Mateo’s Hoops Diary: Max and Gabe Deserve Their Flowers

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Friday was graduation day for Max Strus and Gabe Vincent.  Both, in their time with the Miami Heat, turned from undesired prospects to must-have role players that helped the group make history.  With their services, the Heat reached its seventh NBA Finals, this time as the second eighth seed and the first Play-in group to do so.  

 

In the regular season, Strus was 11th all-time in team history in made 3-pointers (428) and fifth in the Playoffs (90).  Vincent finished 18th (288) and eighth (77) in the same category.  Without their artillery strikes, Miami’s famed shot at glory never occurs.

 

Strus suited up for the Heat 230 times in the regular season and Playoffs.  He’s a combustible weapon from deep who improved at dribbling on drives and cuts.  Through three rounds in the 2023 Playoffs, he converted 34.9%* of his attempted triples.  His finest moment in the Finals was Game 2, when he uncorked the Heat’s offense with 14 points in the first quarter.

 

Vincent contributed to 239 outings for the group. He was them since before the Orlando bubble, where he recorded 15 seconds total during the 2020 Postseason.  He eventually took Lowry’s job and finished his tenure with White Hot recording 12.7 points a night on 37.8% deep shooting in the 2023 Playoffs.

 

 In Game 2 of the Finals, he logged 23 points and gave Jamal Murray fits on switches to assist the Heat in its only win in the championship round.  

 

The club’s financial situation made it vulnerable to outsiders poaching the goods, and that’s what happened.  The Heat managed to at least exchange Strus in a sign-and-trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs, getting back a second-round pick and a $7.3 million trade exception. Yet, the consequences are dealing with him and the up-and-coming Cavaliers multiple times a year and potentially in the Playoffs. 

 

Nnamdi wanted to stay, reportedly, but the Los Angeles Lakers made him an offer he’d be silly to pass.  He’ll now be LeBron James’ bailout man like Mario Chalmers was ages ago.  

 

Friday wasn’t a total loss for the reigning East champs because it signed former Heater Josh Richardson for the low. He is only 29, and his career was budding with White Hot before getting dealt in the Jimmy Butler four-club swap in 2019.  Yet, since he left Miami, JRich has been passed around more than loose bills at a peep show.  

 

Richardson does some similar things as Strus and was well-liked in his four-year stint.  The production can be replicated, but he’s not as ignitable as Strus and likely won’t generate the same gravity behind the 3-point line.

 

 

In the worst-case scenario, the Heat can move Kyle Lowry back to lead, but there’s still a hole behind him or in the starting unit if his health doesn’t hold up.  On Draft night, Miami picked up five more undrafted prospects. Two are guards.

 

Developing undrafted diamonds is a skill the organization is recognized for league-wide.  But squeezing the juice out of these guys takes multiple seasons.  If Richardson is a dud and the new understudy, whoever he is, isn’t ready, Strus and Vincent’s departures will be a destructive blow to competing on Jimmy Butler’s timeline.

 

Unless the White Whale Damian Lillard, who asked for a trade Saturday, parachutes into Miami.  That is the great equalizer and shifts the Heat back to contention.  

 

According to The Athletic and TNT, the Nets and Heat are the leading suitors. Things move fast in the NBA, and a situation can change in a day if an opportunity isn’t seized.

 

 

 

Bam Adebayo and Butler aren’t turning into long-range sharpshooters, ever.  Tyler Herro enters next season as the most dependable outside threat, but he’s an off-guard.  The outfit needs a playmaker who keeps the ball swinging, buries catch-and-shoot triples and doesn’t turn the rock over.  Lillard can do all of that in his sleep with an arm tied behind his back, but in case he ends up elsewhere, that’s the floor the starting point guard has for next season.    

 

At exit interviews, Strus said it was special getting to the Eastern Conference Finals and the Finals as a starter.  “That doesn’t happen for a lot of people.  A lot of guys don’t even make the Playoffs in their career. I have a lot to be thankful for…”

 

He was honest, too, with his explanation that money would be a key factor in his decision.

 

Vincent said the group was what he was most proud of because of how it fought through adversity.  “I just wish we could have got it done for the rest of the guys.”

 

Strus and Vincent’s hard work carved them a permanent spot in Heat history.  At the end of their new deals, they’ll still have a long career expectancy in the NBA.  It may just be the end for now.  

 

****

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Midseason Awards for the Surprising Miami Marlins

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We find ourselves at the halfway point of the 2023 MLB season, and the Miami Marlins are currently not only in second place in the NL East, but 13 games over .500 and holding one of the NL Wild Cards spots. This is a situation that has been nothing short of a dream come true for general manager Kim Ng and company down in Miami.

In honor of the halfway point, it’s time for some team awards:

 

MVP

I mean, come on. I feel like this is quite obvious. Who else could it be outside of Luis Arraez? An offseason acquisition by Miami that was under a level of scrutiny for the seemingly hefty cost it took to acquire him, and he has delivered tenfold on our expectations. Arraez is currently fighting to be the first batter since Ted Williams in 1941 to hit .400 on the season. Not to mention, he’s doing this with a 158 wRC+. In the leadoff spot alone, Arraez is hitting .432 with a .475 OBP. I mean, what more can you ask from a leadoff hitter? To put more emphasis on it, Arraez is at 3.5 bWAR, putting him on pace for a 7 bWAR season, the highest by a Marlin since Giancarlo Stanton’s MVP season, which held a 6.9 bWAR. What Luis Arraez is doing in Miami is unheard of, and has become the most influential and valuable player for the Marlins this season. 

