Tua Tagovailoa

Fresh Perspective: Dolphins must avoid repeating history with Tua Tagovailoa

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It’s been said that learning is easier when one fails rather than when one succeeds. With all of the failing the Miami Dolphins have done over the past two decades, one would think they would learn their lesson by now. But unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case. Miami is about to make the same mistake with their quarterback all over again. Tua Tagovailoa was viewed as the answer to all the franchise’s problems. As it turns out, it’s not that easy.

There are so many other factors that are mandatory for a team to win a Super Bowl. Yes, the quarterback is undoubtedly part of it. Most of the teams who made it to the playoffs in the past several seasons had a top 15 QB leading their offense. But in a world where all the attention is focused on the quarterback, the pieces surrounding them tend to be overshadowed.

Miami’s first mistake

Former Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill has just been eliminated from playoff contention. There’s no question that in some ways, he’s holding the team back. He’s always had trouble sensing pressure, and he has a bad tendency to stare down his receivers. Nevertheless, in all three seasons he’s been the starting quarterback for the Tennessee Titans, he’s made the playoffs.

No one will make the argument that Tannehill is the reason the Titans have found success. Tannehill is surrounded by talent. Now he has all the pieces needed to succeed.

He has a decent offensive line, something he rarely had in Miami.

He has an excellent running game, courtesy of Derrick Henry. The one year he made the playoffs with the Dolphins was the year Jay Ajayi became a star.

He has good weapons with A.J. Brown and the newly added Julio Jones, among others.

He has a good defense, he has a coach who supports him, he has everything a quarterback needs to succeed. So now, if he can’t get the job done, there’s nothing else to look at except his own shortcomings.

But during his time in Miami, there was always an excuse to make with Ryan Tannehill. He didn’t have an offensive line, he didn’t have a run game, he didn’t have good weapons. These are all true statements. He didn’t have what the Titans gave him, and so the Dolphins never made it to the playoffs. But surely, if Tannehill were a better QB, they would have accomplished something!

Perhaps so, but also perhaps not. Recent events have proven even an elite QB is not enough.

Elite QBs still need help

The Green Bay Packers lost to the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night in the divisional round. Future Hall of Fame QB Aaron Rodgers is now 0-4 against the 49ers in the playoffs. Is it because Rodgers himself is insufficient?

Was Dan Marino not good enough to win a Super Bowl?

No one who watched Dan Marino play would dare suggest he was the problem in Miami. Likewise, it’s very difficult to make the case that Aaron Rodgers is the reason the Packers keep coming up short. Yet, it seems people are making that exact accusation in the aftermath of Saturday’s game.

Everyone is taking turns criticizing Rodgers for his failure. Unquestionably, he deserves some criticism. Rodgers is not a perfect quarterback. But he is one of the league’s best. Easily top 5 in the NFL. Now he is the reason the Packers fail to win in the playoffs? Is the implication that a future Hall of Fame QB who regularly puts together MVP caliber numbers is not good enough to get the job done?

How can you possibly upgrade from that?

Without a doubt, much of the criticism Rodgers is receiving is due to his off-the-field remarks. But there is a significant portion of analysts who are saying that Aaron Rodgers – the player – is holding the Green Bay Packers back.

If that’s the case, then there’s very little hope for any quarterback who intends to take his place.

The Miami Dolphins are still looking for someone to fill the shoes left by Dan Marino. No one has even come close in the two decades since his retirement. So why are people still under the erroneous belief that a quarterback will fix all of Miami’s problems? Dan Marino, the greatest Miami QB of all time, with one of the greatest coaches of all time in Don Shula, could not win a Super Bowl. He didn’t have the running game, and at times he did not have the defense Super Bowl winning teams usually have.

Miami has an opportunity here. They need to avoid repeating the mistake they made with Ryan Tannehill and, yes, Dan Marino. They need to stop looking for a savior, and start building an army.

Dolphins repeating the mistake

Take a look at the teams remaining in the playoffs – as of this story.

  • Kansas City Chiefs
  • San Francisco 49ers
  • Buffalo Bills
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Los Angeles Rams
  • Cincinnati Bengals

Four of those teams have a quarterback considered to be either good or great. Joe Burrow is at least in one category. Results vary depending on who you ask. Nevertheless, that still leaves two teams with QBs who are nothing special. The Los Angeles Rams have Matthew Stafford, who up until his arrival in LA under Sean McVay, was rarely considered one of the league’s top QBs. People respected him, they knew he had skill. But they also knew there was a limit to how far he could take the Detroit Lions.

One year with the Rams, and he’s in the playoffs, battling for the NFC Championship Game. What a difference a change of scenery makes. Stafford did not magically improve, the pieces around him did. WRs Cooper Kupp, Odell Beckham Jr., Van Jefferson, Robert Woods. RBs Sony Michel and Darrell Henderson, not to mention the star-studded defense.

All of these teams are positively stacked at every position. That’s what gives them that edge.

The Dolphins need to do the same for Tua Tagovailoa. The Alabama standout was hyped by Dolphins fans everywhere. Even Chargers fans – now perfectly happy with Justin Herbert – were hoping Miami would choose Herbert over Tagovailoa. That is not a coincidence. The consensus pick pre-draft was Tagovailoa over Herbert. But now, one QB has been given support to succeed. The other has been cut off at the knees at every turn.

Reports are coming out that coach Brian Flores did not want Tua Tagovailoa. That it was him who kept pushing the narrative that Miami wanted to trade for Texans QB Deshaun Watson, in spite of his legal controversies. The current consensus is that GM Chris Grier and owner Stephen Ross ultimately overruled him. However, that was the beginning of the end as the relationship between Flores, Grier and Ross rapidly deteriorated from there.

Five Reasons Sports’ own Alfredo Arteaga has determined that after watching Tua Tagovailoa during the tail end of the season, his mechanics had crumbled. His struggles can easily be attributed to that. But that’s not all there is to it. Take a look at the pieces around Tagovailoa.

Miami’s offensive line was absolutely terrible in 2021. Austin Jackson regressed mightily at both tackle and guard, and Jesse Davis continues to be a liability starting at right tackle. It wasn’t until the final week of the season, when the year was already lost, that Brian Flores made a change and put in undrafted free agent Robert Jones instead.

Almost immediately, there was an improvement. That is an example of Flores’s failures with personnel decisions. He refused to look for ways to improve the offensive line, instead insisting that he was sending out the best five guys to start every week. Obviously, that was not correct.

Then there’s the running game. The Dolphins had no running game. That is, until Duke Johnson became the starting running back. For some reason, Brian Flores felt that the running back room was good with Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed. Obviously, that was also not correct.

Then there’s the weapons. Miami has three players who can make a difference in the game. But only one actually did. Tua Tagovailoa helped Jaylen Waddle break Anquan Boldin’s rookie reception record. As for DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki, Parker missed seven games and wasn’t available for Tagovailoa to throw to most of the time. Gesicki, on the other hand, was available, but criminally underused. That was either by coincidence, or by design. Gesicki was off the field far too often, with Durham Smythe and even Adam Shaheen taking those snaps.

Finally, the head coach. It isn’t hard to see that Brian Flores did not support Tua Tagovailoa. The young QB even made it a point to show everyone that he easily could have played during the Houston Texans game in spite of his injured finger, throwing the ball in warmups only to be sidelined for Jacoby Brissett.

