Tag Archive for: Tyler Herro

Meaningful May in Miami Sports is Here

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

May is setting up to be a memorable month in Miami sports.

It’s an exciting time as May ushers in multiple post-season series for Miami sports fans.

The East in both the NBA and NHL runs through South Florida.

Hell, even the Marlins are giving us hope (for now).

 

Not to mention a great end to the week with the Miami Grand Prix at Hard Rock Stadium.

 

The Miami Heat and Florida Panthers will each be in the spotlight this week.

Starting Monday the Heat and Panthers alternate game nights, including four consecutive South Florida home contests.

These are two teams that are stylistically different yet similarly effective, these matchups offer something for everyone.

Heat match up with Sixers in East semifinals

The Heat begin the second round of the NBA Playoffs against a weakened Philadelphia 76ers squad.

 

Without Embiid for the time being, this becomes a drastically different series.

Philadelphia will need more offense from James Harden, who averaged just 14 points-per-game versus Miami this season.

The Heat want teams to try and beat them from beyond the arc, and in this matchup Philadelphia will likely oblige.

That may not always work out for Miami as Philadelphia shot 40.8% from deep in the opening round.

The emergence of Tyrese Maxey has given the Sixers another option on the perimeter.

Maxey has played well in the playoffs and against Miami (21.3 PPG), how the Heat defend him could be a key to the series.

Is the the Panthers’ year?

Across the county line in Broward, the high-flying Florida Panthers open their post-season Tuesday against Washington.

Fresh off their first ever Presidents’ Trophy for the NHL’s best record, expectations are at an all-time high for the Panthers.

 

Unlike their colleagues on Biscayne, the Panthers are not terribly worried about defense.

The Panthers simply attack and overwhelm opposing teams with line after line of skill.

 

Washington played the Panthers tough this year; each game was decided by a single goal with the Cats winning two out of three.

The status of Alex Ovechkin is something to watch as he missed the final three games of the regular season with an upper body injury.

Ovechkin has never missed a playoff game due to injury, and if he is close to healthy expect the NHL’s third all-time leading goal scorer to play.

The Panthers have two superstars in Sasha Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau, who just led the NHL in assists.

No team scored more goals or took more shots than the Panthers, with any semblance of goaltending the Cats should advance easily.

So relax, crack open a Biscayne Bay Brew, and enjoy this week for the ages Miami sports fans!

Make sure to check out our daily fantasy partners PrizePicks! Use promo code five for 100$ deposit match, www.prizepicks.com.

 

 

 


 

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Loss in Game 3

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat played in a back and forth battle in game 3 in Atlanta, and man was it a back and forth.

Jimmy Butler three to Trae Young three to PJ Tucker three to late Young floater to go up 1.

But here are some takeaways from this one, mostly focused on pre-late-game execution, which I’ll focus on later…

#1: Heat’s offensive first half recap: a little bit of Jimmy Butler, a lotta bit of Tyler Herro.

The Heat scored 54 points in the fourth quarter, yet exactly half of it was scored by Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro. Things weren’t fully going their way for a majority of that first 24, but it really was a transition of those two that I named. Butler came out in attack mode, basically spamming both ends of the PnR. Getting to his spots as the ball-handler, while forcing Trae Young to make a decision as a roller. Both were working, which put Miami in a comfortable spot early. Then as Miami tried to counter the Hawks run, it was solely Herro who kept them afloat. Playing a bit more off the ball and his catch and shoot three ball was falling, but he looked really free-flowing in terms of getting to his spots in the mid-range. After some were questioning his effectiveness a bit, he came out firing in game 3 for 15 first half points.

#2: The Hawks with the game 3, home team boost: collective shooting.

Looking at the first half stat sheet, it felt like the Hawks were shooting the ball from the outside at a much higher clip. The Heat struggled from three, shooting 6 of 23, which is 26%, while the Hawks were 5 of 14. But like I said, it felt like that number should be much higher. The reason was that it wasn’t the three-point shooting that was hurting them. It was a bit of interior play, and a lot of mid-range play. Danilo Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and De’Andre Hunter seemed to make it a priority to flow right into that face up jumper. Like most game threes go after trailing 2-0 in the series, that home team tries to make that big push in that first half out of pure desperation. But as I mentioned before this game, it wasn’t Young that was the worry. It was collective shooting, which is exactly what they provided.

#3: It’s clear the Heat do have a reliance on role players.

The way the Heat have gotten to this point as the 1 seed in the Eastern Conference has been through complete contributions from player 1 to player 17. Depth has been killer for this group, and the Heat have had big moments so far from their role guys. The big Duncan Robinson game 1, while PJ Tucker took over that third quarter. Full Gabe Vincent dominance on both ends of the floor in game 2, as Dewayne Dedmon provided a big second half. Yet in game three, that reliance showed a bit. Robinson, Vincent, and Max Strus were shooting 3 of 10 from the field, while almost all of the shots came from deep, which contributed to the poor shooting early that I mentioned. But we saw it begin to turnaround, as Strus caught some fire to begin the second half. The ups and downs of the game had a lot to do with the ups and downs of the role guys.

#4: PJ Tucker: the ultimate impact player being showcased again.