 

 

Cy Young

This was a bit of a tough question. If you asked me at the start of the season, I would’ve said there’s no doubt in my mind it’s Sandy Alcantara. However, after struggles to begin the season, you’re looking elsewhere. With that in mind, especially after his recent stretch, I have to go with Braxton Garrett. Garrett was someone who, after a rough Spring Training, wasn’t even slotted in the rotation. Garrett stepped in due to injuries, and man, did he step in. This season, Braxton is having career bests in ERA (3.53), FIP (3.27), WHIP (1.12), K’s per 9 (10.1), BB per 9 (1.7) and more. Not to mention, Braxton currently leads the entire MLB in BB per 9 and K per BB (6.13). If you erase his singular start against the Braves on May 3rd (4.1 IP, 11 ER), Braxton’s ERA shrinks even lower to 2.44. The former first round pick has come around in a huge way for the Marlins.

 

 

Rookie of the Year

 

Okay, just like MVP, this is a runaway train. 20 year old pitcher phenom, Eury Pérez, has taken the league by storm. Eury is a pitcher who wasn’t even expected to pitch in the majors, yet he skipped AAA altogether to come up and absolutely shove. Eury Pérez currently holds a 1.34 ERA with a 0.979 WHIP, in addition to a 2.2 bWAR. Reminder – Eury is just only 20 years old. He’s currently on a 21 inning scoreless streak, including 24 K’s in his last 18 innings. The only downside is Pérez has currently matched his career high in innings pitched (78), so how the Marlins handle the young pitcher for the rest of the season remains to be seen. But for now, there are no words that can describe the talent that Eury has and hopefully his contributions will remain in Miami for a long, long time.

 

 

 

Reliever of the Year

 

This pick brings me so much joy, as he’s been one of my personal favorite relievers prior to his debut last year. With that being said, Andrew Nardi. The Nardi Party. The Nard Dog. Nardi is a power southpaw who has been absolutely clutch in every way this season for Miami. He has stranded 25 inherited runners, which is the most in the NL. He has 3 pitches out of the pen, one of which is a devastating slider thrown 40% of the time, resulting in a 37% Whiff Rate. Nardi also wins the award for best hair and mustache, but that’s for another time. Miami needed Nardi to take the leap from last season, where he held a miserable 9.82 ERA in his first 13 appearances and he has done that and more. With a lockdown closer in AJ Puk also on the team, naming Nardi as the Reliever of the Year is quite the honor. 

 

 

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Suns create new star trifecta with trade for Bradley Beal

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Peacetime in the NBA lasted three days following the Nuggets’ parade through Denver. Phoenix swiped Bradley Beal from suitors, sending back expired goods in Chris Paul that might be surrendered, plus acquired a pointless asset in Landry Shamet with some sloppy seconds.

Real deal Beal and the Wizards finally divorced after 11 years with zero trips out of round two. Yet, he was third all-time in minutes played in the regular season for the squad (24,091).

Through 740 outings, Beal logged 16,448 points in the Playoffs and regular season as a Wizard. In the last two years, he was limited to 90 games because of injuries and a suspected soft tank. When available, he is a fierce three-level firecracker who draws extra attention and is underappreciated as a secondary passer.

Before last season, the top brass did him no favors, exchanging Kentavious Caldwell Pope and Ish Smith for Will past “The Thrill” Barton and Monte Morris to the mountain cowtown. Yes, that squad that became the second team from the ABA consolidation in 1976 to win a title after the Spurs.

This Just In: The Kroenke family is weighing sending exiled Wiz general manager Tommy Sheppard a cubic zirconia-laced circlet for arming the champs with the Pope and Smith’s valuable counsel from the sidelines.

Beal is a gunslinger, but, surprisingly, Phoenix emerged in the hunt for him post signing Frank Vogel as head coach when it needed a point guard or reserve munitions. For his career, the former Gator has recorded a scant 10% of his time as lead orchestrator, per Basketball Reference’s position estimate.

The new acquisition doesn’t fit Frankie’s mold on defense either because Beal isn’t recognized as a disruptor, but he has a 6 ‘8 wingspan to work with. The one thing I’m sure to rule out is the Suns throwing Russell Westbrook a life preserver.

But wait. Do the Suns have enough to offset the coin flip curse of 1969?

Dissatisfied Deandre Ayton might develop an allergy to the rock playing and screening next to three high-usage scorers. He’s needed a fresh start for multiple seasons, but the Suns kept him hostage. There’s no word if the top brass will negotiate a ransom with an interested outfit for help in other areas. Although, I fear dealing DominAyton will have less than stellar returns because of two recent Playoff letdowns.

The Suns have three ignitable weapons. Guarding this group on a sideline inbound will be a nightmare dealing with a trifecta that’s effective working off a script.

Before Game 5 of round two, the Nuggets and Suns were tied with two wins. For the pivotal next game at Ball Arena, the Suns used 12 players, and one of its starters logged eight minutes. At the very least, having Beal (healthy) lets Phoenix roll with a shorter rotation. Putting in Beal for Josh Okogie might be an approximation, too, of when Durant replaced Harrison Barnes in the Warriors lineup seven years ago. There’s a deadlier marksman now behind the sights.

Devin Booker, KD and Beal can each attract a double team, but how does a rival send one if the Suns are moving the ball and keeping Ayton and the fifth starter involved? Perhaps when one sits, but most of the game will go by with at least two in.

On the other side, Beal will work with proven schemes and capable defenders. For this to work, he must stay in front of the ball outside, get over screens quickly and never leave his feet. If he does get beat, Durant and Ayton will likely be roaming behind him in the backline. Significant strides on this end are achievable. The new guy will see firsthand at training camp with Booker when they match up.

Beal made the rich even wealthier, and he gets to age gracefully next to some of the best. The Nuggets won’t sweat this, but the rest of the West will.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Heat is a team to be proud of

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A tale of two arenas; Monday, one side was bathing in champagne and the other likely in tears. Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and coach Michael Malone, at separate times, embraced the fans waiting for them behind the line ropes in the tunnel. Then Ömer Yurtseven passed the hallway with his suitcase, looking like he’d seen a ghost.