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If Brissett hadn’t suffered a knee injury the next week against the Baltimore Ravens, his return would have been delayed even longer. When he did come in, Tagovailoa started off cold but eventually found his rhythm, showing that even while injured, he could do a better job than Brissett, who Flores seemed to believe was the better choice.

But in the end, it wasn’t good enough. Tagovailoa couldn’t deliver when it counted, and Miami was knocked out of playoff contention. Undoubtedly, that’s partly his fault. But to pretend that Tagovailoa has all the pieces a QB needs to succeed is ignorant of reality.

Build up the army

Joe Burrow in Cincinnati has one of the best WR trios in the NFL. Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and of course his former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase. His offensive line isn’t very good, and that shows when facing a team who can get pressure on a QB. But when you have three WRs who can make defenders look dumb and get excellent yards after a catch, it’s easier to make up for it. Also, he has a solid tight end in C.J. Uzomah, and an undoubtedly excellent running back in Joe Mixon, who ran for 1,205 yards this season, as well as catching 42 passes for 314 yards.

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Justin Herbert – on top of being more physically gifted – also has better support. Both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are easily better options than DeVante Parker. Allen alone is a certified top NFL WR, with Williams being an excellent number two. True, Herbert’s offensive line is also bad, but he does have a running game. Austin Ekeler is one of Herbert’s most used weapons. Just this season, he ran for 911 yards and 12 touchdowns, while catching 70 passes for 647 yards and eight more touchdowns. That combines for a total of 1,558 yards from scrimmage and 20 touchdowns total from the team’s starting running back.

Tua Tagovailoa is expected to be on par with his constituents, with injured and misused weapons, RBs who get benched by free agents off the street, and an offensive line that forces him to throw in less than three seconds on a regular basis? The Miami Dolphins already tried this with Ryan Tannehill. It didn’t work then, and it won’t work now.

Quarterbacks need pieces around them that they can count on when the moment arrives. Right now, the only one Tagovailoa can count on is Jaylen Waddle, and even he made some mistakes in key moments that could have helped fend off the dominating narrative that Tagovailoa is a bust. Whoever the new coach is for the Dolphins, he needs to recognize that while a QB is important, a lack of support will doom him.

Miami must give Tua Tagovailoa a good running back, like Herbert and Burrow have. They must give him reliable weapons, like Herbert and Burrow have. With any luck, they will also recognize that they need to give him a good offensive line, which Herbert and Burrow actually do not have.

If after all that is done, Tagovailoa still doesn’t measure up to his fellow 2020 draftees, then it may be safe to move on. But if they decide that based on 2021’s results that Tagovailoa is already a failure, then they’ll just keep setting up replacement after replacement for failure. Dan Marino isn’t walking through the tunnel anytime soon. And even if he did, his own career proves that a QB alone isn’t enough to win it all.

History is there to learn from, Miami Dolphins. Stop looking for a savior, start building an army. Don’t make the same mistake again.

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for seven years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

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Carter Verhaeghe’s journey to the Florida Panthers

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Carter Verhaeghe was born in Waterdown, Ontario, a community in Hamilton, just about an hour southwest of Toronto. Like many other Canadian boys, he grew up playing hockey. 

Verhaeghe played his Minor Midget hockey for the Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs before he was selected 38th overall in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection by the Niagara Ice Dogs.

He spent four seasons with the Ice Dogs, which saw him hit back to back 82 point seasons in his final two years with the team. In his final OHL season, Verhaeghe was the captain of the Ice Dogs, scoring 14 points in Niagara’s 11 game playoff run to cap off his junior hockey career.

In the summer of 2013, Verhaeghe was able to live many Toronto kids’ dreams when he was selected in the 82nd overall in the third round of the NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Despite being taken fairly high in the draft, Verhaeghe never got to suit up with the Leafs. He played two games with their AHL affiliate the Toronto Marlies in the 2013-2014 season, but his tenure with the hometown team was short lived when he was traded to the New York Islanders in 2015.

Verhaeghe spent two seasons with the Islanders’ minor league affiliates, splitting time between the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL and Missouri Mavericks of the ECHL (two tiers below the NHL).  

In the summer leading up to the 2017-2018 NHL season, Verhaeghe was once again traded, this time to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Verhaeghe would play two full seasons in the AHL with Tampa’s minor league affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. In the 2018-2019 campaign, Verhaeghe finished the year above a point per game with 82 points in 78 games. 

At that point it was six years after Verhaeghe was drafted and he still didn’t get a chance to suit up in an NHL game.

All of that changed in 2019 when Verhaeghe cracked the Lightning’s NHL roster out of camp. 

After multiple trades, and playing in multiple leagues and cities, Verhaeghe finally made his NHL debut on Oct. 3, 2019 against the Florida Panthers.

That season was a good year for Verhaeghe to make his NHL debut as the Lightning took home the Stanley Cup. He suited up in 52 regular season games and eight playoff games on route to Tampa’s championship season. Verhaeghe wasn’t a regular for the Lightning during the 2019-2020 season, only getting 13 points during the regular season and two in his limited playoff appearances. He was also about to become a restricted free agent following his rookie NHL season.

Tampa elected to not tender a qualifying offer for Verhaeghe, which made him an unrestricted free agent. While Tampa was celebrating their Stanley Cup run, the other team from the Sunshine State had a different type of off-season. 

The Florida Panthers were in a hole. They got knocked out of the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers in four games (best-of-five series) by the New York Islanders. The team had parted ways with their general manager Dale Tallon and brought in former Columbus Blue Jackets assistant GM Bill Zito to take over as the new GM. 

Zito immediately got to work to try and transform the Panthers into a winner and one of his first off-season moves was bringing a Stanley Cup champion to his team, Carter Verhaeghe. 

Verhaeghe signed a two-year, $2M contract with the Panthers on Oct. 9, 2020. 

With the AAV and term so low on the contract, this move seemed like a low-risk signing at the time. Panthers fans were soon about to figure out that this move would become one of the best in the team’s history.

Carter Verhaeghe jumped into the Panthers 2020-2021 opening night lineup and he never looked back. 

In his first season with Florida, Verhaeghe scored 36 points in 43 regular season games. He was trusted by the Panthers coaching staff with a top-six role on the wing, spending a lot of his time alongside captain Aleksander Barkov. Verheaghe played power play, got overtime shifts and finished the season third in scoring for the Cats, just behind Jonathan Huberdeau and Barkov. 

Come playoff time, Verhaeghe had three points in six games, before the Panthers were eliminated by his former team and eventual back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions, Tampa Bay. 

Verhaeghe proved himself and showed his doubters wrong in his second NHL season. He was awarded for his efforts, signing a three-year, $12.5M contract extension with the Panthers. 

This season, Carter Verhaeghe hasn’t lost a step. With the Panthers looking like one of the top contenders for the Stanley Cup, he continues to shine, even with all the high scoring forwards the team has.

In 39 games, Verhaeghe already has 33 points while being a plus 15. He has excelled his play off the rush and is one of the most dangerous players on the ice at all times. 

The Toronto native was once a forgotten man with many NHL organizations. Today, he is one of the top players on the Florida Panthers and is not only part of their championship efforts this year, but for many years to come.

Like many players who have been brought in by the Panthers over the course of the last two seasons, Verhaeghe has found his game and his home in Sunrise.