When you hear PJ Tucker, you think of impact. Being trucked in the corner as the close-out guy tries to get to the shooter, setting solid screen after solid screen, and locking up Trae Young as the primary assignment. For one, that needs to be the starting factor, as Young kept trying to throw him around with his maneuvers, and he wouldn’t bite. Not many guys move their feet like that at his size, but he just battles like no other, which was obviously bothersome. Now, on the offensive end, he gave a monstrous third quarter, much like he did in game 1. In that game it consisted of 3 corner triples in a 6 minute span, yet in this one it was just calculated slips for his signature floater in the middle of the floor. Two will fly to the guard each and every possession, and he’s the guy that can swing a run. He’s the ultimate impact player, and you can tell his game is rising.

Loading
Loading...

#5: Jimmy Butler takes a blow, Kyle Lowry goes out late. Just about getting out, yet they came out down 2-1.

Early in the game, there was a play where Butler drove and converted on the and-1, but there was deeper meaning to that play. Butler was laying on the floor holding his mid-section, which had people probably thinking worst case scenario. He ended up getting up and staying in the game, but that’s one of those things that possibly linger. Now, later in the second half, a report came out that Kyle Lowry would not return to the game due to a left leg injury, which kind of came out of nowhere. As the potential second round opponent Philadelphia 76ers took care of business late in their game 3, they should have a good amount of rest before that series would begin. And as the Heat continue to account for some scratches and bruises, rest themselves would be pretty ideal. But now they find themselves down 2-1 in the series…

 

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale

Miami Heat-Atlanta Hawks Schematic Series Outlook

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat finally know their first round opponent about 38 hours before game 1 tips off at FTX arena, and that team would be the Atlanta Hawks.

They took down the Cavaliers on Friday night in a pretty uneven game overall, showcasing both the strengths and weaknesses of this Hawks group.

They can score with the best of them, behind Young’s second half masterclass which landed him with 38 on the night. Yet, it’s simple to say their defense is pretty atrocious.

Now that we’re here, and have no time for dragging things out as the game is edging closer, let’s take a quick dive into the specifics of this Heat-Hawks match-up…

Defensively:

Pick your Poison with Trae Young:

Trae Young the scorer and Trae Young the passer are two completely different beasts, yet equally elite. He can set others up by collapsing the defense like he did against Cleveland early on with 9 assists, then explode in the second half as a scorer for 38 points on the night.

So, how do you stop that? Or more importantly, which do you choose to stop?

Heading into each individual game, that choice has to be made. Are you going to make Young’s life miserable by blitzing pick and rolls, doubling him on isos, and getting the ball out of his hands? Or, do you stay home on shooters and allow the in-action defenders to handle Young while eliminating the backside?

It’s a legitimate argument for sure. And the key to it all is being a “game-by-game” thing. Coach Erik Spoelstra is one of the best in the business at mid-series adjustments, including feeling out a player early on then piling on the counters.

Looking at the play above, we saw Miami’s plan in that first half about a week ago was to stay home on the shooters and eliminate weak-side kicks. For further reference, watch Duncan Robinson and Gabe Vincent in that clip.

Young gets to his spot in the middle of the floor, and they simultaneously step up for the cut-off on the perimeter. In that game, Atlanta shot 8 of 34 from deep, which is 24% shooting.

He does eventually score on this play, (which should’ve been an up-and-down), but it’s clear Miami likes their odds with a guy of Caleb Martin’s caliber trailing him after a ball screen.

Which transitions me into my next topic…

The Shifting Match-ups with Atlanta:

PJ Tucker takes the guard, Bam Adebayo trots next to the upcoming screener. Tucker slides down, Adebayo locks up the perimeter, and they collectively crash to help out on the boards.

In a single regular season game without the counters to your counters, that works perfectly fine. Yet at this time of year, you need a bit more padding than that.

Not that Spo was showing his cards in that meaningless Hawks game a week ago, but we got a glimpse of something that will stick.

Looking at the play above, take a look at those match-ups to begin the possession.

Martin on Young, which will be a staple for extended periods. Adebayo guarding that screener in Capela, who could potentially miss time. Jimmy Butler in his happy place of weak-side looming. Oh, and there’s Kyle Lowry battling it out in that mid-post with Danilo Gallinari.

With a 1 guarding a 4, they must’ve forced a switch, right?

Wrong.

When a team contains a stretch 4 like Gallinari, who isn’t known for his inside presence, the Heat’s coaching staff have shown that they aren’t afraid of those initial match-ups to begin a possession.

Lowry can deny an entry pass just enough, help down off a baseline drive, and have Adebayo cover all of that up with a perfect contest up top. That’s what this Heat defense is.

In simpler terms, the anti-Hawks defense. The rotations are always picture perfect, they have more counters for the hunting than you may think, and the versatility of this group defensively is greater than ever.

Adebayo, Butler, Tucker, Martin, Lowry, Vincent are just a couple names that could potentially see time on Young in theory, and that just speaks not only to the depth of this group, but what this one seed was built off of.

Obvious Blitzing:

It doesn’t take a video of Miami’s pick and roll dissection against Young to realize that he will see blitzing at some point in this series.

But it’s not if he will see it, it’s when he will see it.

In terms of game preparation, one of the hardest things to try and get ready for is the timing for an adjustment. You can watch all of the game film in the world to know exactly what’s coming, but when that card is played in the third quarter of game 3, it isn’t easy to swiftly transition into.