Heat vice president of basketball ops Andy Elisburg even made an inconspicuous escape through the loading dock as we, the press vultures, scattered and waited for the Nuggets to pass by en route to the locker room.

“Those last three or four minutes felt like a scene out of a movie. Two teams in the center of the ring throwing haymaker after haymaker…” Erik Spoelstra said moments after Game 5.

But I’d say the entire season felt that way. In the last couple of months, the Heat expended everything it had physically to get to the NBA Finals, overcoming the Play-In Tournament to three wins away from a title.

It wasn’t luck, and qualifying it as such would be a tasteless misrepresentation of genius. The Heat legitimately became the beast of the east when it took out the alleged monsters at the one and two seed, Milwaukee and Boston.

Sure, Giannis Antetokounmpo logged 38% of the series minutes in round one. Miami still eliminated Milwaukee in its building the night the Greek Freak dropped 38 points and 20 rebounds.

In the next series, the Heat shattered the fifth-seeded Knicks’ home-court advantage and won both in Miami to go up 3-1. Jimmy Butler missed Game 2 because flop merchant Josh Hart jumped into his ankle, probably capping his explosion the rest of the Playoffs, despite what he says. Miami finished New York off in six.

Its seven-match Eastern Conference Finals with the Celtics should be remembered as a classic. A wise scribe once said the best series involves both squads winning at least two on the road. Miami won three, lost three and then redeemed itself, but in the ECF, three victories came away, and Boston earned two at the Kaseya Center.

The Playoffs have an unmatched ability to expose a player’s genuine basketball character. Tyler Herro, a 20-point per game scorer who recorded 37.8% of eight attempted triples in the regular season, broke two bones in his shooting hand 19 minutes into Game 1 in Milwaukee. His absence could have plunged the group’s chances because of its reliance on him as a dribbler and floor spacer. Yet, the Heat continued to move the rock well and log the highest 3-point percentage in the Playoffs.

Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin combined to make 38 of 76 (50%) 3-pointers in the ECF with Boston. Max Strus was at his best in the Conference Semifinals against New York, contributing 14.7 points on 35.4% long-range efficiency but an eye-popping 79% on 2-point tries (19).

Kevin Love, former ‘Wolve and Cavalier acquired from the buyout market in February, had 18 starts out of 23 Heat Playoff games. His marksmanship and lacerating outlet, plus half court passes, were a secret weapon through three rounds. Spoelstra inserting him as a starter in Game 2 of the Finals in Denver was one of the pivotal adjustments that propelled the visitors to a dub. He shot poorly but recovered extra possessions and was disruptive against the Nuggets’ drives in the backline.

Butler was the frontman for the Heat’s campaign. In Game 4 against Milwaukee, he dropped 56 points, tied for the fourth most ever in a Postseason match. Through it all, he finished with 592 on his scorecard in 23 outings. Only 16 players in NBA history have supplied more through a Playoff run.

In the Finals, Adebayo was the Heat’s finest performer. He was tasked with trying to contain the league’s most nuclear weapon, the Joker, and still had the energy to bestow 21.8 points on 45.5% shooting in over 41 minutes nightly.

The Heat made mistakes too. Spoelstra didn’t trust Haywood Highsmith to play real time in the Finals, and Butler was too passive for lengthy spurts in multiple outings, while Miami was overmatched. Had Highsmith been used as a rotation piece when Vincent and Strus went cold instead of relief minutes, and Butler had been more authoritative, it would have only delayed the inevitable.

Wednesday, the Heat conducted exit interviews. Adebayo said the moments he went through with his teammates were appreciated.

“You never know what can happen next year,” Adebayo said. “You never know what can happen at the deadline. So for me, I just soak in all the good moments, the bad moments, the adversity, all of it. You cherish it because that’s what makes it a brotherhood. We’ve been through so much this year, and I feel it’s brought us closer as brothers.

But one of them is guaranteed to be gone from the locker room. Captain Udonis Haslem’s watch has ended.

UD’s impact is unreplicable. He sacrificed playing time for the development of the troops starting back in 2015. Haslem trained as hard as anyone and was a respected voice behind the scenes, in spite of uniformed factions of the fanbase and clueless media members wondering why the Heat used the 15th roster spot on him. He’s walking away because he’s fulfilled as a pro, and the guys get it now.

At Sunday’s media day, while Denver was up 3-1, Butler said there was no appreciation for the journey. It came short, but the Heat was the second eighth seed and first play-in team to reach the NBA Finals. JB didn’t think too much of it because he’s cursed with always wanting more. But Wednesday he said his biggest takeaway was his gratefulness to compete with his teammates.

The theme of the regular season was one step forward, two backward. It’s why the group developed the reputation for getting tasks done the hard way. The Heat was the 12th seed on Nov. 21, a month into the season, through 18 games. It never ascended past the sixth seed.

“I am just grateful to be a part of the run we had,” Strus said. “It was a very fun basketball experience for me, and I’ll always remember the moments and run we had. As far as what’s next, I don’t know, but I’m looking forward to it, enjoying the journey and letting things take care of itself.”

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Matthew Tkachuk and Jimmy Butler led the Panthers and Heat to the finals.

Pressure Point: Heat, Panthers give S. Florida rare gift, face challenges

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The malaise felt today in South Florida is the hangover from two exhilarating months of thrills and delights from an improbable dual championship pursuit by the Miami Heat and Florida Panthers ending with an abrupt thud on consecutive nights.

These two teams in very different sports linked by geography adhered to parallel scripts all the way to the bitter end, from No. 8 seeds that barely made it into the playoffs to riding companion waves of destiny that carried to their respective finals but washed out short of the trophy presentations.

We certainly hoped for a parade or two, but couldn’t have expected any more effort than these two teams gave us.

