Tag Archive for: Playoffs

Marlins Split WSH Doubleheader

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The Marlins started an important series of baseball versus the Washington Nationals yesterday. They ended up splitting the doubleheader, losing game 1 5-0 and winning game 2 14-3. The classic set of opposite results. In a wild day, in game 1 Sixto Sanchez faltered for the first time in a Marlins uniform but was picked up by Brian Anderson’s 3-homer 7-RBI game 2.

What’s the difference between scoring 0 and 14?

 

Mentality. In-game 2, the Marlins played like they were on the verge of their first playoff berth in 17 years. In-game 1, they didn’t. Under no circumstances should a career 5.15 ERA pitcher in Erick Fedde be shutting down the Marlins. If I would have taken off my glasses, I would have thought the man was Max Scherzer. The Marlins got 2-hit in game 1, so there is not much to talk about statistically. Game 2, however, was quite a different story. 14 runs on 12 hits? That’s what we are talking about. Brian Anderson made 3 home runs look easy, and Lewis Brinson went 3-4, upping his average to .266, showing his continued growth this season. Consistency at the plate is key to this team’s final 10 games.

What happened to Sixto?

 

Ok, so our ace having a lackluster start like this one is frightening especially when he is set to take the mound twice more, and hopefully a third time in the playoffs. What I visibly saw was that he was too reliant on his stuff. His pitches weren’t breaking as much, and since he had great success allowing teams to put the ball in play, he continued throwing strikes. He became predictable. He needs to go back to being predictably wild. I’m sure Mel Stottlemyre will be on top of it.

10 more games for the Marlins :O

 

The Marlins are only 1.5 games ahead of the 9th place Cincinnati Reds and .5 games ahead of the Phillies for 2nd in the NL East. These 10 games will be one of the most important 10-game stretches in Marlins’ history. Pablo Lopez (4-4, 4.02 ERA) takes the mound tomorrow versus Patrick Corbin (2-5, 4.10 ERA).

 

Miami Marlins Season Recap (so far)

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Well, here we are. The Marlins are 2/3s of the way through the shortened COVID-19 style 2020 MLB season. They are sitting at 20-19 and are currently in the playoffs as a Wild Card and closing in on a top 2 divisional finish. It’s happening, but how? How have the Marlins gone from one of the worst teams in baseball to this? Can this team win in the playoffs?

 

A (shortened) Marlins season in review

 

From the first pitch of 2020, something seemed different. This team has survived a week off from COVID-19, almost half the roster being sidelined by COVID-19, and 100+ roster moves. And we still sit above .500 through 39 games. Since their early 7-1 start, the Marlins have been performing quite the balancing act around that .500 mark. To make the playoffs this year, they don’t need much more, so that is more than fine in the long run. 

 

Amazing pitching (now and future)

 

The starters, when healthy, can compete with anyone in the league which is something the Marlins haven’t seen in what feels like a decade and a half. The 5-man punch of Sixto Sanchez, Pablo Sanchez, Sandy Alcantara, Trevor Rogers, and Elieser Hernandez is scary right now. Just imagine 5 years. The bullpen of wily vets has been able to get the job done minus the exception of a few games in which they had no rest. The team has an ERA of 4.63, but if we exclude the 29 run slugfest in Atlanta, it is much more reasonable, reaching a rank of top 5 in the NL (7th with that game factored in). 

 

2-out hitting

 

The bats aren’t the strongest, and the lack of pop is most likely the main reason this team’s record is not way over the mark of .500. What has allowed this team to thrive, however, is their ability to hit with 2-outs. There are a handful of examples to choose from, but the two that top the list are 1. Starling Marte’s bases-clearing game-tying double in the 8th inning last night and 2. Jorge Alfaro’s walk-off single in the 9th inning last night. The team as a whole has struggled to play small ball and move runners over, especially when there are not 2-outs in the inning which is definitely something to keep an eye on. If the Marlins can start combining stellar pitching, small ball, and clutch 2-out hitting, the possibilities are endless.