With Spo, he won’t be eager to overplay this. This ties back into picking the poison of him as the scorer or the passer, but a lot of the time blitzing is utilized to hide something within the defense. Whether it’s to avoid the attack on a weaker guard, or send out a guy like Omer Yurtseven like they did during the season so he can’t pick apart drop, it just gets you further and further away from predictability.

Yet in this series, timing will be much more crucial than actual cards being played.

Loading
Loading...

Offensively:

Attacking the Bigs…Differently than You’d Think

When bringing up the attack on the Atlanta Hawks front-court, it should be noted quickly that this isn’t a normal Hawks front-court. No John Collins, and possibly no Capela, means that we should be seeing a lot more Gallinari, Onyeka Okongwu, and Gorgui Dieng.

We can attack those 3 names from three different angles, but I’ll start with Gallo, since that’s the one Miami has shown the most interest in exploiting.

A lot of the time we sit back and talk about attacking Young, which I’ll address later, but Miami has found a liking to drawing Gallinari out and going at him, specifically during times of need in the clutch.

Looking at the plays above, Lowry was able to force the switch and break him all the way down for the eventual spin around jumper late in the fourth. A staple of his game in these scenarios.

But on par with “staples” of certain guys games, there’s a common thread when Herro sees an uncomfortable big drawn out to the perimeter: a jumper from deep.

That usually isn’t the product of seeing that develop in front of most guards, since they quickly rely on a burst to the rim for obvious reasons. Herro, on the other hand, gets the feeling that he can rise over the top of him with zero way to a fast recovery, which he displays in that clip above.

Now, Okongwu could end up bringing a bit of a different look to this Hawks defense, but the striking weakness with that would be inexperience, quite simply. And when a guy like that gets bumped up a spot, somebody behind him is doing the same thing.

In this case, that guy is Dieng. After Duncan Robinson has so often seen flying doubles when getting schemed against, the play-book may be opening up for him in this first round.

His minutes would seem to be mirrored with Dieng early in the series, leading to a drop big sagging way back for Robinson to take advantage of. He’s one solid screen away from an open triple off a curl, which has made him so effective up to this point.

And getting him going early in this playoff run could be major.

Shooters Celebrating:

Now zooming out a bit from specifics, guys like Max Strus, Robinson, and other shooters have to be enjoying this outcome. Well, at least they should be.

If you watched the Cavs-Hawks play-in game, you may have walked away from the game with an abundance of takeaways. But one of the main ones had to be that this Hawks defense ranks in the bottom 5 for a reason.

Not even looking at personnel, they just allow open three after open three, strictly based off poor help decisions and even worse rotations. Most of the time they turn around watching that shooter take their time before the triple, just as you or me are while sitting on the couch at home.

The point is that shooters will thrive, and guys like Butler and Herro will be the reasons.

Just take a look at this possession for example, as four defenders collapse on a Herro drive, leading to an incredible find for a Vincent corner three. This isn’t one of those random plays that pop up that you won’t see again.

Trust me, we will see a lot of this, which has me eyeing increased assist numbers from both Herro and Butler in this series. The question becomes: who will be the shooter who steps up more than the others?

Robinson? Strus? Tucker? I guess only time will tell.

Hunting Trae Young or Eliminating Trae Young…Both are helpful for an offense:

Lastly, we must finish off with one of the more widely used phrases when bringing up playing the Hawks, which is the idea of hunting Young defensively.

It’s definitely something that will occur, which will be hugely based off Butler’s inverted pick and rolls, so he can get him on his back in that mid-post before continuing to make a play.

But a twist from Atlanta’s side in that last game against Miami is an important element, yet equally as exploitable.

Late in the game, the one guy who wasn’t a true offensive shot creating threat was Strus, who was in there solely for spacing purposes. So, they consequently placed Young onto him in the corner, basically eliminating the idea of him being hunted in theory.

But the thing about that is that could be used to your advantage just as well. If Young is in that weak-side corner, what does that also mean? You guessed it, that Young is also the weak-side helper. It allowed Miami’s lanes to open up much more in that game, which is another scenario of picking your poison.

Would you rather force the attack onto him, or allow a spaced out 4-on-4 on that back-side?

We will see what they choose once we get there, but the point of all this is that they have plenty of options on both sides of the basketball. When heading into that first round series against the Bucks last year, there weren’t a variety of choices on both sides.

It was a whole lot of individual match-ups with holding your ground, plus trying to dissect drop at the elbow over and over and over. Yet if the defense stopped that, we saw they had nothing else to get to.

This team, though, has a whole lot. And while we may not see it all in this first round, it’ll all be laid out there at one point or another.

 

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale

A Walk Through the 2nd Day of Miami Heat Practice Before Playoffs

/0 Comments/in , /by

As the Heat completed their second day of practice before the start of the first round series Sunday at 1 pm, the goals of this team are clear:

Forgetting the past.

By that I don’t just mean leaving the negative stuff behind them, such as the sweep against the Milwaukee Bucks a year ago in the first round. It’s also about leaving the good stuff for when it really happened.

When Jimmy Butler was asked about some of the similarities between this team and the one that made the late push in the bubble, he quickly brushed them off.

He quickly made sure to note that this is a completely different team, which in many cases is true.

It may be a different team, but it’s the same Jimmy Butler. Going at it on the other side of the practice court in a king of the court session with Heat veteran Udonis Haslem and young two-way Javonte Smart.