That was underscored in the wake of the Panthers’ humbling 9-3 exit at Vegas on Tuesday night when Panthers coach Paul Maurice revealed that four of his players had broken bones, including superstar Matthew Tkachuk with a fractured sternum.

In the spirit sharing the pain, Heat star Jimmy Butler sprained an ankle during the playoffs and appeared limited in the NBA Finals, though he discounted it was a factor. (Certainly doesn’t account for why he rushed that last desperation shot with 17 seconds left and ample time to work for something better.)

Playoffs take physical toll

Injuries aren’t an excuse. By any objective assessment, the Heat and Panthers were beaten in every phase of the game in their finals. The Panthers, for chrissakes, went 0 for 14 on the power play in the Stanley Cup final and gave up a short-handed goal to begin the Game 5 blowout.

The Denver Nuggets and Vegas Golden Knights were the superior team and deserving champion in each final series.

Still it is a letdown for South Florida because of how difficult it is to get to a championship series, and we may never see the likes of this again.

The Panthers and Heat nearly didn’t make the playoffs this year and will find it challenging to get back next season.

The Heat was overpowered by the Nuggets’ big men, just as they were by the Lakers in the 2020 NBA Finals. More brawn is needed in the front court, has been for years.

But it will be difficult just to keep key parts of this roster together due to salary cap constraints.

Heat in salary cap bind

The Heat already has $176 million in payroll commitments to 10 players for 2023-24; the cap is expected to be around $134 million. Three of five starters in the Finals — Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and Kevin Love — will be unrestricted free agents.

The team is committed to one more season at $29.6 million for aging guard Kyle Lowry. Duncan Robinson, relegated to a reserve role for most of the season though a bright spot in the NBA Finals, is owed $18.1 million next season.

Still, Pat Riley and salary cap guru Andy Elisburg have been painted into a corner by burdensome contracts before and found creative ways out. Already rumors and speculation are linking Portland’s eight-time All-Star point guard Damian Lillard and Washington Wizards veteran guard Bradley Beal to the Heat.

So expect the offseason to be intriguing, though far less entertaining than the playoff run.

Bill Zito, in three years as Panthers general manager, has also proved to be astute at roster reshaping, notably swinging the deal for Tkachuk while up against the salary cap ceiling.

With the Keith Yandle contract coming off the books, Zito has about $10 million in cap space to work with this summer.

Several Panthers facing surgery

The problem for the Panthers will be in recovering from this grueling playoff run. Maurice said Tuesday night that several players will need surgery and face months of recovery.

The NHL season opener is about four months away.

The physical toll and effort expended by both teams lends perspective to the spectacle of the past two months in South Florida sports.

“You can appreciate it now. What we went through is miraculous,” said Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who during the playoffs broke a foot, twice dislocated a shoulder and tore an oblique.

“The way some guys played and collectively as a team the way we played was pretty incredible.”

The region has had a fair share of championships but having a pair of lovable overachievers locked in on the same pursuit simultaneously was remarkable to experience.

Dual playoff runs captivated South Florida

For weeks we ate dinner in front of the TV or flocked to sports bars and arenas in neighboring counties (even for away games). We stayed up until 2 a.m. to see the Panthers win in four overtimes over the Hurricanes at Carolina to open the Eastern Conference finals.

We saw the Heat squander a 3-0 series advantage in their Eastern finals, losing a heartbreaker at home in Game 6, only to somehow throttle the Celtics in Game 7 in Boston.

Watching the Heat and Panthers win their respective Game 7s to eliminate Boston teams in their shared arena were high points of the whole postseason from a South Florida perspective. The opposite feeling is shared now.

Or as Maurice said, “This is one of the top four or five bad days of your life when you lose in the Stanley Cup.”

Then he added, “but even now standing here, I love those guys. They gave me a great year of my life.”

The Panthers and Heat have given all of South Florida a great gift. Now the baton passes to the baseball Marlins (currently in playoff position) and the football Dolphins and Hurricanes.

Hopefully dream chasing becomes contagious around here.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Nuggets beat Heat in Game 5 to win first NBA championship

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The crowd roared as confetti rained on the Denver Nuggets, holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy for its first time. As the final minutes of Game 5 faded, family members of players and coaches rushed through the tunnels to join their people. Public relations agents, ex-players down to the ball boys and security guards were walking with their chests out in jubilation.

To start, Miami forced Denver to commit four turnovers in three minutes, but coach Michael Malone stopped time, summoning his troops for a correction. It resulted in an unmatched 12-point burst, and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra issued the club’s first break.

Bam Adebayo missed two easy shots at close-range defended by Nikola Jokić but swiped off the nerves, making four straight buckets, facing up, and attacking through pick and pop plus the roll. Max Strus was his only help, scoring eight points while the rest of the unit had two.

Jimmy Butler was plagued again by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s rapid hands, getting blocked on a low post-up, and he missed as Jokić’s length bothered him in drop coverage. The first sign of an off night for JB came when he missed both free throws in the first following three bricks.

In the first interval, the Heatles were curbed to 35.7% shooting but took four more shots and two additional freebies. They also drew two fouls apiece on Aaron Gordon, Jeff Green and Jokić, compelling Malone to sit his trusted former back-to-back MVP two minutes earlier than his average.

In the second quarter, Butler isolated Deandre Jordan for a scoop layup and finished a fastbreak dunk. Kyle Lowry splashed two 3-pointers, one at the top of the key against the drop and another well-contested strike from the corner.

Defensively, the Heat contained Jamal Murray to a pair of baskets by staying with his dribble and contesting the step-back up top or pull-up from the elbow.

At halftime, the Heat led 51-44. Adebayo had 18 points on eight of 13 attempts. Butler had eight on 25% shooting.