 

Speaking of possibilities for Marlins

 

Now, I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but… The Marlins have made the playoffs twice. They have won the World Series twice. They were Wild Cards both of those years. We are Wild Cards now. Obviously this is a stretch, but can these Marlins make a deep run give the chance? Yes. I know that this take is extremely premature, and would probably hold validity in 2-3 years, but why couldn’t they? The Marlins have stellar pitching, especially out of the starting rotation. In a 5 game series against those 5 guys aforementioned, I don’t think there is any way the Marlins don’t put up a fight. If they fix some of the minor issues and continue playing like the family they are, there is no reason that an energized young Marlins team led by veterans can’t make it far in the playoffs. This is all speculation, but something to keep in mind. The most important thing is that this Marlins team is young, energetic, and going to be competing for many years to come.

Why not us this year?

 

Christian Chase Jr. (@ChaseChrisJr) attends the University of Florida. His regular columns are sponsored by SafeCubbies.com 

5 Things to Expect for Heat’s First Scrimmage Game

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The Heat’s first scrimmage game comes this Wednesday against the Kings, which is exciting for one reason. Basketball is back. This will be similar to a preseason game since players will try to get their bodies back in game shape. 

Here’s five things to expect from the Heat’s First Scrimmage on Wednesday.

#1: Every player on the roster will be utilized in the Heat’s First Scrimmage.

This became pretty clear after this week’s zoom call with Coach Erik Spoelstra when he said: “Everyone available will probably play.” That means that the minutes will be pretty much split across the board. This allows the team to see which guys are in game shape, and more importantly playoff shape. Coach Spoelstra will also be able to get a good look on who he will be able to trust in a playoff setting. But for now, every player will have a chance to show that they can play a major role on this team.

#2: There’ll be an abundance of -point shooting.

Three-point shooting is something that has become essential due to the game transforming into that style of play. Well, it’s something that we will probably see even more in this format. The G-League and Summer League are two great examples of this since there are more three point attempts in these games than a regular NBA game. For one, these scrimmage games will have the feel of a pickup basketball game, which usually is a lot of shooting. And the second reason is that guys will not be attacking the rim as much when they’re trying to get their legs back under them. These first few scrimmage games may be sloppy, but that’s why they’re having them. Either way, be prepared to see a lot of shooting from beyond the arc, especially with this team.

#3: Spoelstra will “tinker” with different schemes during the Heat’s first scrimmage.

Another thing that Spoelstra’s seemed to discuss on zoom calls is the use of different possible schemes. As he’s said, this format gives them even more time to drill stuff like zone-defense or basic switching principles. We’ll definitely see this in the scrimmage, so Spoelstra can get a feel for what will work in this format. As there’s been a lot of talk about players getting acclimated to this unique style of play, the coaches have as difficult a task as anyone. Coaches will need to be very flexible with their approaches since this is something they’ve never seen.

#4: They will try to find fitting lineups.

This is one of the only things that the Heat have not been able to figure out yet that other teams have. This is only because they weren’t able to see Tyler Herro and Meyers Leonard mix in with the new acquisitions in Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala. These scrimmage games will give the team the opportunity to try out different lineups that Spoelstra can trust in tough spots. The players also have an idea of what lineups work and what don’t. Meyers Leonard started raving about the defensive versatilities of a lineup with Jimmy Butler-Derrick Jones Jr-Andre Iguodala-Jae Crowder-Bam Adebayo. All the players on this roster are invested in finding the best lineups that will help them win. This is exactly what will be exercised in the scrimmage games.

#5: Bold Prediction: A Gabe Vincent display.

The game against Sacramento on Wednesday will allow all the players on the roster to get some playing time. This includes Gabe Vincent. There has been a lot of talk about guys like Duncan Robinson, Goran Dragic, and Kendrick Nunn playing in this type of environment. Well, the player who has played in this environment most recently is Gabe Vincent. Not only did he play in the G-League recently, he was outstanding.