Yelling, competing, exchanging words after stops or buckets…

He loves to battle, and he leans towards guys that love to battle as much as him. One being Haslem, who we all know. And two being Smart.

I asked Butler after practice about Smart’s potential in general after battling with him. “He’s a really good player, he works incredibly hard,”Butler says, then follows that up with: “He can’t guard me 1-on-1.”

Those are the type of words from Butler when you know somebody’s legate. When they are tough enough to compete, and already getting slandered in a fun way, they’re on the path from two-way to a normal contract.

Loading
Loading...

Now, if you’re looking to cement some bets on the Heat’s +1200 championship odds, the first bet promos for Caesars Sportsbook will give you an advantage on that bet because if it doesn’t play out accordingly, you’ll at least be getting your wager back in credit. Though, if you’re not the one that’s confident on that specific bet, just know that Tyler Herro is focused on shifting the future.

I asked Herro after practice about the major differences in his game when zooming out, comparing where he stood entering that Bucks series last year compared to now.

“I’ll be much better this playoffs, I’m sure of that.”

Not only is Herro ramping up right about now, but Kyle Lowry is piecing stuff together as well.

I asked Erik Spoelstra if he’s noticed an uptick with Lowry’s approach at this moment in time, where he highlighted one word to describe the main area that he’s been elevating:

“Detail.”

And well, that’s Kyle Lowry. You’re getting a much improved Herro, but the way for that to all fit in place is for Lowry to settle them, and provide that detail in every inch of practice and the game.

Finally, and most important of them all, I had to ask the important stuff to Butler as this will be his last time speaking to media before Sunday’s game.

After consistently saying the shooting sleeve is the reason for his hot shooting down the stretch of the season, I asked if it would be making a playoff appearance.

“I don’t know, I gotta find a way to keep my teammates smiling. So maybe double sleeve like Jae Crowder does it, who knows.”

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale

Five Takeaways from this Miami Heat Season

/0 Comments/in , /by

On a pretty meaningless night of Miami Heat basketball, I wasn’t going to dissect the play of Sioux Falls against the Magic.

Instead, I wanted to zoom out a bit and go big picture.

So, here are some mainstream takeaways from the Heat this regular season…

#1: Tyler Herro’s leap, a Miami Heat leap.

Coming into the season, there were some decently high expectations for Tyler Herro on this team. He had a lot against him heading in with trade rumors and things of that nature, yet people still were projecting that 6th man of the year was in reach. But as we’ve seen, not only was he in reach, he’s the runaway favorite. And to that point, he’s exceeded all expectations since that first game in October, even after putting a target on his back that he was in similar “conversations” as some of the league’s best young talent. From a basketball perspective, we constantly look at the stuff he’s doing now under a microscope, but it’s pretty obvious that his leap has elevated this Heat team. On the offensive end, he’s allowed everything to gel together due to his shot creating surge. Yet when hearing the word “surge,” it feels like it applies to him in different ways week after week.

#2: Bam Adebayo capping off the staple of this team: a top defense.

After looking back at Herro’s play leading to offensive flexibility, that’s been the case for Bam Adebayo on the defensive end to an even further degree. Yes Miami added defensive talent, in guys like PJ Tucker, and lost certain liabilities, like Kendrick Nunn or Goran Dragic, but defense is very similar to offense: you can have skillful players, but you need the puzzle pieces to fit together. Bam Adebayo is the reason that they fit. The Miami Heat have won regular season games this year behind Bam’s impact on switches, weak-side help, or the pure fear factor. That’s why it just works, and ultimately why he should be the defensive player of the year. In terms of expectations, it’s fair to say that some expected he could potentially obtain that award, but becoming Spoelstra’s shifting defensive design isn’t normal. But he’s made it look as such.

#3: Jimmy Butler’s consistency and Kyle Lowry’s control providing positive signs.

In the off-season, we heard a lot of talk about timelines. The Herro-Adebayo timeline or the Butler-Lowry timeline. And well, they’re riding the line of both at this very moment in time, landing them in the 1 seed. I talked about that young pairing already, but that veteran combo shouldn’t be pushed to the side. Through pure numbers, there hasn’t been much change for them, but they’ve allowed this all to work. Lowry has led to a major shift in offensive schematics, as Miami has abandoned pure reliance on DHO’s, and relied much more heavily on ball screen sets and heavy movement actions. How can they quickly transition? Well, just credit Lowry’s passing. Butler also deserves credit for his overall consistency, not just in numbers, but in role. His rim pressure asset is nothing to play with, and we’re now seeing him taking a hypothetical step back for the young duo to shine. We know about the Lowry-Butler relationship off the floor, but the on-court duo is peaking at the right time.

#4: Do the Miami Heat have depth? Oh yeah, the Miami Heat definitely have depth.

The question that was posed often before the season when talking about this Heat team was: do they have enough depth? Not only rotationally, but to get through a regular season. Looking back at it now, both of those things are laughable. Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, and Caleb Martin ascending together this season has played a big part in that, which is where “getting through the regular season” comes into play. Lowry goes out, oh Vincent steps up big. Robinson goes out, Strus steps up big. Butler goes out, Martin steps up big. Adebayo goes out, Yurtseven steps up big. It was a never ending process that quickly blended into rotation strength. These guys were no longer fillers. They were legitimate playoff level bench pieces. Now fast forward a bit more, you have some other guys on the outside looking in, with Markieff Morris and Victor Oladipo, as Dipo goes off for 25 in the first half on game 82. Depth quickly shifted from weakness to strength, and now it’s leading to constant debates of who should play over who.