In the third quarter, Jokić fractured the visiting advantage by exploiting mismatches of Vincent stuck on his hip and backing down Adebayo from the perimeter to cup for a hook with a putback.

Miami multiple times tried to get actions going in the paint, but Michael Porter Jr. and Jokić’s tentacles caused eight misses in the box.

In the fourth quarter, Spoelstra made a dreadful mistake by inserting Cody Zeller for a minute. Miami was up a point, but within multiple possessions, he was attacked in the paint, and his overhelping on a drive gave away the Heat’s advantage as Murray canned a left-wing trifecta.

Suddenly, JB turned from Alfred the Butler into Playoff Jimmy as he hit two 3-pointers, a pull-up in the post, plus five free throws. But as Miami was up one with 90 seconds left, Bruce Brown tracked down an offensive rebound and laid it up off the glass, giving Denver the lead.

Miami engaged in the free throw formality, but it was too late. The Denver Nuggets won the 2023 NBA championship. It was the first time the organization had been in the title round since the 1976 ABA Finals when losing to the New York Nets in six games.

At the postgame presser, Malone said his team isn’t satisfied with the outcome, but it’s looking towards more.

“The last step after being a champion is to be a dynasty, “ Malone said. “So we’re not satisfied. We accomplished something this franchise has never done before, but we have a lot of young talented players in that locker room, and I think we just showed through 16 Playoff wins what we’re capable of on the biggest stage in the world…”

Porter, who at 23 had his third back surgery, arrived at the speakers table next, reeking of champagne and asking someone in the room to join him up front. There were no takers. He said adjustments were made, but being a close-out game, the intensity level was the most significant change.

“It was physical, people were missing shots, it wasn’t a pretty basketball game, but that’s what winning a championship is all about,” Porter said. “You got to be able to win in many different ways… It’s just about winning.”

Caldwell-Pope was next. He said it was amazing to have the Nuggets get back to its first Finals since 1976.

“I’m excited to just be a part of the history that we made tonight,” Caldwell-Pope said.

While KCP was answering another scribe’s inquiry, Jokić arrived and informed him his media availability had concluded by affectionately pouring a beer on his head.

When the Joker took the stage, he was asked about the emotions in his journey, going from pick #41 in round two of the 2014 Draft to NBA champ and Finals MVP. He said, “It’s good. We did a job. I think we played the best basketball in the Postseason…It’s a great journey, the 41st pick, but to be honest, that doesn’t matter. When you’re here, you’re a player, and they have [seven] guys that are not even drafted [who are] contributing for them to win.”

The parade will pass through Denver Thursday.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Nuggets push Heat to the edge of the cliff by going up 3-1 in the NBA Finals

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At the Heat’s postgame presser, coach Erik Spoelstra said that every time his team got within six and eight points, the Nuggets were able to push the lead back over double digits. In real-time, it was like watching an older sibling raise an object out of reach of a younger one.

A mixture of man coverage and the 2-3 zone thwarted Denver’s plan of attack in the first quarter. It was the opposite of the start to Game 3, as Miami had locked up the paint Friday and allowed three of 11 shots to fall early. On Wednesday, the hosts couldn’t stop Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray from getting what they wanted inside, but the attempts outside the lane were contained.

First, Miami harassed every Nugget role player, only permitting two field goals by guys not known as the Joker and the Blue Arrow. Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. were seeing various defenders when they stepped into the paint with the ball and failed to finish through traffic.

Midway through the first interval, Jokić twisted his ankle between two Heat defenders while going up again for a putback. Like sharks smelling blood in the water, the Heat targeted him in drop coverage and on drives after a mismatch on the baseline. The Joker still played the opening 12 minutes and got a short break as Gordon woke up and carried the Nuggets into the next period.

There was nothing single coverage could do for AG as he scored 15 points in the second quarter on six of seven shots. When given space on the wing and in the corner, he splashed two trifectas. With Caleb Martin on his back in the post, Gordon scored twice, canning a nine-foot fadeaway and turning around for a thunderous jam.

In the first half, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo were the only Heat starters producing. Kevin Love got on the scorecard with a 3-pointer, but Max Strus and Gabe Vincent were dead freight, each logging donuts. Off the bench, vintage Kyle Lowry discharged 13 points on three of four shots and six made free throws.

At the intermission, the Heat was down 51-55.

Spoelstra gave Strus and Vincent short leashes in the third quarter, but they should have been glued to the bench altogether. Strus missed two shots on the left wing and defended poorly off-ball, allowing a backdoor cut plus the score and another inside gash from Porter. And with the burst Lowry gave before halftime, Spoelstra, naturally, turned to his vet, playing him triple Vincent’s minutes in quarters three and four.

Like in Game 3, the turd quarter returned, affecting everyone minus Love. He unleashed a flurry of nine points with back-to-back triples and a contact layup rewarded with a freebie. Yet, Butler floundered on three straight looks, misfiring on the break, smoking a hook in the dunker spot, and fizzling on a pull-up in front of Murray in the post. Adebayo also converted one of four tries with no free throws and had three turnovers in the third.

Early in the fourth quarter, Jokić picked up his fourth and fifth fouls, earning him a seat for five minutes. When he sat, the Heat made three of seven shots, but it was still down nine points when he returned.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished two coffin-closing defensive sequences in crunch time. First, he stripped Butler as he was getting backed down through the middle, sparking a three-on-one break, and then successfully contested Adebayo’s turnaround jumper from six feet out.

Bruce Brown logged four of five shots in the fourth and was the only visitor to make multiple field goals in the last frame. Every bucket he hit was like a sledgehammer to the backside of the Heat as it tried to get up.

The Nuggets won 108-95 to take a 3-1 lead in the Finals heading back to Denver.

Postgame, Butler said the team’s mentality was the same as it always is: thinking about one game at a time.