Mateo’s Hoops Diary: Purple & Mold in Los Angeles

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The Lakers keep getting kicked while they are down from members of their past outfit.  James Worthy always keeps it real on the halftime broadcast, but now Magic Johnson, another Lakers legend emerged from the shadows with condemnation for the underachieving group.  He said the owner deserved better. 

 

It’s some impeccable timing.  Jeanie Buss deserved better than what Johnson gave her while serving as president of the Lakers from 2017-2019.  His behavior was a stark contrast to his TV persona of all smiles and giggles.  Behind the scenes, as ESPN’s Baxter Holmes reported, he was a bully who didn’t have the stones to tell his boss that his welcome was worn out, even after he rambled on to a dazed and confused press corps about their “amazing relationship.”

 

At building a team, Johnson was no good either.  When LeBron James arrived and made the Lakers relevant again, he incomprehensibly decided to construct a team around his star player that didn’t maximize his abilities.  Johnson said scrap the shooting, let’s put playmakers around the man who reluctantly finds someone he trusts with the ball.  

 

Then Pelinka was left as his successor.  He’s most responsible for the state the Fakeshow finds itself in.  Each year under his control the identity of the team has changed.  Heading into 2019/2020, LA loaded up with defensive role players plus the addition of Anthony Davis from New Orleans.  AD and Rich Paul held NOLA hostage and ultimately got their way, while the Pelicans, to this day, are fumbling with what’s left of that exchange. 

 

That Lakers team won it all.  Next, in their 71-day offseason, Pelinka altered the group’s core by letting go of the unit’s defensive role players for an offensive identity.  

 

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This past summer, Pelinka reached for the stars.  It cost the Lakers much of what was left of their championship DNA, trading for Russell Westbrook, who’s fit with James and co. has been suboptimal to this point. 

 

In the interest of transparency, I was one of those people who thought the Lakers were back in business after their swap but have recently sold as much stock on LA as possible.  Davis’ eventual return cannot save this team because he’s not an effective perimeter player.  The Lakers have spacing issues already in his absence and they even resorted to running James at center to help stretch the floor.  It was a gimmick that only worked on the bottom tier teams. 

 

Spacing is far from the team’s only issue.  Westbrook’s decision making as lead guard incessantly digs the Lakers in a hole they can’t climb out of.  Over LA’s last six games, #0 has made his last 25/87 attempts (28%) from the field. 

 

 In the loss on Jan. 12 at Sacramento, the Lakers went on a 10-4 run in the last five minutes to cut the deficit to four.  Then Westbrook came waltzing upcourt, readjusted on the left wing and hoisted a triple from 25 feet out that bricked.  On the next possession the Kings splashed their own 3-pointer, burying the Lakers, now done seven with less than a minute to go. 

 

A few nights later at Denver, the Lakers couldn’t hang with the Nuggets and all they had to show for themselves was a loss by 37 points and bowed heads.  It was their poorest showing of the season, less than a month after the group’s second worst defeat– an L at home to San Antonio by 28 points on Dec. 23.

 

On Monday, the Lakers delivered on James’ promise of improvement, holding the fourth-seeded Utah Jazz, a group 13 games above a .500 record, below 100 points.  The Stifle Tower made 6/8 shots in the restricted area and the Jazz converted 16/21 attempts total in that zone.  Utah’s undoing this night was their fiending for long range bombs.  Triples were 55% of their attempts, while they barely made over ¼ of their rounds fired from deep. 

 

 On Wednesday at home against the Indiana Pacers, Rick Carlisle’s group hammered away at LA’s interior.  Domantas Sabonis kept catching help when assaulting the interior on a mismatch and finding the open man– ending up with a triple-double, making 75% of his field goals.  Late in the game, Vogel benched Westbrook.  Russ kept slicing his way into the paint but falling short all but once in his 11 tries.  

 

Someone’s going to have to pay.  Unfairly, it might just be Vogel who gets the axe.  Reports from The Athletic said he was “coaching for his job” after the Denver smackdown.  This tells this mad observer that Pelinka is a man with close to zero basketball character.  How convenient for the man who builds the team for the coaching staff to use, to not have any heat on them from ownership, to my knowledge, for his performance improving the roster.

 

Vogel is not a perfect coach, but he does have a ring, won only 15 months ago.  If he is let go, good luck to Pelinka finding someone that’s going to trust him.  Championship coaches don’t grow on trees.

 

The 5RSN NBA All-Star Ballots: Who Makes it from Miami?

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With the NBA All-Star game in Cleveland on February 20, many of the contributors at the Five Reasons Sports Network named the teams that they would like to see.

 

  1. Mateo Mayorga- Mateo’s Hoop Diary

 

East Starters: West Starters:
DeMar DeRozan Ja Morant
James Harden Stephen Curry
Kevin Durant  LeBron James
Giannis Antetokounmpo Nikola Jokić
Joel Embiid Rudy Gobert

 

East Reserves: West Reserves:
Trae Young  Devin Booker 
Zach LaVine  Chris Paul
Bradley Beal Donovan Mitchell
Jimmy Butler  Luka Dončić
Jarrett Allen  Andrew Wiggins 
Miles Bridges Paul George 
Khris Middleton Karl-Anthony Towns 

 

“Andrew Wiggins is the pick I’m most proud of.  He guards the opponents best perimeter player, while contributing close to 19 points a night.  Wiggins is option two on the team with the second best record in the NBA.”

 

  1. Sean Rochester- Co-Host of Halftime Pace and Spaces- @SRochesterNBA

 

East Starters: West Starters:
Trae Young  Ja Morant
DeMar DeRozan Stephen Curry
Kevin Durant LeBron James
Giannis Antetokounmpo Draymond Green
Joel Embiid Nikola Jokić

 

East Reserves: West Reserves:
Fred VanVleet Donovan Mitchell
Kyle Lowry Anthony Edwards
LaMelo Ball Devin Booker 
Jrue Holiday Luka Dončić
James Harden Chris Paul
Zach LaVine Paul George 
Duncan Robinson Rudy Gobert 

 

  1. Allana Tachauer- First Lady of 5RSN

 

East Starters: West Starters:
Trae Young Ja Morant
DeMar DeRozan Chris Paul
Jayson Tatum Carmelo Anthony
Kevin Durant LeBron James
Giannis Antetokounmpo Karl-Anthony Towns 

 

East Reserves: West Reserves:
Kyle Lowry Stephen Curry
Tyler Herro Luka Dončić
Zach LaVine  Russell Westbrook
LaMelo Ball Donovan Mitchell
Bradley Beal Devin Booker
Jimmy Butler Brandon Ingram
Bam Adebayo Deandre Ayton

 

  1. Brady Hawk- Lead Miami Heat Analyst for 5RSN

 

East Starters: West Starters:
Trae Young  Ja Morant 
DeMar DeRozan Stephen Curry
Kevin Durant  LeBron James 
Giannis Antetokounmpo Draymond Green 
Joel Embiid Nikola Jokić

 

East Reserves West Reserves
Zach LaVine  Chris Paul
James Harden Devin Booker 
Fred VanVleet Donovan Mitchell
LaMelo Ball Luka Dončić
Bradley Beal  Paul George 
Jimmy Butler  Karl-Anthony Towns 
Jarrett Allen  Rudy Gobert

 

  1. Greg Sylvander- Five on the Floor

 

East Starters: West Starters:
Jrue Holiday Ja Morant
DeMar DeRozan Stephen Curry
Kevin Durant  LeBron James
Giannis Antetokounmpo Draymond Green
Joel Embiid Nikola Jokić

 

East Reserves: West Starters:
Fred VanVleet Chris Paul
Tyler Herro Donovan Mitchell
Zach LaVine Devin Booker 
LaMelo Ball Luka Dončić
Jayson Tatum  Andrew Wiggins 
Jimmy Butler  Karl-Anthony Towns
Jarrett Allen Rudy Gobert

 

  1. Bryan Fonseca -1/2 of the Bahamarican Boys

 

East Starters: West Starters:
Fred VanVleet Ja Morant 
DeMar DeRozan Stephen Curry
Kevin Durant LeBron James 
Giannis Antetokounmpo Draymond Green
Joel Embiid Nikola Jokić

 

East Reserves: West Reserves:
Trae Young Chris Paul
James Harden Donovan Mitchell
Jaylen Brown Luka Dončić
Jrue Holiday  Devin Booker
Zach LaVine Paul George
Jimmy Butler Karl-Anthony Towns
Jarrett Allen Rudy Gobert

 

“Donovan Mitchell might get MVP talk if he was in a market we cared about, and if calculus majors didn’t overvalue his teammate.”