Loading
Loading...

#5: A 1 seed built for the playoffs.

Moving the goal posts is a common occurrence in the sports world. As many proclaimed before the season, this gritty Heat group would be one of those “tough outs” in a playoff setting, since they will be one of those middle of the pack teams nobody wants to play. All of a sudden they land in the 1 seed, due to the previous section of depth, and now they’re a regular season team that have questions surrounding entering true contention? Yeah, like I said, the goal posts move. But it’s pretty clear when watching this team that they are built for a playoff setting. For one, they have a coach of the year candidate that I haven’t touched on a lot here, who is better at mid-game, or mid-series, adjustments than most opponents he faces. But more importantly, they’ve found their identity at the right time. They’ve known what they are defensively, but discovering this new look offense with more spacers, expanded sets, and a changing rotation has broadened this team’s ceiling in my view.

 

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Hawks

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat faced the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night after already locking up the 1 seed, and it had a real playoff feel to it late.

All the main guys played, and they got crucial late game offense reps.

Big Tyler Herro shot, nice Bam Adebayo control, and a major set up from Kyle Lowry late.

A clear confidence booster.

Even if the Heat are still not among the four favorites to win the East in the playoffs, according to Betway.com.

 

Some takeaways:

#1: Tyler Herro’s passing vision continues to spike.

Tyler Herro enters for Jimmy Butler, as the new substitution pattern sticks. Like most games, the first couple possessions look similar. Herro-Adebayo pick and roll, Herro draws two to the ball, and Bam gets a bucket. That happened immediately as he checked in once again. But then it was copied and pasted immediately after as a highlight lob pass for the Bam dunk. That combo is one conversation, but this version of Herro is the true conversation. It’s one thing to get to the point where you’re consistently drawing two, but it’s another thing to continually drop dimes out of that double since multiple guys are dropping down. They’re surrounding him with other shooters, since there’s always an awaiting Robinson, Strus, or Vincent on that weak-side. And that’s a post-season half court offense gift.

#2: Caleb Martin allows for defensive versatility.

Watching the defensive alignments early on, it could be foreshadowing something more meaningful down the road. In this instance, Caleb Martin is guarding the talented point guard, in Trae Young, which could also be the PJ Tucker role when he’s playing. But if the power forward is guarding the opposing 1, who is 6 foot Kyle Lowry guarding? Well, in this case, it’s the stretch 4 named Danilo Gallinari. It’s been clear this season that Miami likes to stick Martin or Tucker on those type of guards, but the issue is if the opposing front-court allows for Lowry to match-up with. Like I said, one that isn’t an interior threat like Gallinari is the perfect example. Sub John Collins in for him, and you must go in a different direction. But the point is that this allows for some defensive versatility, and that starts with these versatile wings like Martin.

#3: The Trae Young effect.

In a game like this, it’s more about projecting forward as Miami had the 1 seed locked up before even walking into the building. But the truth is that there are four teams who could potentially land in that 8 spot. And well, Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks are one of them. Yet when watching tonight, it’s clear that he forces you to empty the defensive playbook with a bunch of different surprises. As much as I talk about the match-ups from Miami’s perspective, Young is just that talented to bypass those things at times. Looking at the second quarter for example, there was a play in which Young tried to take Martin off the dribble for the entire possession. Martin wasn’t biting on any fake or cross. He locked him up for about 22 seconds, yet Young somehow slipped by at the last two for the lay-in. Those are the problems that he presents. It’s all about that 24 second clock, since he only needs that one second advantage to make a play.

#4: Bam Adebayo putting together a nice offensive night.

Instead of looking so far into X’s and O’s or stats, it should be mentioned that Bam Adebayo put together a nice little performance in this one on the offensive end. I’ve already touched on the stuff next to Herro, which is a major part of his scoring success, but his inside game seems to be growing night to night. There are plenty of bigs that he faces that clearly overpower him in size, but these slight fakes and baseline drives to get under the rim has gotten him to the line quite often as of late. As I said before the season when many were chanting for Bam threes, the better option would be his inside game to take a major step. We aren’t at the “major” point yet, but there’s definitely been a step. And that improvement could win Miami a playoff game.

Loading
Loading...

#5: So, all eyes on that 8 spot.

The Brooklyn Nets took down the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight, which are the current 7 and 8 seeds. Since the Nets have the tiebreaker over them, that jumps them up to the 7 seed as we speak. The Hawks sit right behind, with the Charlotte Hornets sitting nice as well as they destroyed the Chicago Bulls tonight. Now it just comes down to eyeing the Nets final game, as that’s the team most people are worried about. They win that game, then they’ll find themselves in an elimination game at home in the play-in, meaning they’re one win away from landing themselves in the 7 seed officially. There are a ton of tiebreaker elements to this right now, but the Nets road to that seeding now leans in their favor. Should be an interesting week as Miami charges up at home for that first round series.

 

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Raptors

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Heat didn’t seem to be in a great spot early on against the Toronto Raptors, yet fought back with an impressive win behind a bunch of guys.

Tyler Herro played a complete game, Max Strus provided the spark, and Victor Oladipo came up huge.

