories about past experiences covering Formula 1.

Not a single critical word was said. Okay, that’s not entirely true. The water-less marina (we’re supposed to call it a “dry dock”) did get a few comments. But overall, the track received rave reviews ranging from “I can’t believe this is a car park” to “it’s a shame this isn’t permanent.”

It reminded me just how different the basement dwellers who get on Twitter Spaces and inundate the YouTube comments’ sections are from those that actually experience things and don’t take anything for granted. As the praise rolled in for our city, I took a sense of pride in it. This is just the beginning of the weekend as it hasn’t even really started yet. But you could sense that this was going to be a rousing success and when the circus eventually leaves town, it will build a platform from which to expand the reach of Formula 1 in Miami.

As my day wound down, I wandered the Paddock, taking photos, just basking in the glory of what we can accomplish in Miami. To the right, lay Hard Rock Stadium, which hosts Super Bowls. To the left, the garages for Formula 1 teams.

Miami, what a place. And after today’s calm, tomorrow, the storm will arrive in all its uproarious glory. Miami will be ready.

Vishnu Parasuraman is a contributor for @FiveReasonsSports. He covers the Miami Hurricanes  for Sixth Ring Canes and Formula 1 for Hitting the Apex. You can follow him on twitter @vrp2003

5 keys to Panthers Game 2 success against Washington Capitals

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After a disappointing 4-2 Game 1 loss to the Washington Capitals, the Florida Panthers look to even the series at one game a piece tonight at FLA Live Arena.

 

Watching Game 1, I picked apart things I noticed from the Panthers game and came up with five things they need to do tonight to bounce back in the series.

 

Here’s tonight’s five keys to the Panthers’ success in Game 2.

 

Don’t give Washington looks on the power play

Game 1 couldn’t have started off any worse for the Panthers. Within the opening minute of the game they were short handed and subsequently handed the Capitals a two man advantage within the opening minutes of the game, which eventually led to the first Washington goal.

 

It’s to no one’s surprise that the Capitals have a scary power play. With one of the greatest goal scorers of all-time in Alex Ovechkin hovering over the left face-off circle, his patented one-timer is nothing but deadly. 

 

Florida managed to keep Ovechkin goalless in Game 1, mostly because Sergei Bobrovsky had to stand on his head to stop the onslaught of chances from the Capitals all night. 

 

The Panthers cannot take lazy, undisciplined penalties tonight, or ever, but being down 0-1 in the series and losing their home ice advantage makes it all the more crucial.

 

Stay out of the box.

 

Bobrovsky needs to repeat his Game 1 performance

 

One of the few bright lights from Tuesday’s lackluster team performance was the play of Sergei Bobrovsky.

 

The 33-year-old goalie had a lot of doubters heading into this year’s playoffs.

 

For the two previous postseasons, the $80 million man didn’t live up to his illustrious contract.

 

After a pretty good regular season in 2021-2022, he came out ready to win in Game 1. He was squaring up to shooters, robbing the Capitals point blank in high scoring areas and single handedly keeping Florida in the game early in the game.

 

All season the team was able to outscore their problems, but in Game 1, Bobrovsky held the team together while we waited for Florida’s offense to flip a switch, which they didn’t.

 

If Bobrovsky can repeat his performance from the opening game of the series and Florida wakes up, they’ll win tonight.  

 

Unnecessary risks kill, don’t make them

 

First of all, yes it should have been an icing. Now that we got that out of the way, it doesn’t excuse the sloppiness from MacKenzie Weegar to try and make a move in the neutral zone instead of taking the safe play.

 

Weegar was the last man back, he turned the puck over and Washington scored. You cannot try and be cute with the puck with no defensive support, especially if you’re the last man back.

 

I won’t single out this one mistake as the end all for the Panthers in Game 1, it was a bad play; it lead to a tying goal and gave Washington momentum, but the whole team seemed to lack energy for a large part of the game. There was multiple turnovers by multiple players and it needs to be fixed.

 

Florida needs to be safe with the puck. Washington showed on Tuesday night they were really good at closing the passing lanes and clogging the zone when Florida got in. Dump the puck into the corner, push the puck towards net, reset, make the smart plays and outwork the Caps.

 

The big boys need to play big tonight

It was great to see Claude Giroux score in his first playoff game as a Panther, that’s why he was brought in. Playoff Sam Bennett has returned, that’s why Zito traded for him last season, these guys had a good track record on their previous teams of turning up in the postseason.