“Now we’re in a must-win situation every single game… It’s not impossible, so we got to go out there and do it. We got three to get,” Butler said.

In NBA history, one team has come back from a 1-3 deficit to win the Finals: the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers that defeated the 73-win Warriors outfit.  The all-time record is 1-34.

The Heat will not practice or hold media availability Saturday.

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GAME 3 Stanley Cup Final: Florida Panthers gear up for the biggest game of their season as series shifts to Sunrise

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SUNRISE — The situation the Florida Panthers find themselves in is less than ideal, but it’s not the end of the world — yet.

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The Stanley Cup Final transitions from Vegas to Sunrise on Thursday night with Game 3 b​​etween the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers taking place at FLA Live Arena. Vegas defended home ice or the “Fortress”  as they like to call it — taking a commanding 2-0 series lead to start off the finals. 

 

The Panthers will play in front of their  home fans for the first time in two weeks tonight. They’ll face a daunting challenge as they host their first Stanley Cup Final game since 1996. Down 0-2 in the series, a loss in Thursday night’s game won’t be the end of the season for Florida, but it will be as close as to having the writing on the wall as possible. 

 

 “This is by far the biggest game of our season,” said Panthers’ star forward Matthew Tkachuk.

 

Florida has been in uncomfortable situations before. They went on an improbable run to sneak into the playoffs as the lowest seed in the league — then they had to claw back in the first-round against a historic Boston Bruins team that held a 3-1 series lead. The Panthers have beaten the odds before, but this is no doubt their toughest challenge yet.

 

Florida hasn’t been outplayed by an opponent to this extent since the early games of the Bruins series way back in April.  They also haven’t seen consecutive losses — or multiple losses — since that series either. 

 

The Panthers ran the gauntlet of the East, losing just one game between rounds two and three on their way to the Stanley Cup Final. Going into this series the Panthers knew it wouldn’t be easy to get by Vegas and so far the Knights have thrown everything at the Panthers and then some. 

 

“They’re a different team than anyone we’ve played in these playoffs,” said Panthers forward Sam Bennett. “I think they’re most similar to maybe Boston’s size and physicality… we’ve definitely been able to handle that in the past.”

 

Florida was able to figure out Boston before it was too late, which is the reason they are here. They’ll need to do the same quickly against Vegas, otherwise they won’t be the happy team in the final handshake line of the year.

 

The hole the Panthers are in isn’t great, but the silver lining is that they can finally play at home. Defend home ice tonight and it’s a different series going into Game 4.

 

“I think the boys are fired up, a lot of emotions,” said Anthony Duclair this morning. “We just need to be a little smarter in certain situations.”

 

There’s still a lot of hockey to be played and then next two will be at the Panthers’ barn, a place that has been electric all postseason.  Throughout this run the Panthers have fed off the crowd and they’ll need it tonight. 

 

“The way we’ve been playing at home all playoffs, our fans are a big part of that,” said Duclair. “Just being home, having our crowd by our side and us being comfortable playing in front of our home fans has been a real huge key for us.”

 

Panthers’ fans will be packing FLA Live Arena for what will be the first Stanley Cup Final game in South Florida in 27 years — and the first ever in Sunrise.

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Who is Next?: Five Marlins 1st Round Draft Targets

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The 2023 MLB draft is just a month away, and while Marlins fans have come to expect a dose of disappointment on draft day, the Marlins have a fantastic opportunity to add offensive talent to a system that certainly needs it. Analysts within the industry have set expectations that there is a strong crop of talent available for the first 10 picks, which bodes well for the Marlins since they own the 10th pick in this draft. As you read this article, keep in mind that while there are players that outlets have ranked higher who should be available for the Marlins selection, these are the players that I think would best suit the organization. 

 

Assumptions: 

This list assumes that the top ranked draft prospects—Dylan Crews, Wyatt Langford, Walker Jenkins, Max Clark, Paul Skenes, and Chase Dollander—are selected prior to the Marlins pick. If any of them become available at pick 10 it is reasonable to assume that the Marlins will select that player. 

 

Now without further ado, here are the five—plus an honorable mention—draft prospects who I believe that the Marlins should target in the 2023 MLB draft. 

 

Honorable Mention

 

Kyle Teel (C, Virginia)

MLB Pipeline Draft Ranking: 10

Pipeline Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Arm: 65 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55

 

When it comes to draft helium, no one has skyrocketed up the rankings as much as Kyle Teel, who went from being a fringe first round selection back in March to an almost assuredly top 10 pick now in June. I’ve listed Teel as an honorable mention because at this point, analysts are confident that he will be selected within the first 8 picks of the draft. With that being said, if he is available at pick 10, then the Marlins absolutely need to pounce and select him. 

 

A full-time starter since his freshman year, Teel has separated himself as the clear-cut top catcher in this year’s draft thanks to an incredible Junior season where he slashed .423/.487/.690 and struck out just three more times than he walked. It’s an above average hit tool with solid power on the offensive side, a profile that is similar to Henry Davis, who was selected first overall by the Pirates in 2021. With Teel, you won’t get the exit velocities that pushed Davis to the top of the draft, but you will get a hitter who doesn’t chase, doesn’t whiff, and can still produce exit velocities that exceed 100 MPH.  

 

Not only can Teel mash, but he’s also a very capable defender who will stick behind the plate as a pro. He’s an elite athlete with a plus arm, strong leadership skills, and a high baseball IQ. His athleticism has allowed him to play the outfield in addition to catcher, and some scouts believe he could play second or third base if needed. 

 

It’s no secret that the Marlins are desperate for catching talent, and while you aren’t supposed to draft for need in the MLB draft, selecting Kyle Teel would check the boxes of drafting both the best player available and a player who fulfills a position of need in the organization. 