So, here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: Heat having trouble stopping this lengthy, quick Raptors team early on.

While the offensive end is always looked to first, it was clear that Miami’s defense had to be the focus when reflecting at the half. For one, Fred VanVleet was just able to go to work possession after possession, going for 17 first quarter points to kick off the game. But the true issue is those surrounding VanVleet. We talk about this Raptors team’s length being a defensive thing, but they provide hard things to defend on the opposite side of things. They love to run a single PnR to draw that smaller defender, then go full clear-out mode. Guys like Barnes or Siakam were able to get decent looks in that mid post area, which leads to Miami’s weak-side wing defenders edging down. Now that slight double comes, and the kick-out is made. Their offense was simple, but when they’re shooting at that level over a certain stretch, it looks much more complex.

#2: Tyler Herro’s counter to so many different coverages is a unique approach.

Evaluating Tyler Herro against a team like the Raptors is a good benchmark in terms of tracking his individual success. As I’ve mentioned all year, length is one of the best counters to his high level offensive display. But when there’s quick and switchy length, it makes it even tougher. You can’t effectively drive to the basket with them lurking, but they also play high in the PnR since they can switch basically everything. So, what’s Herro’s move from there? Well, it isn’t a schematic shift that is made. It’s simply tough shot making. Time and time again, that’s his relying force as a scorer. Weaving in that mid-range, taking tough step-backs, or working that transition pull-up 3 due to the fact it’s the only shot that won’t see a contest. We know everything Herro provides, but being able to have that elite level tough shot making label is impressive.

#3: Victor Oladipo minutes, Victor Oladipo production?

With Miami lacking Jimmy Butler, PJ Tucker, Gabe Vincent, and Dewayne Dedmon, plenty of slots were opened in the Heat rotation which includes Victor Oladipo. His early offensive success was that release valve three, as many of his minutes came next to Herro and one of Bam or Lowry. But more specifically with Herro, the Raptors were making sure to send two at him no matter the circumstance. That meant open looks were presenting themselves for Oladipo, which he took advantage of in his first stint. We know he can have moments, but the common question is if he can have consistent moments. Yes he can knock down wild step back triples through pure skill, but we’ve also seen that turnovers have been linked to him at times by rushing on-ball creation a ton. That comes with the fact that he hasn’t played many basketball games due to injury recently, but that would be the ability that’d push him into comfortable rotation status. But with the big time shot making displayed tonight, he’s inching closer and closer to that state.

#4: Max Strus: the ignitable piece.

As Miami seemed a step behind entering the second half offensively, it was clear there were only certain players who could push them into winning position: Max Strus or Duncan Robinson. The common denominator there was that they needed one of their primary shooters, who had yet to make a three, to bend the defense a bit on the perimeter. And well, that guy was Strus. After not attempting a shot in the first half, he exploded in the third quarter for 14 points and 4 triples, which helped Miami basically get over the hump. It’s not about Strus’ 14 in itself exactly, but it’s what those shots open up. The move to put him in the starting lineup felt like a placeholder, but it’s feeling more and more like a sticking point. As Spoelstra always says, it’s his ignitability that makes him so special, and when a guy has the potential to win you a playoff game, you go with that player.

Loading
Loading...

#5: Scrapping their way into one of their grittier wins of the season.

In terms of big time gritty wins this season for the Heat, this game is up there. Their offense was flattened out, Lowry mentioned his emotions would be everywhere, and Toronto’s size was causing problems. Yet, they battled through. I talked about both Herro and Strus previously, but there needs to be context of them together, specifically in the 4th. Strus kept getting more looks and kept capitalizing, but it’s not crazy to say that Herro was the reason. He continued driving and attacking, meaning Toronto kept sending bodies at him and helping down. Therefore, Strus took advantage. The other guy I already touched on who took advantage late was Oladipo. A big dunk got the team into it, and one deep three put Miami over the top. What felt like a statement game from Lowry turned into a statement game from Oladipo, leading to some interesting conversations late in the season.

 

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Bulls

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat faced the Chicago Bulls on the front end of a back to back, and came away with a comfortable win in Chicago.

Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro all stepped up at different moments, showcasing a minor switch being flipped as they edge closer to the playoffs.

So, here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: Jimmy Butler’s jumper revived?

Watching Jimmy Butler in the first half, two things were noticed. The jumper looked like it was peaking, and his play at the 4 is rising rapidly. Why is that important? Well, those two things go hand in hand. His play at the 4 has opened up his scoring lanes at another level, specifically in that mid-range area. There’s less crowding going on with only one of Adebayo or Tucker occupying the dunker spot, and spreading out three shooters. But the fact of the matter is this: the jumper is looking better than it has all year. However you may feel about the three ball, his teammates have been in his ear to shoot more of them, and he’s not shying away from it. There’s been less of that one-legged fade and more of that slight rise off two feet, and that’s the formula. And it’s clear, his jumper falling raises the ceiling of this offense majorly.

#2: The Heat’s first half adjustments from Erik Spoelstra: a product of 3 straight triples from Herro.