 

Florida’s success relies on the performance of their two star forwards, Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. The regular season saw career years for both players in terms of offensive production; Panthers’ fans were waiting for them to continue that in Game 1, but that didn’t happen.

 

When the rest of the team isn’t going, the stars need to carry the load.  If these two can’t get it going tonight either and the rest of the team follows suit, Florida is in trouble, for the series. 

 

Barkov and Huberdeau are two of the best players in the world, but the best need to be the best in the playoffs too. Tonight they need to be on the after burners from the jump. 

 

Test Vanecek

Washington had a goalie dilemma heading into this series, not having a clear cut No. 1 guy between Vitek Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov. 

 

Vanecek got the nod and got the win Game 1, Florida definitely helped with that.

 

The historic offense from the regular season wasn’t testing him at all. 

 

When the Panthers got some good quality shots on him, his rebound control didn’t look all that impressive. Florida rarely made him over around, there was no traffic in front of goal, he just had to stand tall in the crease because all the shots were getting cleared away after the initial save.

 

The lack of offensive creativity also had to do with how Washington collapsed into the zone and clogged the lanes. They let Florida enter the zone and essentially trapped the Panthers when they got into the zone, not letting them move the puck around. 

 

The counter to that is enter the zone and fire the puck into net. Send forecheckers to crash the goal for rebounds and make Vanecek have to make a second or third save. When Bennett entered the zone and shot the puck off the rush, he sniped it past Vanecek. Carter Verhaeghe also had a great look where he fired the puck off the rush, beating everything except the cross bar. \

 

Florida made Vanecek’s life too easy, they need to pepper him tonight.

Friendship and Formula 1 at the Miami Grand Prix | Hitting the Apex

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As the Formula 1 circus descends on Miami this week, my Formula 1 journey comes full circle.

Formula 1 is considered by many to be a European sport, an elitist sport, and an overseas sport. An “other” not directed at Americans. And European snobbery has been on full display this week as pot shots are taken at Miami, with the waterless marina reinforcing the confirmation bias that Miami as a location is plastic, artificial, part of everything that is wrong with “modern” Formula 1 as it continues to expand outside of its European roots and into a global sport.

Miami is an odd target for vitriol, though. The dichotomy of Miami as insular, prideful community that often defaults to an “us vs. them” mentality  juxtaposed with the city’s status as an international melting pot will be on view this weekend. The barbs from across the pond sting, but we’ll do what Miamians do, which is respond acerbically while also opening our doors and throwing a hell of a party.

For many Miamians, the event will overshadow the sport. Some will attend and not watch another race. Others, however, will become new, lifelong fans. Miami as a sport destination has always been a bit of a Rubik’s Cube, holding potential if you just navigate the twists and turns in the correct order. La Liga famously tried to play a match here, hoping to tap into the Latin diaspora, bilingual community, and international flavor of the city. And Formula 1 is betting on those same forces intersecting with the party that is Formula 1 to bring new attention and growth to the sport in a market that on paper should be ripe for Formula 1 popularity.

Surely there will be several new fans of Formula 1 in Miami next week that don’t exist now. They will be introduced to a wonderful new world, and will look back on Miami as the place that opened their eyes to this sport, which is something I’m quite familiar with.

My love affair with Formula 1 did not start in Europe, or because I was drawn into the glitz and glamour. It started in Miami, at the University of Miami.

Friendship and Formula 1

As a freshman at the University of Miami, I met my best friend Roberto Barreto Filho. Roberto is Brazilian, hailing from the Amazonian city of Manaus. In college, we were randomly assigned as suite mates, and instantly bonded over a love of sports. Soccer was one of them, but he introduced me to a new sport, Formula 1.

And to his motorsport hero Ayrton Senna.

To new Formula 1 fans, Ayrton Senna is a mythical figure, something out of history books, the rote answer to the question of who is the most legendary driver in Formula 1 history. But go back a few decades and Senna was real, he was recent. The sport still had not gotten over his death. It was not unfathomable that he would even still have been racing at that point in the early 2000s had he not crashed at Imola. His shadow was seen in the sport. Roberto would regale me with tales of Senna winning races, driving with broken equipment, being pulled out of the car exhausted, barely able to walk. He would tell me of the time that Senna arrived home having clinched the World Drivers Championship and had the plane he was flying in escorted to the airport by the Brazilian Air Force.