 

  • Chase Davis (OF, Arizona)

MLB Pipeline Draft Ranking: 39

Pipeline Scouting Grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

Chase Davis is as polarizing of a prospect as it gets. Some outlets have him ranked in the 20’s or 30’s due to concerns surrounding his hit tool—Keith Law didn’t have Chase Davis selected in The Athletic’s first round mock draft at all. Other outlets have him surging towards the top 10. It’s a natural lack of industry consensus considering the type of season that he’s had. After hitting .289 with a 23% strikeout rate his sophomore year, Davis turned his bat into a lightning rod for his junior season and hit .362 with 21 home runs while lowering his strikeout rate to just 14% and walking 15% of the time. If you watch Davis hit, you’ll notice his mechanics look identical to that of Carlos Gonzalez, and his profile is quite similar too. 

 

With Davis, you’re looking at a corner outfield masher who will whiff his fair share but will also rip off some of the higher exit velocities for the team that drafts him. He’s been clocked with a max exit velocity of 115 MPH, and his 90th percentile exit velocity sits just below 110 MPH, per Mason McRae. His incredible bat speed allows him to realize his full raw power in-game. Despite the concerns surrounding his hit tool, Davis has certainly quieted concerns with the reduction in strikeout rate and chase rate (82nd percentile in chase rate, per Mason McRae). In the outfield, Davis has demonstrated an above average arm, which will allow him to play above-average defense in either corner. While he played only in the corners this season for Arizona, he did play some center field during the Cape Code League in 2022. 

 

I have Davis as my top draft target for the Marlins because of the prolific offensive upside he possesses. He hits the ball as hard and as frequently as top draft prospects Dylan Crews and Wyatt Langford, and he’s made incredible strides to improve his hit tool, which is now closer to above average than it is below average. He can run, he can throw, and he brings the upside of the coveted 5-tool profile. I mean, look at this power [insert linked video]

 

  • Arjun Nimmala (SS, Strawberry Crest HS)

MLB Pipeline Draft Ranking: 9

Pipeline Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Arm: 55 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55

Arjun Nimmala has some of the highest upside in the entire draft and it wouldn’t be out of the question to go in the first five picks despite not being ranked as high as some of the other talents ahead of him. At 6’1, 170 pounds, Nimmala has the toolset for you to dream on, with the ceiling of an elite MLB shortstop. He has a picturesque swing, which helped him accumulate a .479 batting average and a .573 on-base percentage during his senior season. While the game power hasn’t come in as much as analysts had expected, his frame suggests that there is more in the tank. 

 

Defensively, scouts laud his quick actions and strong arm, which should allow him to remain at shortstop as he develops in the minor leagues. Just as the Marlins were able to capitalize on the crop of elite shortstop talents in the 2021 draft, which included Marcelo Mayer, Jordan Lawler, Brady House, and Kahlil Watson, they have the ability to dip their toes yet again in the high school shortstop ranks and bolster their organization with young offensive talent. We’re talking about a fantastic athlete who hits the ball and hits it hard, which is exactly what you want from a high school prospect. 

 

Nimmala represents the high-ceiling/low-floor pick for the Marlins, but if they can develop him the right way, they could have a future star on their hands. 

 

  • Tommy Troy (SS, Stanford)

MLB Pipeline Draft Ranking: 19

MLB Pipeline Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

 

 

You know when you take a bite of one of those mini pizza pockets, and all of the pizza filling bursts out of the pocket and burns your tongue? That is basically Tommy Troy. He’s a massive punch packed in a 5’10 frame, as evidenced by his 17 home runs and .747 slugging percentage. The starting shortstop for Stanford, one of the premier teams in college baseball this season, Troy has cemented himself as one of the top hitters in this draft. He hits for average (.413 batting average), power, and he can run the bases (17 steals on the season). His extremely fast hands allow him to make contact on pitches that he chases, which helps him make up for his poor swing decisions. While that could become an issue in pro ball, he has the tools and years of development to get by (how does 110 MPH exit velocity sound from your 5’10 infielder?). 

 

While Troy might not be a sure-fire shortstop in the pros, Keith Law told me that at worst he sees Troy moving over to third base where he could become a capable defender. He’s also spent time at second base and left field during his time at Stanford. Troy’s athleticism should allow him to add value all around the diamond even if it isn’t at shortstop every day. 

 

What I love about Troy is that he not only dominated PAC12 baseball, but he also was one of the top performers in the Cape Cod league last season. The significance here is that the Cape league uses wood bats, so Troy proved to scouts that he can handle a wood bat when he slashed .310/.386/.531 in Cape Cod. He’s going to hit and hit his way into a starting second base job in the pro’s. And while I don’t love putting pro comparisons on college players, I think that he’s someone who could develop into an Ozzie Albies type of infielder. 

 

  • Noble Meyer (RHP, Jesuit HS)

MLB Pipeline Draft Ranking: 11

MLB Pipeline Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 55

How can the Marlins find a way to avoid a hitting developmental disaster in the first round of this year’s draft? By drafting a pitcher! We’re dipping into the prep school pitcher ranks here for the next option, an area where teams in the top 10 rarely go. However, when the player has the polish and the stuff that Noble Meyer has, you go and get him. Meyer hails from the same high school that recent top prep pitcher Mick Abel came from. And funny enough, they’re very similar pitchers. Meyer has a tall frame at 6’5 with plenty of room to fill out. He’s already touching 98 MPH on his sinker, and he’s got a sweeper that Mason McRae labels as one of the best pitches in the draft, citing a spin rate that nearly reaches 3,000 RPM’s. For context, Jackson Jobe, who the Tigers selected with the third overall pick in the 2020 draft, was drafted practically for his 3,000 RPM slider alone. Meyer pairs that devastating pitch with his elite sinker and a passable curveball, so you can see why he’s a tantalizing prospect. 