When looking at the first stint for Tyler Herro, he kicked off his opening stretch by getting blocked 3 straight times. Patrick Williams specifically was helping over a ton on that strong side to make impressive plays with his athletic build. But then came the adjustment. How do you eliminate that? Well, for one, you go to more empty corner stuff since that eliminates that type of help at the nail, and basically bends an entire defense. They shifted the ball into the hands of Jimmy Butler, since they noticed this over-helping combined with the extra shooting on the floor. The help came, a Herro corner three came out of it immediately, which is essentially the reasoning Miami was getting so many corner triples. The following two plays were driven by an attack by Butler or Bam, and a kick-out for an eventual swing. Both Herro threes again. Tyler Herro may have been the effect, but Coach Spo was the cause. Adjusting early was the key to this one.

#3: So, a healthy group in tact. Who’s the 9 man rotation?

One of the main things I had an eye on heading into this game was the new look rotation. Yes, Victor Oladipo and Markieff Morris are certified situational players right now, but there are still decisions to be made. The bench options consisted of Herro-Vincent-Robinson-Martin-Dedmon, yet it’s clear they want to go 9. So, who was the odd man out? Tonight, that guy was Martin. It feels like they’re trying to get Vincent into an offensive rhythm anyway heading into the post-season, so maybe that decision was predictable. But it wasn’t the final decision for sure. When looking at the options off the bench, I don’t know if it’s Martin or Vincent anymore like we’ve displayed it often. Could it actually be, Martin or Robinson? Yes, they’ve needed spacing, but Miami’s kind of figured it out with the alterations. Not saying that’ll be the case, but I’m sure it’ll go through some minds.

#4: Kyle Lowry’s shot attempts continuing to rise.

When Kyle Lowry previously said he would use a short ramp up period to prepare for the “real season,” he wasn’t kidding. Game after game, now that there’s a handful of games left, his shooting numbers fail to decline. As I’ve said after many games this season, and more specifically lately, that pull-up three shifts everything. Just taking it. Teams begin to worry about that, and the skip pass he was throwing early in the season sees a lot more space now that two are flashing to the ball. Fast forwarding to the third quarter, what may have seemed like a minor possession stuck out to me. Lowry-Bam pick and roll ends in a deep floater for Lowry trotting down the lane. The reason it stuck out is that he was passing that in the pocket a month ago. His shot attempts within the pick and roll were staggeringly low, but now he’s hitting strides at the right time. Just like he said.

Loading
Loading...

#5: Dewayne Dedmon providing solid minutes.

In a game that Bam Adebayo got in some early foul trouble, it meant an extended look at Dewayne Dedmon consequently. And well, after he’s had some rough nights as of late consisting of piled up moving screens, he had a really good night overall on both ends. He was active on the boards, moving as a roller, and scoring around the rim efficiently. But most importantly, he looked like he was moving really well, which is they key to his play in small stints. In the playoffs, if Adebayo is pushing 38 minutes, they just need two solid 5 minute stints from Dedmon to move the needle. He was their best post-season performer a year ago, but that was because he only played 16 regular season games before entering playoff mode. Now it’s a different circumstance, but they’re hoping for a similar form.

 

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale

How Tyler Herro has Elevated the League’s Top Scoring Bench

/0 Comments/in , /by

The raw numbers speak for themselves when it comes to Tyler Herro this season, averaging 21 points a game on 44% shooting along with 5 rebounds and 4 assists, plus he’s producing 23 a night since the All Star break.

But when zooming out a bit, this Heat bench has gotten them to this point, and now it’s time for the main cast to push them over the edge as they blend into the post-season.

The interesting part about that: Herro is starring in both that hot bench group and that main cast.

Miami currently averages the most bench points a game this season at 40 a night, which has bumped up even further post All Star break to 46 a game. But frankly, it isn’t just about the box score watching of how many points these guys are putting up.

They’re generating extremely positive minutes when plugging in for starters.

When looking over some of the best offensive two man combos for the Heat since the All Star break, here are the top five in offensive rating with at least 100 minutes played: Caleb Martin and Gabe Vincent, Martin and Max Strus, Martin and Herro, Bam Adebayo and Strus, then Strus and Herro.

That’s five combos, or 10 players, with only one Heat starter named. That simply isn’t a normal occurrence.

In terms of the X’s and O’s differences, one of the main reasons that those numbers looked like that is due to Miami’s spacing looking best in the second units night in and night out. Prolonged minutes of the Butler-Tucker-Adebayo front-court constantly meant a spaced out second unit was about to enter.

Now, they’ve spread it out evenly as we’ve been talking about a ton over the last 48 hours. Herro entering for Butler, maximizes spacing in those early minutes, as well as his shift to the 4 has opened things up.

In many ways, not only has the Heat’s depth gotten them to this point, but they were the trial runs for the coaching staff to gain clarity on what works best for this team offensively.

Loading
Loading...

Having that spacing off the bench is one thing with Strus’ outside shooting or Vincent and Martin’s surges this season into legitimate two way players, but it all comes down to having that head of the snake who knows what to do when actually given that space.

Tyler Herro has been that guy.

I mentioned that Herro insertion for Butler around the 6 minute mark over the last two games, and here was the very first offensive possession in both instances.

Herro comes off the hand-off, Jaylen Brown funnels him inside, Marcus Smart helps down off the corner, and Herro hits Bam on the roll for the eventual dunk. The primary element there, though, is the space that Adebayo had on the roll.

It’s one thing to have the space, but you need a guy in Herro to not only make the pass, but force three to collapse onto him on the ball.