 

  1. Ricky J. Marc-  RJM Radio

 

East Starters: West Starters:
Trae Young  Stephen Curry 
DeMar DeRozan  Luka Dončić
Kevin Durant  Paul George 
Giannis Antetokounmpo LeBron James 
Joel Embiid Nikola Jokić

 

East Reserves: West Reserves:
Bradley Beal Chris Paul
Zach LaVine  Donovan Mitchell
James Harden Ja Morant 
Jaylen Brown Devin Booker 
Jayson Tatum  Russell Westbrook
Jimmy Butler Karl-Anthony Towns 
Domantas Sabonis  Rudy Gobert

 

  1. Alex Toledo- Five on the Floor

 

East Starters: West Starters:
James Harden Stephen Curry 
DeMar DeRozan Devin Booker 
Jimmy Butler Luka Dončić
Kevin Durant  LeBron James
Giannis Antetokounmpo Nikola Jokić

 

East Reserves: West Reserves:
Fred VanVleet Donovan Mitchell
Darius Garland Chris Paul
Zach LaVine  Ja Morant 
Bradley Beal Draymond Green
Jayson Tatum  Anthony Davis
Miles Bridges Karl-Anthony Towns 
Joel Embiid Rudy Gobert

 

  1. Timothy Bain- 1/2 of Bahamarican Boys

 

East Starters: West Starters:
James Harden Stephen Curry
DeMar DeRozan Luka Dončić
Kevin Durant  Paul George
Giannis Antetokounmpo LeBron James
Joel Embiid Nikola Jokić

 

East Reserves: West Reserves:
Darius Garland  Chris Paul
Fred VanVleet Ja Morant
Bradley Beal Devin Booker 
Jayson Tatum Andrew Wiggins
Miles Bridges Draymond Green
Jimmy Butler  Karl-Anthony Towns
Jarrett Allen Rudy Gobert

 

  1. Marco Romo – Writer for 5RSN and Host of Pace and Spaces

 

East Starters: West Starters:
Trae Young Ja Morant
DeMar DeRozan Stephen Curry
Kevin Durant LeBron James 
Giannis Antetokounmpo Draymond Green
Joel Embiid Nikola Jokić

 

East Reserves: West Reserves:
Fred VanVleet Chris Paul
Zach LaVine Donovan Mitchell
LaMelo Ball Devin Booker
James Harden Luka Dončić
Jaylen Brown Brandon Ingram
Jimmy Butler Karl-Anthony Towns
Domantas Sabonis  Rudy Gobert

 

“Harden’s having a ‘down year’ while averaging 22.4, 9.7 and 8.1.  Let’s not overthink this people.  Butler eventually gets in because the coaches/media will feel obligated for Heat representation even with the games missed.”

 

  1. Tony Schwartz- Host of In the Lane and Co-Host of Halftime Pace and Spaces

 

East Starters: West Starters:
DeMar DeRozan Ja Morant 
Zach LaVine Stephen Curry
Kevin Durant LeBron James 
Giannis Antetokounmpo Draymond Green
Joel Embiid Nikola Jokić

 

East Reserves: West Reserves:
Fred VanVleet  Chris Paul
Trae Young Donovan Mitchell
Darius Garland  Devin Booker
LaMelo Ball Luka Dončić
James Harden Anthony Davis
Jimmy Butler Karl-Anthony Towns
Jayson Tatum Rudy Gobert

 

Everything Tradeshows is a one-stop-shop for trade show exhibit rentals and custom exhibit display purchase solutions to companies of all sizes.

Visit them at EverythingTradeShows or call 954-791-8882

Duncan Robinson and his last shot to savage the season?

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Duncan Robinson has really struggled this first half of the first of the five seasons he is signed for with the Miami Heat.

He’s struggling to get some shots in, and we’re struggling to understand what’s really going on and how he went from one of the most lethal shooters in the NBA to a less than average shooter in this season so far.

40 games in for him (The Heat has played 43), we can’t talk about a short slump anymore. We have to talk about a bad season!

But, wait a minute. Is Duncan Robinson’s season that far away from what he’s done in the past?

His general stats don’t really show that. Or at least, not to the extent that Heat Twitter, and most of our analysts in Five Reasons think.

After only two full seasons in the NBA with the Miami Heat, his numbers per game, in average, have only dropped a little bit. If you look at it in four or five years, you may not even notice it.

Yes, numbers don’t say everything, and I agree: Duncan Robinson is missing shots he was making in the past, and maybe just a bunch of good games helped him bump his averages up, but here’s the simple math (in a general scale):

Only taking into consideration his two full seasons (2019-20 and 2020-21), Duncan Robinson this season is averaging just two minutes less than his first full year, and less than four minutes less than his second full year. Spoelstra has lost some of his confidence on Robinson, but he’s still getting plenty of playing time.

His three-point attempts per game are almost the same. 8.6 per game this year, versus 8.5 and 8.3 in the years before. He’s actually shooting more (just slightly), and he’s definitively making less shots.

So far this season, Robinson has 119 threes in 343 attempts, for a 34.7%, way under his 40.8% from last season, and the 44.6% he had a couple of seasons ago. A 10% drop in two years (more or less, since we’ve had three seasons played in a very short time).

If he continues on this same path, it means Duncan Robinson would finish the season within the NBA average (for this season at 34.9% so far), but way under his average when he

Like Nekias Duncan stated in his article The Curious Case Of Duncan Robinson’s Shooting, what has surprised us the most is that, “oddly enough, it’s the easier shots — catch-and-shoot jumpers — the ones that aren’t falling”. The entire league, in average, is having a down year for multiple reasons.

It’s not just a Duncan Robinson issue, but it’s the issue we see every time we watch the Heat. Or not every time. Be fair with Duncan Robinson. He’s just being average, and you’re not used to it.  “Average” Duncan Robinson should be better than the rest. That’s why he got paid…

With Bam Adebayo coming back tonight, as ESPN reported a couple of days ago, we’ll see if Duncan gets a necessary spark. Teams have adjusted to Bam’s dribble handoff to Robinson in the past, and with Robinson having less gravity to get Adebayo open on a pick and roll,  I am not sure we should expect Duncan Robinson’s numbers to go up just because of this particular play, but hopefully I am wrong.