 

This is a pick where the Marlins can really make their mark. As an organization, they’ve proved their ability to identify and develop pitching. Adding an elite arm like Meyer into the system will only bolster their talent pool. The organization is known for helping pitchers develop lethal changeups (see Jesus Luzardo, Sandy Alcantara), and if they can do the same with Meyer then it should give him four plus/double plus pitches to pair with an advanced feel for pitching. While selecting high school pitchers always carries risk, this is one of the safer prep arms in the last few years, and it could end up paying off as Meyer carries a real possibility to develop into an ace and move through the system quickly. 

 

  • Matt Shaw (SS, Maryland)

MLB Pipeline Draft Ranking: 18

MLB Pipeline Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 55 | Run: 60 | Arm: 45 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55

Remember when I said that Tommy Troy was one of the best performers in the Cape Code League? Well, Shaw was THE best hitter in the Cape, slashing .360/.432/.574. To put that into context, Jacob Gonzalez, one of the top college infielder prospects in the draft, didn’t even put up those numbers this season, and that’s with metal bats. Shaw is a professional hitter who will hit wherever he goes. I mean, just look at these numbers: 

 

AVG OBP SLG OPS
College Career .320 .413 .623 1.036
Cape Cod Career .364 .450 .672 1.122

 

Whether it’s metal bats or wood bats, the guy has just continued to hit since he turned 18 years old. Oh yeah, he also hit 24 home runs this season, including a BOMB against Iowa that traveled over 500 feet. So why is Shaw not the top target for the Marlins in this draft? He’s currently a shortstop, but the industry consensus is that he is clearly a second baseman as a pro. So, the lack of positional value does hurt him here a bit, but this is such a safe profile of a premier offensive second baseman that I really don’t care about the position. From an offensive standpoint, this is the perfect package of bat-to-ball, power, and plate discipline and I’m a bit surprised that outlets don’t have him ranked higher. He very well might not even make it to pick 10. If I had to put my money on any college hitter in this draft after Crew/Langford to become an All-Star, I would throw it all on Shaw. 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Nuggets storm the Kaseya Center and take a 2-1 lead in the Finals

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Through three games in the Finals, the road squad has won twice, shooting down any misguided speculation of a boring series. One coach has already burned his troops for a good sound bite, and the other has unfairly lost his cool after hearing a fair question. As Charles Dickens wrote in A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” assuredly at different moments for both teams.

Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić got anything they wanted for the Nuggets, but the match was tied after a quarter. Their two-man actions shredded the Heat’s paint protections, but the hosts held Denver to two of 11 made looks outside the lane early.

Murray was quick on the draw after wrapping around a screen. He torched drop coverage and beat his man off the dribble to get to the teeth of the zone. Miami also tried trapping up top, but he got the ball out in time and involved again.

The Joker was indefensible, hitting turnaround hooks in the lane and pop shots after screening for a teammate. Through the first half, he accumulated 14 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.

The Heat’s 2-2-1 press was the only scheme to give the Nuggets problems in the first half because it ate away at the clock and prevented ball movement. Man-to-man coverage and the zone shattered as the game continued.

On the other side, Max Strus tallied four dimes in five minutes. Jimmy Butler began the evening aggressively going at the low man when turning past a pick. When hunting Murray, the Nuggets sent a double at JB, but he dissected the help on multiple occasions.

Bam Adebayo kept challenging the Joker, but he missed three close-range shots after getting a step on his defender. On other attempts, Jokić created misses at the elbow against the jab-step and pull-up jumper, plus caused an error on Adebayo’s fastbreak drive.

At halftime, the Heat was down 48-53. Thirty of Denver’s first-half points came in the paint on 15 of 23 attempts. It was surprising that Haywood Highsmith was stashed again with no attention given to his quick feet and hands as an option for stopping Murray because, in the second quarter, Gabe Vincent picked up three suspect fouls in three minutes.

In the third quarter, Denver skewered Miami in the restricted area, logging 82% of its tries.

Jokić resumed his assault on White Hot and got Adebayo to leave his feet twice on a fake. He curled around a screen for a jump shot at the nail, canned a fadeaway over Kevin Love, plus buried one left-wing artillery strike supplied by Murray’s pass. That 3-pointer was the only one the Nuggets recorded in quarters three and four on five tries.

The Heatles couldn’t defend without fouling either in the second half, putting the Nuggets in target practice for 15 of 17 freebies.

Denver’s lead scaled to 21 points following intermission. Rookie Christian Braun even got his licks in with 11 points and one miss among the 12 players coach Michael Malone played post-break.

In the fourth quarter, the hosts used the 2-2-1 press to get into the 2-3 zone, but the visitors worked around it and still logged 53.8% of their shots. On defense, the Nuggets shut the Heat down from everywhere on the court.

Murray and Jokić each finished with 30-point triple-doubles. It was Murray’s first in the Playoffs and Jokić’s 10 in this tour and 16 in his postseason career, per NBA Stats.

At the postgame presser, Malone said the Game 3 win was the prime performance of the Jokić-Murray partnership.

“I have been with Nikola [Jokić] for eight and Jamal [Murray] for seven years now,” Malone said. “And we’ve had some pretty good moments, but not in the NBA Finals. And for those guys to make history the way they did tonight- no one’s ever done that…by far their greatest performance as a duo in their seven years together.”

In the Heat’s press room, coach Erik Spoelstra said his team lost plenty of 50-50 balls in swing moments of the match.

“At our best version, we find ways to overcome that, make it tough on them, and certainly not lose the overwhelming majority of those physical, 50-50 battles…” Spoelstra said.

Spoelstra also mentioned that winning the effort plays is the team’s identity, and when it isn’t up to standard, it can affect performance.

The ideal antidote to that problem should have been inserting Highsmith for more than two relief minutes. He works well in the zone and in man coverage and comes up with momentum-shifting plays. In the future, he should be the Heat’s backup big man.

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