Rewinding back to the game against the Kings, it was pretty much the same exact look, except Tucker standing in the strong-side dunker spot now meant even more room for Adebayo as the roller to operate.

How valuable is Herro to that bench unit, you may ask?

Well, a minor evaluation is that one of the last games he sat out, against the Golden State Warriors on the night of the bench blow-up, the Heat scored 13 bench points while 7 of those came from Victor Oladipo on 3 of 11 shooting.

It goes without saying, but Herro’s value to this team, and more specifically to this bench, is higher than anybody could’ve expected coming into the season.

For example, Martin and Strus have recorded an offensive rating of 114 this season when they share the floor without Herro, yet when Herro enters next to them, it bumps all the way up to 119.

It’s one of those things where the X’s and O’s completely are aligned with the stats. And well, if many want to all of a sudden drift away from the raw numbers for the 6th man of the year award this season, advanced statistics back up Herro’s outstanding season as well.

The bench unit continues to shift around Herro, but it continues to produce due to his strong level of play. From Martin to Vincent to Haywood Highsmith to Omer Yurtseven to Kyle Guy, for some reason Miami never looks shorthanded.

A big part of that is the Heat’s developmental program shining, but an even larger part of it is that Herro’s game has risen to a level that anyone can plug in next to him.

And well, that’s the exact definition of what a 6th man of the year winner should be made of.

 

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over the Kings

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Miami Heat had their roughest week of the season by far this week, but took care of business on Monday night against the Sacramento Kings. Some changes were made, the top guys elevated, and Miami got back in some type of a rhythm.

So, here are some of my primary evaluations from this one…

#1: The rotation changes in this one for the Heat.

Thirty minutes prior to the game, it was announced that Max Strus would start over Duncan Robinson, which raised an eyebrow. Other than some reasoning that involves allowing the starters to figure stuff out together, it was clear Spoelstra wanted some different looks and ultimately flow into a new look rotation. Gabe Vincent and Duncan Robinson came off the bench with the usual Tyler Herro and Dewayne Dedmon combo, which left Victor Oladipo and Markieff Morris out of the mix. To look even further, I don’t believe this will be the end game nine man rotation. Caleb Martin needs to play off the bench, meaning it all comes down to two players: who gets the final starting spot? Duncan Robinson or Max Strus.

#2: Another change that could be even more important: substitution patterns.

When looking at Miami’s usual substitution pattern, Jimmy Butler stays in the game to start as Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry exit, allowing him to run with Tyler Herro and the second unit. Tonight, though, Butler exited first. For Herro. That shift makes things look a lot cleaner for a few reasons. It means Herro and Adebayo can get a longer look together early on, plus it’s one of the lineups that allows Tucker at the 4 to fit in well. But more importantly, it means that Butler re-entering is him at the 4 with shooters, instead of him at the 3 next to Tucker and Dedmon. Certain patterns can change, but the point is more about zooming out. This team has revolved things around the depth all season, but now it’s time to make the changes that benefit the top four guys on the roster. That’s how they excel in the post-season.

#3: The constant question: how to maximize Butler and Adebayo offensively?

I’ve talked a lot about rotations and stuff of those sorts to start this piece, but one play kind of said a lot about how to maximize Butler and Bam together at times. Tyler Herro sets up the offense on the right wing, as two shooters line up on the weak-side, and Butler and Adebayo begin their action. As both are under the goal, Bam screens down for Butler to rise up, as Herro hits him in stride. But as I explained, this down screen wasn’t the usual look. The lower you screen for two guys of this caliber, the harder it is for a defense to manipulate. They can’t just recover by going under a screen, since there’s no room for any of that. Butler rises up for the and-1, which signifies a lot about how they can be used, beginning with Butler playing at the 4. Putting 3 shooters around them is always the way.

#4: Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry controlling.

To carry on the theme of how things were being handled offensively for Miami, Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro seemed to take total control of the handling duties for their half-court sets. Part of that ties into Herro entering for Butler, but this was a Spo change as he had to regroup after the 4 game losing streak. As the third quarter came to a close, Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro had 6 assists a piece, and both of them had enough moments. Well, Herro had plenty at least. Watching him play with his food against this Kings’ defense was a sight, as he did it at all three levels. He’s specifically doing most of his work at the first and third level, which is interesting since the second level is probably his best area. Simply, the team needs those two guys to have the ball in their hands. That’s when things flow, and guys get their best looks.

Loading
Loading...

#5: Some of my most notable Heat set combos.

The Heat’s two man combo has been a staple of theirs for years. Even thinking in really recent years, the Robinson-Adebayo DHO basically got them through their season in the bubble year. But looking at some positive two-man combos at the moment, aside from the obvious ones, I’d start with the newly adjusted Tucker DHO. It’s just something he does quickly when the shot isn’t there, to basically trigger an action, but way too often was Butler on the receiving end. Defender goes under, Tucker in no man’s land, and a 24 second violation is on the way. In this one, we saw some Tucker-Lowry DHO’s which is as good as it gets. Defender has to go over and two are forced to go to the ball, leading to the floater. On the obvious side, as the spacing tries to be fixed around Butler, him screening for Herro is the way in the middle of the floor. Shooters waiting for the spray if they tag, and it’s a win-win all the way around.

 

For business window graphics, interior office signage, custom flags, custom banners and sign repair, reach out to SignsBrowardFortLauderdale