If you’re tired of my optimism based in cold numbers, you better go ahead and listen to what Ethan Skolnick, Greg Sylvander and Brady Hawk had to say about Adebayo’s return to the team (whenever it finally happens this week):

And also, check Brady Hawk’s Five Takeaways of the Loss against the Sixers here.

Five Things That Could Derail The Panthers

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Sitting atop the NHL standings, a lot has gone right for the Florida Panthers this season. They boast a 25-7-5 record while also having the best home record in the league at 20-3. We haven’t hit the halfway mark of the NHL season yet but the Panthers are looking like a playoff lock after 37 games.

While the team is currently playing their best hockey, is there anything that can stop them in their tracks?

Here are five things that can derail the Panthers.

#1 Road Play

It was already mentioned that the Panthers have an unbelievable record at home this season with only three losses in 23 games. On the flip side, the team hasn’t been great when they are away from FLA Live Arena. 

So far this season the Cats have a 5-4-5 record on the road, getting 15 of a possible 28 points over those games. 

Before we start talking about potential road playoff games, the Cats need to bring the same dominant performances they have shown at home on the road during the regular season. Towards the end of the year when the standings get tighter and the number of games starts to dwindle, snagging a few extra games on the road can make or break the top spot in the division. 

Speaking of the division, this leads us into our next point.

#2 Divisional Matchups

If you aren’t familiar with how the NHL Playoff format works, here is a quick rundown. 

Each conference has eight teams make the playoffs, meaning half the teams from the East and half from the West will be in the postseason. Each conference has two divisions, the Panthers are in the Atlantic Division, which is part of the Eastern Conference. The other division in the East is the Metropolitan. 

Each division has three teams that are guaranteed playoff spots, making that six spots between the two divisions. The remaining two playoff spots are the wildcard teams, which is made up of the two teams in that conference with the highest point total after the three divisional teams get in.  

At the end of the season, the winner of the Atlantic and the winner of the Metropolitan will take on the wildcard teams in the first-round, while the second and third place teams from each division will face each other in the first-round (Atlantic 2 vs. Atlantic 3, Metro 2 vs. Metro 3). 

The Atlantic Division is possibly the most competitive division in hockey this season with Florida, Tampa and Toronto all towards the top of the league standings, with Boston quickly creeping their way up.

Since the second and third place teams will meet each other in the opening round, there’s a chance Florida has to play Tampa, Toronto or Boston in their first playoff series if they don’t win the Atlantic.

Last season, Florida wasn’t able to get first place in their division and they ended up playing the reigning Stanley Cup Champions in the first round. If the Cats finished first place, they would have played Nashville in the first round, a team they went 5-2-1 against during 2020-2021.

If Florida gets first in the division there is a better chance they won’t have to run into the likes of Tampa (assuming the back-to-back champions finish top 3) in the first-round. If you don’t win your division, that first-round series is probably going to be a harder matchup compared to the wildcard team.

#3 Rookie Coach in the Playoffs

Interim head coach Andrew Brunette had a lot on his plate when he had to step in as this team’s coach at the end of October. He had to command the bench of an unbeaten team at the top of the NHL standings amidst the resignation of their former coach. 

There were some rough stretches during his first half of the season, but Brunette has posted a respectable 18-7-5 record as the interim coach and will be heading to Las Vegas to coach the Atlantic Division All Star team in February at the 2022 NHL All Star Game. 

Brunette is going to have a lot of pressure on his shoulders come playoff time and if the Panthers want to advance through the Eastern Conference, they are going to face teams with coaches who have either won Stanley Cups behind the bench like Tampa’s Jon Cooper and Pittsburgh’s Mike Sullivan or guys who have made deep playoff runs like Boston’s Bruce Cassidy and Carolina’s Rod Brind’Amour.

Brunette still has the interim coach tag, but assuming he is with the Panthers for the rest of this season, will his lack of head coaching experience catch up with him? 

#4 Defensive Depth

There is no question that Florida has one of, if not the best offense in the National Hockey League. The depth at the forward position is an embarrassment of riches for the Panthers. With a top-six that consists of Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, Anthony Duclair and company, rolling four lines hasn’t been a problem all season for the Cats and it shouldn’t be one for the rest of the year just based on who they can bring into the lineup on any given night.

My concern is the defensive depth for the Panthers. Last season we saw how Aaron Ekblad’s season-ending injury really hurt Florida in their playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. While the rest of the d-corps stepped up following the loss of Ekblad, the team really missed their top d-man. 

This season with Ekblad and Weegar back on the top pair, the Cats have been shutting down their opposition on a nightly basis. 

The blueline has played well for most of the season and Bill Zito brought in some new faces to try and bolster up their defensive depth chart. But is this enough?

The foursome of Ekblad, Weegar, Montour and Forsling are solidified in my mind. Radko Gudas has continued his physical dominance this season and has played 35 of 37 games this year, while the sixth defenseman spot has seen a few different players step into the mix. The problem is, if one of these mentioned defenseman has to miss time, specifically in a playoff series, who is there to call? Lucas Carlsson has had his moments this year, Olli Juolevi has gotten a few games under his belt, you could look at some of the guys in the AHL, but the number of names you can call isn’t as prosperous as the forward unit. 

The Panthers have been rumored to be in the market to acquire a defenseman via the trade market, but until that happens, one injury could derail this blueline more than you think and that could hurt them when it matters most. 

#5 Goaltending Down the Stretch

Goaltending will always be the topic of discussion for the Panthers until they can win their first playoff series in over 25 years. Starting goalie Sergei Bobrovsky did not have a good postseason last year, as he lost his net multiple times in the first-round to both Chris Driedger and 20-year-old Spencer Knight . He was signed to an illustrious seven-year, $70M contract in 2019 to take this team to the next level and that didn’t happen last year.

This season Bobrovsky came out of the gates hot and has looked near the top of his game for most of the year. Currently in 26 starts he is 18-3-3, has a 2.49 GAA and a .921 save percentage. 

Bobrovsky has shown in the past that he can be the best in the world, he does have two Vezina trophies to his name. The question is, can he keep this play up in the postseason?

In the regular season the team has been lighting the lamp, however, the playoffs are a different animal. The games are tighter, scoring is usually lower and one bad bounce could cost you a game or a series. 

For now all is good in the net, but the real test has yet to come and the goaltending needs to be better than it was last year if the Panthers want to keep riding their hot hand and push on towards the Stanley Cup.

Stephen Ross

Where should the Dolphins Coaching Cycle stop this time?

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Shockingly, the Miami Dolphins fired Head Coach Brian Flores on Black Monday. 

 

It’s been 26 years since the Dolphins had a coach, Don Shula, that can lead this franchise to multiple playoff berths and in contention for the Lombardi trophy. 

 

It’s been an endless cycle since 1995 as the search continues, with the oddmakers all paying attention.

 

 

 

The Candidates to consider: 

 

Brian Daboll

 

Daboll, 46, has become quite the hot new name in head coach searches. He is given credit for the sharp upward development of Josh Allen. Daboll was 2020 NFL assistant coach of the year because of it.

 

He also is a Bill Belichick protégé who has five Patriots Super Bowl rings to show for it. Oh, and he coached Tua Tagovailoa at Alabama in 2017.

 

Daboll some may recall was Dolphins offensive coordinator in 2011 under Tony Sparano. He did not fail. He lifted Miami’s ranking in points scored from a near-bottom 30th to a near-midpack 20th.

