Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Bam Adebayo to the Rescue (Alive, They Cried)

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The Heat’s pulse-dropping win over the burning Suns boosted its record to 7-7, and for the first time this season, the group is at .500.  

 

As the road team retreated to the locker room, the home crowd gave their squad a feverish standing ovation.  Although, with fewer than eight minutes left, the game was trending toward the opposite outcome.

 

Miami was ahead by a point at the half (58-57) and didn’t see the lead again until the last two minutes.  The Heatles suffered another notorious turd quarter and were outscored by eight.  The slippage hit its climax in the fourth as Phoenix ascended to a 13-point lead.  

 

The hosting unit had shot 1/8, four minutes into the final period, only scoring five points, while Phoenix buried a quick 11.  Next, Jimmy Butler was inserted for Gabe Vincent, and, alive, they cried.

 

On their next possession, Kyle Lowry stood on the left wing, guarded tightly by Devin Booker.  As soon as his defender’s left foot moved a step back, #7 had his opening.  Lowry then put the ball on the floor and darted to the middle, but his man didn’t give up on the play. Booker managed to seal off the lane after a couple of steps into it, but Kyle hit a seven-foot floater over the defense.

 

The Suns came back the other way seeing the Heat’s 2-3 zone.  Booker passed to Bismack Biyombo, posting Butler in the lane. Biyombo couldn’t get more than a dribble off before JB’s left tentacle reached around, poking the rock free for Bam Adebayo to recover and take off on the break. 

 

As Adebayo raced downhill, Booker backpedaled with him and reached for a strip at the ring wing. Bam casually spun past him for an acrobatic layup outside the restricted area while taking contact from Torrey Craig.  

 

Max Strus scored the next bucket for Miami. He breezed past Booker at the top of the key and beat Deandre Ayton, in drop coverage, to the cup for the finger roll.

 

On the following possession, Caleb Martin batted away Ayton’s pass to the corner, over to Butler. The 3-2 fastbreak started with Jimmy dribbling up the middle, with Kyle dashing to his left and Bam gliding to his right. Booker and Mikal Bridges were the only Suns tracking the play and managed to seal off the restricted area from a cutting Adebayo, but he just took a foul and hit a runner over the defense.  The Suns called a timeout, but their lead was cut to three following Bam’s made free throw.  

 

With fewer than five minutes left, Bridges lost the ball in the paint, and Adebayo took off the break.  He ran and give-and-go with Strus cutting right and was fed back in the lane for the slam.  

 

Butler scored the next pair of points at the line.  He earned the trip to the charity stripe by taking a smack from the helping Ayton on the arm.

 

Then Martin got involved in the action by hitting a triple in the right corner as he faded to the left. Craig’s contest was weak because he bit on the pump fake and had to reenter the shooting space.  

 

On their next turn with the ball, Lowry was in the right corner when he noticed his man, Booker, was overcommitted, guarding the post with his back toward the shooter.  Lowry shifted to the wing and fired away for three.  Booker’s contest was a second too late, and now Miami had its first lead since the opening minute of the second half.

 

Phoenix refused to go away quietly.  On their next possession, Booker came out from the middle, curling to the right-wing Butler on his tail.  Ayton set a weak pick, and Butler went over it, getting a handoff in Booker’s grill as he launched away.  It was a solid contest but against a greater offense.  The Suns were back up by one (110-109).

 

The shootout continued with Lowry cutting left as Adebayo split his screen and rolled to his right.  Miami’s QB caught the help of Ayton and Craig as he entered the post and attempted a floater that bounced too high off the glass.  Adebayo kept rolling and soared through the air for the putback lay-in.  

 

The pendulum swung again towards the home team, but for a mere 12 seconds until Cameron Payne and Ayton ran PNR to switch Martin off the ball.  Adebayo stayed with his matchup, but Phoenix’s big-man had shed Caleb, and Payne took an open path to the paint and hit a floater over Butler. 

 

The crowd was delirious. Coach Spo then called a timeout and relayed his instruction.

 

The Heat inbounded with a full shot clock from the sideline and went to work with some Lowry-Adebayo PNR.  Bam caught the pass on the roll behind the line, attempted a runner, and was fouled by Ayton.  He buried his freebies, giving Miami a 113-112 lead that it wouldn’t concede.  

 

Guarding the next play, Miami was fortunate Payne bricked his uncontested driving layup through the middle.  Yet, Ayton recovered the miss and passed outside to reset.  Ten seconds were left.  Butler guarded Booker at the top of the key and forced him to drive right.  Booker pulled up at the elbow, got rejected by #22, and picked up his miss. Frantically, he got off the next shot he could, fading on the right wing with Butler perfectly contesting.  

 

The ball hit the side of the iron as the final buzzer rang.  The Heat survived and extended the club’s winning streak to three games—Miami’s longest stretch of decent play for the season.

 

When Butler checked in with 7:44 left in the game, ESPN Analytics’ chart said Phoenix had a 97.9% probability of winning.   His influence on the rest of the squad activated them as if Frankenstein’s Monster had come to life on the operating table.  

 

Adebayo dropped 14 points, making 80% of his field goals in all 12 minutes of the fourth.  Lowry and Strus were the next leading scorers for Miami in the period, with five apiece.