There was no YouTube back then. We were relegated to tall tales and whatever random video clips we could download from the internet and play on RealPlayer. But pictures were readily available. And it was those pictures of Senna in the MP4/4 that not only hooked me into Formula 1, but into McLaren. The MP4/4 is still considered one of the greatest cars in Formula 1 history, and with Senna at the helm, it was unstoppable. I was introduced to the very different looking Mercedes powered McLaren of the late 90s/early 2000s and Mika Hakkinen, the Flying Finn. We would have endless debates about who was better, Michael Schumacher or Mika Hakkinen, with me, of course, taking up the cause of the McLaren man (in hindsight, Roberto was very right).

It’s hard to believe now, with the modern Formula 1 explosion, but back then, it was basically impossible to follow the sport in the United States. TV coverage was relegated to the fledging channel SpeedVision, and, when we were lucky, tape delays on Fox Sports. We’d find friends that had SpeedVision and watch at their houses, we’d scour the internet for articles and news of new developments to cars, of winter testing. There was not a lot of content, but what was available, we consumed.

And when Malaysia was added to the calendar, our ritual involved back-to-back races (in concert with the season opening Australia) that went on in the middle of the night, with the only thing keeping us awake being excitement and Red Bull. Long before Red Bull was competing and winning in Formula 1, it was fueling our sleepless commitment to the sport we loved.

But most of all, we longed for a race in Miami. We imagined mythical circuits in downtown, drawing on what at the time had been a recently run CART race in Bicentennial Park. But it never seemed real, just a dream. When Indy was added to the calendar, that all but killed the dream, especially when that race ended up being a flop (with the famous 2005 iteration signaling the death knell for the race, and at the time, seemingly Formula 1 in the United States).

It’s Coming Home

Fast-forward to present time, and that dream of a Miami Grand Prix is becoming a reality. The Formula 1 world has arrived in the 305, to put on an exhibition of man and machine, of elite skill and engineering, of mankind at its zenith.

The Formula 1 aristocracy might thumb their noses at us, simultaneously arguing that Formula 1 should be about the racing and not concerts and fake marinas while also ignoring the exciting track layout and themselves focusing on the sideshows. It’s easy for those that take this sport for granted, that have had it as a mainstay in their lives, accessible to them, to cast aspersions on us New Worlders. They don’t realize the sacrifice that it takes to follow a sport that is largely catering to European time zones and audiences. They fail to see that this sport belongs to everyone, and that one of the allures of it is that each locale puts its own spin on it, its own flavor.

Perhaps the non-locals would prefer the race was on the beach, or downtown. Somewhere water adjacent. Perhaps while they complain about the the race being too stereotypically Miami, they long for what they view Miami as, sand and ocean. Perhaps they want to see the port and the cruise ships. While poking fun at some of the attempts to mimic those experiences in Miami Gardens, perhaps the actual anger is their inability to see the cars fly past the Miami they see in movies and on postcards. And that is where they are missing the essence of Miami.

For this Miamian, there is nothing more quintessentially Miami than going to the place I’ve been to seemingly a million times to watch the Hurricanes play, and instead watching an obsession born on the campus that those same Hurricanes call home. That collision of worlds is a dream of mine, decades in the making. And that is Miami.

After steering my Formula 1 infatuation through gravel traps, runoffs, and slow pit stops, this week, Miami is Hitting the Apex.

Vishnu Parasuraman is a contributor for @FiveReasonsSports. He covers the Miami Hurricanes  for Sixth Ring Canes and Formula 1 for Hitting the Apex. You can follow him on twitter @vrp2003

MacKenzie Weegar

2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Florida Panthers vs. Washington Capitals Preview

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A historic season saw the Florida Panthers win their first President’s Trophy in franchise history, setting them up with home ice advantage for the entirety of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

 

The No. 1 seed Panthers (122 points) first round opponent will be the eighth seeded Washington Capitals (100 points), a team that is no stranger to the playoffs. 

 

Panthers: 58-18-6, 122 points

Capitals: 44-26-12, 100 points 

Regular Season Series: FLA 2-1-0; WSH 1-1-1

 

Washington won the Stanley Cup in 2018 and they haven’t missed the playoffs since 2014. However, the Caps haven’t been able to replicate their 2018 run, losing in the first round the last three seasons. The Panthers on the other hand haven’t won a playoff series since their run to the Finals in 1996.