 

 

Daboll was also Tua Tagovailoa’s offensive coordinator 

 

Daboll maximized Reggie Bush, Brandon Marshall, Matt Moore and Chad Henne. Daboll has had proven success with average to above average players and helped Josh Allen develop into a top 5 QB. 

 

A positive byproduct of this coaching change, if we’re looking for air freshener against the stench, is that it makes it more likely the Dolphins will commit full resources to the development of Tua as their quarterback moving forward.

 

Kellen Moore

 

Kellen Moore has two years of offensive coordinator and Play Calling experience but it’s his third year coaching. 

 

The Cowboys built on Moore and Dak Prescotts rapport. Moore was Dak’s backup and eventually in 2018 became his QB coach. In 2019, Moore took the helm of the Cowboys offense. 

 

In his first year, Moore presided over the NFL’s top-ranked offensive attack, the second-rated passing offense and fifth-ranked running game. His offense helped ascensd Dak Prescott to finish second in the league in passing and set career-highs in passing yards, completions, attempts and Touchdowns.

 

 

Under Moore’s tutelage. Ezekiel Elliot was fourth in rushing yards in the NFL and Amari Cooper had a breakout season.  Moored offensive prowess helped five Cowboys become pro bowlers, with three of them becoming offensive lineman. 

 

Moores impressive resume in a short span says more about the talent on offense and already knowing the Cowboys scheme. If Moore were to get the position he will need a killer offensive staff and question would arise if he could ascend Tua the same way he did with Prescott. 

 

Dan Quinn

 

Quinn arrived in Dallas prior to the 2021 season after serving as the head coach in Atlanta from 2015 until 2020. 

 

He was Miami’s defensive line coach for two years before spending the 2007-08 seasons in the same role for the New York Jets.

 

The big issue coming from Quinn’s tenure in Atlanta was the lack of accountability. When the Falcons messed up on the field, you never saw any anger from Quinn. He would always clap and pat his players on the shoulder after a mistake. Nobody was held accountable, and Quinn would sweep it under the rug. 

 

Now, Quinn has changed his defensive philosophy in Dallas as it aligns with more of what the Dolphins ran last season with similar personnel. 

 

It is extremely impressive as he put Micah Parsons in positions to win and maximized his ability. Quinn all season has maximized and schematically out his defensive players in successful situations. 

 

Quinn built a really good staff in Atlanta which included Terry Rubisky, Kyle Shanahan, Matt LeFleur and Mike McDaniel. If Quinn becomes the next HC, his offensive staff would be intriguing. 

 

Vance Joseph

 

Vance Joseph is the current DC with the Arizona Cardinals and was formerly the HC of the Denver Broncos and the DC in Miami under Adam Gase. 

 

With how Arizona’s defense has performed most of this season and improved over the three seasons he has led it, it was inevitable that he would begin to garner interest. 

 

Joseph, along with Quinn and Daboll have been with the Dolphins as position coaches and coordinators. It feels as if Chris Grier is digging into his past relationships to fill an important need. 

 

It is worth noting that in Miami, the Dolphins defense got statistically worse in giving up yards per game and become one of the NFLs most penalized teams when Joseph was the DC. 

 

In Denver, Joseph inherited a top 3 defense and it failed to go back to that. While the offense struggled, it’s not as if Joseph’s defense overwhelmed opponents, despite talent at each level. 

 

In his Broncos tenure, he allowed 22.8 points per game (15th in the NFL), and 104.5 rushing yards (11th), and 58.3 red zone conversion rate (19th). Led by Von Miller and Chris Harris Jr, the Broncos D had their moments, but not enough to carry Denver to the postseason.

 

Joseph’s offense was dismal. His defense was middle of the pack. What likely sealed Joseph’s fate, however, was consistent coaching errors. Often, Joseph botched late-game situational football, made head-scratching decisions, mismanaged imeout usage, and didn’t put players in the best situation to succeed.

 

Mike McDaniel

 

Although McDaniel is the 49ers’ offensive coordinator, head coach Kyle Shanahan calls the plays. McDaniel helps create the game plan and is in charge of the run game

 

So how did the 49ers do on the ground this season? It’s complicated. They finished seventh in the NFL at 127.4 rushing yards per game, part of an offense that ranked seventh overall and 13th in scoring. Rookie RB Elijah Mitchell was the top rusher with 207 carries for 963 yards and five touchdowns, but he played only 11 games.

 

It is noteworthy that Mike McDaniel was in contention to be an offensive coordinator for the Dolphins in 2020.

 

 

McDaniel is highly regarded around NFL circles. As an intern for Mike Shanahan he was designing plays. While he’s noteworthy for his run game prowess he excels at his understanding of the passing game. 

 

Under Shanahan he designs the game plan, selects the plays and then in game advises on play calls and selects the plays for the next drive. McDaniels is the 49ers play caller 

 

George Kittle asked for it to be written into his contract that McDaniel stays with the 49ers. Former Browns WR Andrew Hawkins said that no other “candidate understands offensive football the way” McDaniel does. 

 

Leslie Frazier

 

Leslie Frazier, the current Bills Defensive Coordinator, if chosen could continue this defensive scheme and build upon this dominance since 2020. 

 

In 2007, he was appointed as the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, adding the title of assistant coach in 2008. During the 2010 season, he became the Vikings’ interim head coach when Brad Childress was fired, becoming their head coach in 2011 and holding that position through 2013.

 

Frazier’s tenure was marked by an inability to develop a quarterback. This season, he struggled just to choose between Christian Ponder, Matt Cassel and Josh Freeman. Even more damning: Frazier’s defense badly declined in 2013, giving up more points than any team in football.

 

 

His defense in Minnesota failed to adapt to being flexible and was underwhelming with key pieces being the main problem. 

 

In Buffalo, Frazier was part of a coaching staff that developed CB Tre’Davious White and LB Tremaine Edmunds who were both named to the Pro Bowl, with White also garnering AP First-Team All Pro honors.

 

In 2019, his defense finished third in the league, only allowing 298.3 yards per game. In 2018, the Bills defense finished second in the NFL, allowing 294.1 yards per game, which was the Bills highest rank since they finished first in 1999.

 

To me this feels like an interview request to check off the Rooney Rule. Frazier would be tasked in building on offensive staff. He could bring in Ken Dorsey as the OC but rumors are that Dorsey could go back to his Alma Mater, the Miami Hurricanes. 

 

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Who I would want

 

Based on Stephen Ross’ presser he has the Confidence of Tua Tagovailoa as his QB. Ultimately it will be up to the new Head Coach to decide whether they would keep Tua Tagovailoa as the QB. 

 

This comes down to Candidates that are offensive minded coaches that can build an offensive staff that supports Tua Tagovailoa with a competent running game and offensive line, while maintaining the defensive continuity since 2020. 

 

I would roll the Dice with Mike McDaniel, who’s had years of experience under the Shanahan coaching tree. The Shanahan style of run game has the perception of being very hard to learn; however, per players on the 49ers roster McDaniel explains it in simplistic terms making it easier for players to understand through a 2 step cadence

 

 

McDaniel would have to round the rest of his staff with passing game and run game coordinators which he would bring in. The most interesting option would be the OC. I’d bring in Green Bay’s QB coach Luke Getsy. Getsy has 14 years of offensive experience and most notably is the passing game coordinator under Mike Lafluer who has revolutionized Aaron Rodgers and the passing game

 

As for the dreaded offensive line that’s been the league worst since 2019. This current OL needs a veteran OL coach and teacher that can turn it around. Getting Coach Aaron Kromer out of retirement may the best bet of teaching this young offensive line fundamental footwork and techniques to improve their refinement. In his tenure at New Orleans, Kromer sent five OLs to a combined nine pro bowls. In 2009 and 2011, Kromer coached the Saints OL as the best Offensive Line in the league. He joined the Chicago Bears staff helping them become the second best scoring offense in the league. Kromer was part of the Rams Super Bowl 53 run. 