He won the G-League’s most improved player award for this season. We’ve seen his capabilities of being a lethal shooter. Though it’s been slightly inefficient when he’s gotten playing time this season with the Heat. But, he’s one of those guys that can get hot or that can spark your team. This was displayed in early February against the Clippers when he hit 3 consecutive threes. Don’t be shocked if Gabe goes on a shooting tear in the scrimmage games. He may earn himself some minutes for the regular season and postseason.

 

5 Takeaways from the Duncan Robinson Interview About the Miami Heat

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After the breakout season of Duncan Robinson this year, he looks forward to taking the next step in his game which is playoff experience. He discussed some things about his game and the state of the team with some local media today.

Here are five things discussed to take note of…

1. 

As talked about over and over, the Heat seem to have the most players that fit this no fans format. Between overseas, g-league, summer league, and small college play, they should be ready. And though Duncan Robinson says he played in games with around 300 people, it was no cakewalk. Duncan has repeatedly said that was some of the most competitive basketball he’s ever played. And as Duncan said himself, he’s equipped for this, which means he’s taking accountability to perform at a high level when or if the season returns.

2.

Duncan seems to have the utmost confidence in this Heat team in a playoff setting with the words, “that bodes well for us.” He talks about the type of games that are played in a playoff series according to people he’s talked to. Duncan says it come down to execution, which is something he has seemed to do pretty well all season.  He also talk about the game slowing down, which may lead to him getting even more touches on the offensive side of the ball with a slowed down setting.

3.

Duncan Robinson discusses the different players he has been watching film on lately including Ray Allen and Klay Thompson. He’s not watching the shooting part of it, he’s watching the ways they get open off of the ball. He uses the word creative, which he also used earlier in the interview discussing teams trying to eliminate him offensively. Duncan says teams started doing this as the season progressed and he expects it to continue in the playoffs. This could be a huge plus to Duncan’s game if he gets “creative” against savvy defensive match-ups.

4. 

Duncan seems to hear the talk about Miami’s road troubles, but he says the team wants to embrace it. This Heat team thrives on doubt which is usually what people do to them. The reason being that most of these guys have been doubted their whole lives. A bunch of these guys didn’t make it to the league the natural way. So as they continue to receive this doubt, they have the mentality and hunger to prove them all wrong.

5. 

There has been some questioning about the lack of defense in some of the Heat’s young players. Duncan addressed this saying that the only way they can make a deep playoff run is if they improve. He says this is something that will be their main focus on a nightly basis in both the playoffs and eight regular season games.

5 Toughest Games for Miami Heat on Updated Schedule

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The new schedule is out….

And it’s no picnic.

All but one of the eight opponents is a playoff team, since many of what were supposed to be the Heat’s remaining games got wiped off the slate when those teams are not invited to Orlando.

Here they are, the top 5 toughest….

 

5. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Miami Heat will be playing the Oklahoma City Thunder on August 12th in the NBA’s resumed season. The Heat got the win against the Thunder in late January, but it wasn’t easy. They are sometimes referred to as the Heat of the west, since both teams were overlooked and a surprise to the league. Oklahoma City has the perfect blend of veterans and young players behind their leadership in Chris Paul and talented youth in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Their a tough match-up for the Heat because of the guard depth on the team. Miami’s weakness is not having a good defensive back-court. This will be a gritty and tough match-up for the Heat since they always seem to give it their all on the floor.

4. Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets got the win at the beginning of the season against Miami. It was one of the worst games for the Heat this season and was definitely one of Bam Adebayo’s worst games as well. Nikola Jokic is a player that seems to give trouble to almost anybody he faces, especially with his ability to stretch the floor. The depth of this team is something that not only could give the Heat major trouble, but also for whoever they face in the playoffs. They now have some experience under the belts, which may not be a big deal for the way these playoffs will be presented. Either way, the Miami Heat will have their hands full on the defensive side of the ball with the talented players that are on this roster.

3. Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors will be the second game of Miami’s updated schedule and will definitely be a good one. Toronto is another one of those teams that were a surprise this season after the departure of their star Kawhi Leonard. The Heat played the Toronto Raptors twice this season and came away with the win in both. This doesn’t mean to take this team lightly. They have fire power across the whole roster and seem to give Miami trouble on the defensive side of the ball. When Miami played Toronto in early January, the leading scorer for the Heat was Bam Adebayo with 15 points. That could be a problem. On the other side of things, Bam Adebayo seemed to be the perfect player to stop Toronto’s star Paschal Siakam. They match-up pretty well, which makes for a tough regular season game heading into the playoffs.

2. Boston Celtics

The Heat will be playing the Boston Celtics on a back to back after the game against Toronto, which seems to always be the case. These games will be played on August 3rd and August 4th, and interesting enough the Heat played Toronto on December 3rd and Boston on December 4th this season. Just like in that instance, the Raptors give the Heat a tough game and leave them exhausted for a young Boston Celtics team. The Celtics beat the Heat in both games they played this season. But one thing should be noted, Jimmy Butler does not like losing. The idea of losing to this team three times in one season will not sit well with him. Be ready for an absolute display by Heat’s star Jimmy Butler on August 4th.

1. Milwaukee Bucks

And finally, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. It’s always a tough assignment to slow down a leading MVP candidate and only one guy seemed to do it this season. Bam Adebayo. The Miami Heat seemed to play exceptionally well on both sides of the floor against this team, especially on the defensive side of the ball. This is because the way to stop this team is to make everyone other than Giannis beat you. Which is what they did. Once Bam fully locked up Giannis, they then looked to Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe, who did not seem comfortable in those situations. If the Heat could mirror the way they played earlier in the season, they’ll have a chance to take down the Bucks and try and secure a top 4 seed.

NBA’s Final Four followed the path Heat taking

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The Miami Heat, as currently constituted, are nowhere near the NBA’s Conference Finals.

They weren’t as good as any of the bottom four teams in the East’s playoff bracket — and none of those teams, after Victor Oladipo was injured for Indiana, were all that good.  But, at the very least, there is some validation of Miami’s recent approach, which has been to build from the middle rather than break it all down and sink to the bottom.

Toronto, Milwaukee, Portland and even Golden State rose to prominence with picks outside the top 5.

The Raptors started their rise with the drafting of DeMar DeRozan ninth overall in 2009; eventually DeRozan was flipped for Kawhi Leonard, taken 15th by San Antonio. New star Pascal Siakam was taken 27th.

The Bucks? Giannis was 15th also. Khris Middleton, scrapped by Detroit, was a second rounder. Brook Lopez went 10th to the Nets. Eric Bledsoe was 24th.

The Blazers? Their excellent backcourt came into the league at No. 6 (Dame Lillard) and No. 10 (CJ McCollum).

Then there are the Warriors. And we know it’s unfair now, as long as former No. 2 overall pick Kevin Durant is healthy. But the original base of the squad was constructed with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, all of whom should have been drafted higher than they were, with Curry (7) the highest.

The point is, you can build through the middle. Denver, which nearly got to the West Final, has done it as well as anyone. Philadelphia, which was a shot from the East Final, has done it the other way — but Phoenix has tried that way and its only elite player is a guy the Suns took 11th (Devin Booker). None of the other players, picked higher than the players in the posted tweet, are as good at the moment as anyone on that list.

And Miami has done well in the middle with three picks, all of which have outperformed their draft slots as compared to the other players in that draft, whether Justise Winslow at 10, or Bam Adebayo at 14, or especially Josh Richardson at 40 — Richardson has been the third most productive player in his draft so far.

So even if our Lottery Draft Party (at Tap 42 in Midtown Miami) is a spectacular failure, and Miami slips from No. 13 to No. 14 rather than moving up, it still can land a quality player. And get the narrative of team-building back in its favor.