 

This first-round matchup will see an explosive Panthers offense try to continue their regular season success against the Capitals.

 

Here is the series preview.

 

Offense

Looking at the offensive production of both teams, there is no question who is the better scoring team. 

 

The Panthers scored 337 goals this season, making them the highest scoring team of the 21st century. Florida averaged a league high 4.11 goals per game, with six of their forwards scoring at least 20 goals this season, (Claude Giroux not included, he had 21 goals this season, 3 of those with the Panthers).  

 

As a team, Washington ranked tenth in the league for goals scored with 270. Three of their players scored at least 20 goals, however only Alex Ovechkin surpassed the 25 goal mark, he had 50, marking the ninth time he’s hit that milestone in his career. 

 

The Panthers easily have the offensive weapons to out score the Capitals this series, but Washington still has the ageless goal scoring machine of Alex Ovechkin on their side.

 

Forwards to watch

Florida: Jonathan Huberdeau had the greatest offensive season for a Florida Panther in franchise history. The 28-year-old superstar had a career-high 115 points in 80 games, enough to finish tied for second in NHL scoring with Johnny Gaudreau of the Calgary Flames. His 85 assists was a league high and the most by a left-winger in NHL history. Huberdeau’s craftiness with the puck and his ability to find open teammates was the driving force behind Florida’s high-octane offense. In Florida’s 2021 first-round playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Huberdeau led the team in scoring with 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in six games. 

 

Washington: Alex Ovechkin’s ninth 50-goal season tied an NHL record shared by Mike Bossy and Wayne Gretzky. The 36-year-old veteran is no stranger to the playoffs; in 141 postseason games, the Capitals captain has 71 goals, 135 points. In 1,274 career games, Ovechkin scored 780 goals, putting him third all-time behind Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe. He will be the biggest offensive threat for the Capitals in this series. 

Forward Depth

Florida: The forward depth of this year’s Panthers squad is by far their deepest team in the franchise’s 28 seasons. Florida’s third highest scorer this season was Sam Reinhart; he put up 82 points (33 goals, 49 assists) in 78 games. Reinhart spent a large portion of the year playing on the third line with Mason Marchment (47 points, 54 games) and rookie center Anton Lundell (44 points, 65 games). While the Panthers’ third-line would have no problem outscoring many teams’ top line, Florida’s top-six is even scarier.

 

Down the middle, Panthers’ captain Aleksander Barkov is one of the best two-way forwards in the league. The 2021 Selke winner had another impressive season, scoring a career high 39 goals while tallying 88 points in 67 games. Trying to play matchups against Barkov isn’t easy. The 6’3, 215 pound center dominates at both ends of the ice, is tough to get off the puck and had a faceoff win percentage of 56.9 in 2021-2022. 

 

Sam Bennett (49 points, 71 games) has solidified the second-line center position since he arrived in South Florida at the trade deadline last season, while 20-year-old Lundell has been a great addition to the team’s center unit. The Panthers also have a secret weapon they can use in the faceoff circle. The trade deadline acquisition of Claude Giroux gave Florida a guy that had a 60.3 faceoff win percentage. While he plays wing for the Panthers, expect to see him taking a lot of draws with whatever line he is skating with in the series. 

 

Washington: The Capitals have a playoff experienced forward group, with many of them having been around from their cup run in 2018. Evgeny Kuznetsov had his best season since the 2018, nearly putting up a point per game (78 points, 79 games). The 29-year-old Russian plays the No. 1 center role on the Caps and is paired alongside his fellow countryman, Alex Ovechkin (90 points, 77 games).

A healthy second-line for the Capitals has Nicklas Backstrom (31 points, 47 games) down the middle. While the 34-year-old Swede isn’t the same player he was in his prime, but he is the second most experienced player on the Caps and has amassed over 1,000 points in his NHL career. 

 

In the faceoff circle Washington may struggle against Florida. Kuznetsov finished the year with a 43.8 faceoff win percentage while Backstrom wasn’t much better with a 46.4. Florida has two players (Barkov, Giroux) with a faceoff win percentage above 55. 