 

As for the defensive side of the ball it would be smart to continue to have the same coaching staff. Keeping Boyer, Alexander and the rest of the position coaches to continue the defensive dominance intact. If the new HC chooses not to, Vic Fangio would make the most sense to continue it. 

 

The Undeniable Rise of Caleb Martin

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For many, just one opportunity is all they need to show the world what they can do. For Caleb Martin, it was about opportunity and the right team at the right time.

 

Caleb Martin was a late addition to the Miami Heat roster. Hell, he’s still not technically even on the official roster as it stands. But that last-second acquisition via a Two-Way Contract was more important than anyone on the Heat staff could have predicted. No one paid much mind to it and many on social media wondered why the team didn’t use a veteran minimum deal on a player like Wesley Matthews. While the move may have been partly to avoid the repeater tax, it made sense.

There’s a lot of CBA lingo I could get into, but the gist of it is Miami wants to maintain future flexibility by avoiding going into the repeater tax right now. It was frustrating at the time for many fans. I thought it was a decent buy-low move but can understand why some wouldn’t see it as such. Charlotte isn’t a huge market and the few that did know about Caleb would have preferred his brother.

The Heat have already learned their lesson of using end-of-rotation spots on journeymen past their prime. So long are the days of Eddie House, Amare Stoudamire, and Eddy Curry. The team now mostly uses those spots to develop younger unheralded guys who have yet to unlock their full potential. Players like Duncan Robinson, Gabe Vincent, and Max Strus. They want to take the clay that other teams discard and start molding them into a vase good enough for a museum.

Caleb was weighing various non-guaranteed Two-Way offers before getting the call that the Heat wanted him in for a workout. He would leave quite an impression on the Miami brass that included Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra. The workout was enough for the team to offer him a Two-Way, the same as every other team that wanted his services. The difference was that Martin knew the Heat’s reputation of taking in undrafted players like him and putting them in the best position to succeed. The organization let its reputation speak for itself and landed a project wing.

What the Heat didn’t envision was Martin contributing as much as he has so fast. I imagine they expected to have him play spot minutes waiting on Victor Oladipo’s eventual addition to the team. It seemed to look that way as he garnered only 8 (garbage time) minutes total through the first 5 games. But as is the nature of the league, injuries occurred and Caleb was called upon more and more.

 

 

You’d think with more responsibility and a heavier workload that a Two-Way player would show why he was passed on by so many teams. It’s turned out to be quite the opposite for the versatile wing from Nevada. Martin has showcased every improved tool in his bag and more during this opportunity. His athletic downhill activity and versatility were facets the Heat had only had in Oladipo’s 4 games last season.

Martin has given them what Derrick Jones Jr used to but with an actual handle and ability to shoot. That shot-in-the-arm athleticism that only Bam Adebayo would give them. The Heat added a player that replicated the description of so many of the players on the Suns team that went to the Finals last year.

These skills didn’t appear overnight either. Caleb’s shooting has obviously improved steadily since he’s arrived. The handle and ability to break down a defender one on one while avoiding too many turnovers. He’s also learned to reign in his hyperactivity at the right times. Early in the season, you would see him cutting and standing where a teammate was occupying space. Caleb’s motor would stay on maximum overdrive at times but he’s learned little by little to let the game slow down.

That motor is still being used to its full potential on the defensive end. Watching him fly around on that end has been a joy to watch. Martin has been causing chaos and headaches for opposing guards night in and night out. He doesn’t care who Coach Spoelstra asks him to defend, he’s going to wreak havoc like Marlon Wayans in any scene he’s ever been in. That part of his game is more of a testament to the development he’s done before even getting to Miami. Caleb himself spoke about how he was always the scorer dating back to High School. He’s been adapting to what’s asked of him for quite a while already.

 

And he’s still learning on the fly as he’s been thrown into the fire. I don’t think he expected to start 9 games while averaging 30 minutes a game. But there’s no denying he’s taken the challenge head-on and full throttle. In his starts this season he’s putting up 14/5 on 54/42/73 shooting splits. A run of starts that included putting up 28 points on 9/12 shooting. It’s not only a challenge but an opportunity. Caleb knows this is where he could make an impression on not only the Heat but the whole NBA. Showing to everyone that he belongs and that he deserves a legitimate long-term NBA contract. He’s made it hard to ignore and it’s inevitable that the Heat will convert his deal when the tax date is up.

Martin knew Miami was the best spot for him to showcase and establish his place in the league. Miami was looking for a player like Caleb and he fell right into their lap. Maybe it wouldn’t have been as easy had Miami not made a name for itself as a development hub for undrafted and unheralded players. Caleb could have chosen to go elsewhere; it’s not like the Heat offered him a bigger deal than those other teams.

Martin and Miami caught each other at the perfect time and now they’re both reaping the benefits. He’s made it a no-brainer that he’ll get minutes once all the big 4 starters are healthy at once. Someone will have to take those minutes from him and I think Erik Spoelstra knows that. He prefers a versatile player like Caleb as opposed to a specialist. Players that fit his description are more valuable in playoff settings, especially ones that could involve the Nets or the Bulls.

It takes a lot to win a title and that includes hitting on value contracts as you pay your max-level stars. Martin was expected to be an infield single, but he’s been an inside-the-park home run. A regular home run isn’t chaotic and hard enough for a guy like Caleb.

 

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Miami Dolphins need to improve in these five areas

Fresh Perspective: Top 5 Miami Dolphins offseason musts

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Now that the season has come to a close, it’s time to break down what are the main improvements the Miami Dolphins need to make this offseason. As always, there’s a long list that needs checking off, but there are certain things that have more priority than others. This column will break down the main things Miami needs to do to ensure that next season doesn’t end on the same sour note this one did, being on the outside looking in.

Later on there will be a position-by-position breakdown detailing every single move the team should make, in this writer’s opinion. But for now, here’s a generalized primer that fits the bill no matter who Miami’s QB is.

1. Buy the offensive line

It’s time to face facts. No matter who is in charge, no matter how many draft picks are invested, the Miami Dolphins simply can’t seem to develop solid offensive linemen. The talent is lacking, and the cohesion as a unit is nonexistent. Coaching is a big part of that. However, there is a simple solution. Do what the Kansas City Chiefs did: buy an offensive line.

According to Spotrac, Miami will have more cap space available than any team in the NFL. That leaves plenty of room for the Dolphins to go on a major spending spree, which should be spent almost entirely on the offensive line. There are some solid left tackle options, as well as some top level veteran guards.

It’s time to give the Dolphins QB – whether it’s Tua Tagovailoa or someone else entirely – an offensive line that isn’t among the absolute worst in the league.

2. Find a legitimate RB

This front office stood on the podium at the end of the 2021 offseason and said they were happy with Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed. Their only real addition was Malcolm Brown, who has spent a large portion of the season injured. It became clear that Gaskin and Ahmed both have real shortcomings as running backs.

Then the Dolphins brought in UM superstar Duke Johnson off the street. He looked much better than either of them. Then the Dolphins added veteran Phillip Lindsay, and he looked better as well. It does not bode well for talent evaluation when two free agent veterans come in midseason and prove to be the superior options.

This season has shown just what kind of a difference even a marginal improvement at running back can do. Two seasons in a row, Miami has opted to ignore the running back position. They cannot do so again. An improved offensive line will definitely help, but all around the league, running backs are making names for themselves. Their offenses are reaping those benefits.

The Miami Dolphins should give contract offers to both Duke Johnson and Phillip Lindsay. But even with them, they should not be content. The Miami Dolphins need a true superstar running back again.

3. Keep the defense together

No question about it. Brian Flores has put together a championship caliber defense. But that means the Dolphins need to do whatever it takes to keep the core together. Emmanuel Ogbah, Elandon Roberts, Nik Needham, and Xavien Howard. They all need new deals in the offseason, and it behooves any GM worthy of the title to make sure these impact players stay in Miami.

Back in 2016, an article was written on phinmaniacs.com regarding whether offense or defense was more important. The research showed some startling results.

Let’s start at the year 2000, that’s a decent place to start right? 16 Super Bowls have been played since then, and of those 16 winners, 10 of them have had a top 10 offense. Ok, now looking at the defense, it would appear that 11 of those 16 teams had a top defense. Again, pretty evenly matched.

So let’s tighten things up again.

Of the 16 teams who have won a Super Bowl since the year 2000, only 4 of those teams have had a top 5 ranked offense. In contrast, 9 of them have had a top 5 ranked defense. Not nearly as even.

For completion’s sake, let’s see how many of those teams had the top ranked offense and defense. Since 2000, only one team has had the top ranked offense and won the Super Bowl, while 6 of them have had the number one ranked defense.

If the Miami Dolphins want to keep any positive momentum, the defense needs to be held together. It’s so rare to reach this kind of plateau on the defensive side of the football. Just keep the existing pieces in place, and the rest of the resources can be used to upgrade the offense.

4. Establish veteran presence

Miami’s painfully slow start can arguably the real reason they aren’t in the playoffs this season. The Dolphins lost a lot of games they had no business losing during their 7-game slide. It took them too long to get back to the style of defense they used last season, and it took them too long to work out other bugs in their fundamentals.

The best way to avoid repeating that mistake is to establish a veteran presence this season. Brian Flores decided it wasn’t important in 2021, but hopefully in 2022 he’ll realize his mistake.

Experience doesn’t need to be incredibly expensive. There are a lot of aging veterans that can be had at reasonable prices. WRs DeSean Jackson or A.J. Green, DE Calais Campbell if he doesn’t retire, OLB Melvin Ingram was given a hard look earlier this offseason. There are veterans to be had that can impart some knowledge and still play an active role.\

5. Assistant coaches must be improved

More than anything, this is on Brian Flores. But there’s no way to know if this is likely to happen. Miami’s assistant coaches, particularly on offense, have little to no pedigree. And it shows. Lemuel Jeanpierre, the offensive line coach, has only been an NFL coach for four seasons including 2021. He’s never been an OL coach before, and that shows as well.

Flores needs to find a veteran offensive line coach. Perhaps he can drag Dante Scarnecchia out of retirement for a year, just to get things on track and train a successor in the process. Or, with the recent firing of Vic Fangio, maybe Mike Munchak will shake loose and Flores can make a play for him to fix things up.

Speaking of veterans, it would be coaching malpractice for Flores to not look at some new potential offensive coordinator candidates. The Carolina Panthers are going to interview the likes of Jay Gruden and Bill O’Brien to take over for Joe Brady, who was fired on Dec. 5.

Or, perhaps, Flores can consider Brady for the OC position. He learned under Sean Payton as an offensive assistant, and then was credited with helping Joe Burrow become a superstar at LSU. Perhaps, Brady can help Tua Tagovailoa – or whoever the QB in 2022 is – to find some success with a new offense that will create some excitement.

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Brian Flores has to know that the product on the field this season was not good enough. If even one of those games – the Jaguars, the Falcons, the Colts – ended in a win instead of a loss, the Miami Dolphins would likely be in the playoffs. Better coaches get better results, and there are some good ones looking for a new home. He has to try and upgrade from what he has on offense.

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for seven years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

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Stetson Bennett IV can reach NFL status with a national championship for Georgia

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It’s becoming common place for the iconic Queen song “We Are The Champions” after bowl games, especially one as big as the Orange Bowl. The timing of Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy watching the celebration from a distance with a few teammates only to leave on the lyrics “no time for losers” was poetic. 

The Orange Bowl championship used to mean something but now it’s just another game on the road to the real prize. 

“We didn’t do our everything we did this whole season just to win the Orange Bowl,” Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean said. 

Just like the previous matchup between Alabama and Georgia on this stage birthed the legend of Tua Tagovailoa, the same could possibly happen for Stetson Bennett IV. Tagovailoa came in for Jalen Hurts to rally Alabama to an overtime win in the 2018 National Championship Game. All Bennett has to do is break Georgia’s seven-game losing streak to Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide in next week’s title game.

Among the quarterbacks leading the cream of the crop, Bennett has the story of an underdog. He came to Georgia as a walk-on, then left for a year in junior college only to come back and eventually take over for JT Daniels, who transferred from USC and led the Bulldogs to a Peach Bowl win over Cincinnati a year ago. 

He completed all but 10 of his 30 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in Georgia’s 34-11 win over Michigan to set up an SEC title game rematch with Alabama. Because of his up-start origin and two interceptions, on top of the Bulldogs defense getting taken for a ride for the first time all season, has led to outside doubt in Bennett leading up to the Orange Bowl. Daniels, who only lost his starting job due to injury early in the season, was a desired choice to start for the Bulldogs in the playoff and was ready to go in case of Bennett struggling. 

“I didn’t go out there and play well today in spite of people,” Bennett said. “I came out there and played well and worked hard throughout the few weeks we had off because my teammates needed me to do that, and we needed that to win.”

As disheartening and as boring as it sounds, football teams and players sees everyone without jersey as the enemy to some degree and everything said and posted is considered as the cancerous “noise” that must be blocked out in order to ensure victory. Blocking out the noise is celebrated after a victory, while being “disrespected” is worn as a badge of honor. 

“I think it’s amazing to have a guy his age block out all the noise and just focus harder,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. “It’s almost like every time he hears noise he just focuses harder on the game plan and what he has to do to execute. You look at some plays he made out there with his feet, they couldn’t account for his mobility and some of the plays he made with his feet, and just really proud of the way he prepped for this game.”

If Bennett declares for the NFL Draft and becomes a part of the process, he may be seen as the next Andrew Luck just based on looks and the fact that he no longer uses a smart phone. He has a Twitter and Instagram account. He is one of the founders of the DGD Fund to give back to the communities through a variety of causes, his being the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Unless it involves NIL, he doesn’t post anything, which is probably going to be the trend of high profile football players.  

“Stetson as a leader on our offense, he doesn’t let that negativity go to his head, for real,” Georgia running back James Cook said on Bennett. “Like he said, he ain’t got no social media, he carry a flip phone around, and he stay off social media, and he just let the noise go over his head and play football. That’s what I love about him.”

Completing deep passes and blocking out the noise are seen as pro qualities that could make Bennett the Mac Jones of this year’s NFL Draft.

Especially if he can redeem his only loss and defeat Alabama on Monday.