 

Defense

Both teams have a back end that boasts top defenseman in the league. Washington’s John Carlson finished fifth in defenseman scoring with 71 points in 78 games. He will be the driving force of the Washington blueline. Washington’s backend also features Dmitry Orlov and Nick Jensen. 

 

Florida has the likes of MacKenzie Weegar, Gustav Forsling and newly acquired Ben Chiarot holding down the fort as they wait for the return of Aaron Ekblad. The Panthers’ star defenseman was having a Norris Trophy caliber season until he was injured on March 18 against the Anaheim Ducks. Ekblad has been skating with the team but has not played since March 18 because of a lower-body injury.  Panthers head coach Andrew Brunette said on Monday that Ekblad still hasn’t been cleared to return. Colby Guy of Florida Hockey Now, said that the Panthers “are hopeful he will be ready for Game 1, if not the end of the week.” 

 

Florida’s defense loves to jump up in the rush and help create offensive chances . Washington’s defenseman will have the task of trying to hold back the Panthers lethal transition offense.

Defenseman to Watch

Florida: Gustav Forsling was one of the many great acquisitions made by Panthers general manager Bill Zito. Ever since he was picked up on waivers by Florida at the beginning of the 2020-2021 NHL season, Forsling has been a huge force on Florida’s blueline. When Aaron Ekblad went down with injury, Forsling and MacKenzie Weegar had to step up. Forsling’s speed allows him to often lead the Panthers transition offense off the rush. The Panthers were the best team in scoring off the rush this season and a lot of it came from their breakouts led by defenseman head manning the puck up the ice. With or without Ekblad this series, Forsling will eat up a lot of minutes for the Panthers. 

 

Washington: Martin Fehervary isn’t the first name that stands out when you look at the Capitals roster, but his physical play is going to be a major key in counteracting Florida’s high-powered offense. Fehervary finished the season seventh in the league and first on Washington for hits with 251. Florida has their own hitting juggernaut in Radko Gudas, who led the league with 355 hits. Fehervary is projected to be paired alongside Carlson on Washington’s top line. While Carlson will be looking to provide offense for the Caps blueline, Fehervary is going to make his physical presence known to the Panthers’ forwards.

 

Goaltending  

The biggest question mark for both team’s this series is their goaltending. For the Panthers, Sergei Bobrovsky is the Game 1 starter, with Spencer Knight backing him up. While the Capitals Game 1 starter is still unknown. 

 

Florida: Two-time Vezina winner (2013,2017) Sergei Bobrovsky will be the man between the pipes for the Panthers in Game 1. Bobrovsky, 33, had a good season (39-7-3, 2.67 /.913) as the Panthers’ starter and looks to backstop the Panthers on what they’d hope to be a long playoff run. 

 

The Russian netminder struggled to keep his job in last year’s first-round series against Tampa, starting only two of the six games, getting yanked in Game 4 and being a healthy scratch at the end of the series.  He would hope to not have a repeat of last season and keep the net for the entire playoff run. 

 

Spencer Knight, 21, had to jump into the starter’s crease last postseason, becoming one of three goalies Florida would use in the six games against Tampa. Knight had a solid first full season this year (19-9-3, 2.79/.908), and he turned his game up after spending a month in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers back in February. If Florida needs Knight to come in, he will be ready. 

 

Washington: Florida fans have debated all season whether it should be Bobrovsky or Knight’s net for the playoffs. In Washington, their goalie situation is even more up in the air. 

 

The Capitals had two goalies start 39 games each this season, Vitek Vanecek (20-12-6, 2.67/.908) and Ilya Samsonov (23-12-5, 3.02/.896). The third goalie who made the trip to Sunrise is Zach Fucale, who played in 4 games this season with the Capitals (1-1-1, 1.75/.924). Fucale, 26, spent most of the season with the Hershey Bears in the AHL. In 31 games, he had a 11-5-5 record with a 2.62 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage. Fucale was recalled from Hershey yesterday.

 

We are just a day away from Game 1 and the Capitals haven’t announced their starter yet. The team had three goalies skating at Monday practice according to Samantha Pell of the Washington Post. 

 

No matter who gets the go on Tuesday, expect the Capitals to have their netminders on a short leash. 



Game On

Florida are the clear favorites heading into this series as the President’s Trophy winners. That doesn’t mean it will be smooth sailing for the Cats. Washington played Florida tough all year, with all three games being decided by one goal. 

 

Game 1 will be Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in Sunrise.

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

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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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