 

Off to Toronto, the Heatles go for the third matchup of the season with the Raptors on Wednesday.

  

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Positives and Negatives of the Heat’s Week Four

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The Heatles improved to a 6-7 record entering the fifth week of the NBA season.  In week four, Miami played three games at home, losing one to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday and beating the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday and Saturday.

 

During these three games, the Heat flashed moments of their former selves.  They also demonstrated a handful of bad habits.  Let’s examine the positive and negative aspects of the Heat through week four.

 

Positives:

1. Seizing the passing lanes

 

Miami came away with 27 steals and forced 52 turnovers in their last three matches at home.   Jimmy Butler was responsible for a third of the takeaways. In total, the Heat scored 67 points off turnovers  Yet, the high volume of interceptions in the passing lanes and forced errors skewed their rebounding numbers.

 

Yes, Miami was beaten on the boards 50-38 in their overtime win against Charlotte. But the Heat would have had more opportunities to recover the ball off the glass if the other team didn’t lose it 20 times.  

 

Nonetheless, these repeated instances were a reason why Miami took more field goal attempts in all three games.  

2. Dependable at the line

 

In week four, Miami averaged 24 free throw attempts a night but more impressively converted 83.4% of their shots.  Butler, as usual, was the Heat’s most reliable option to get to the “welfare line.”  He logged 26/28 freebies, helping his squad by cutting the flow of the game and giving his teammates a break on defense.  

 

When Butler wants to, he can get to the line at will.  He’s currently averaging the third-highest volume of attempts in his career (8.3) that come as a result of his consistent pressure in the lane.  This season, Butler is averaging 66.7% of his tries from 0-10 feet from the hoop, a new career high.  

 

As a unit, the Heatles shoot 86.7% for the year, which puts them at  #1 in the league.  Counting only the players who qualify for league leaders, Miami only has one guy who shoots below 80% at the line, Caleb Martin (72.7).  

 

3. Money in the paint

 

Over three nights, Miami made 75/123 (61%) interior shots with a combined 150 points in the paint.  

 

Even on a night where they couldn’t hit anything from outside the square, like on Thursday against Charlotte, Miami was still sharp attacking the box, cashing 63% of their attempts in the non-restricted area.

 

Miami’s best options at attacking the interior are Butler and Bam Adebayo.  Their quick recognition of their opponent’s 2-3 zone coverage did not deter them from breaking down the scheme by attacking the middle, clenching the defense and giving extra space to shooters on the perimeter.  

 

4. Crisp ball movement without a starter + a role player filling big shoes

 

Tyler Herro hasn’t played since Nov. 4 in the Heat’s loss at Indiana.  Despite his absence, Miami still logged a 2.5 assist/turnover ratio with Max Strus inserted into the starting rotation. In the first quarter against Charlotte on Saturday, 11 of Miami’s 14 baskets of the period were assisted.  

 

One play that stood out during the Heat’s most recent victory was Kyle Lowry’s eighth dime of the night.  At the top of the key, he noticed Robinson on the left wing with his defender, James Bouknight, wholly turned away from the ball.  Robinson, not known for attacking inside, darted to the basket with his man draped all over him. Lowry still hit his man on the run, and Robinson finished with Bouknight behind his hip.  

 

Another sequence worth mentioning occurred with fewer than six minutes left in the same game.  At the top of the key, Gabe Vincent was matched up with LaMelo Ball.  Adebayo then came in, splitting a screen, and rolled right to the basket as Vincent went left, attacking the drop coverage.  A couple of steps into the lane, Gabe lobbed up the rock as Mason Plumlee was caught in no man’s land.  Adebayo reached into the heavens and powered the rock through the cylinder.  

 

For the week, Miami turned the ball over 10.7 times a night.  Passes were executed with precision when the opponent overcommitted on the Heat’s rim attacks or when a mismatch was identified.   

 

This year, Herro is a near 20-point per-game scorer.  Filling in for #14, Strus averaged 19.6 points on 42.4% shooting from 3-point range on 11 attempts a night.  Mad Max put constant strain on the opposing defense by having his man actively trail him + curling around screens and firing away in the openings of the zone.  

 

5. Offensively productive second unit

 

In week four, Miami’s bench was relied on for 35 points a game, outscoring all three of its opponents by an average of five points.  For the stretch, the Heat’s strongest reserve was Vincent. 

 

In overtime on Thursday, he took a pair of trips to the line and was immaculate.  On Saturday, both his buckets in the fourth quarter were difficult shots.  The first materialized from a left-wing drive.  Vincent circled toward the left low post, turned, and hit a fadeaway jumper over the taller Ball to give Miami a 13-point lead.

 

On his next basket, Dedmon ran a dribble hand-off on the right wing for Vincent, and Ball went under the pick.  As Vincent turned the corner of the screen and entered the lane, Ball was back on his right hip but was thrust backward by Gabe’s strong side.  Vincent picked up his dribble, faded and hit the nylon.  

 

Now for the other side of the coin.

 

Negatives:

1. Paint Coverage

 

In the past two seasons, the Heat were #1 in opponent scoring in the paint, giving up only 42.1 points in the area both years.  In this campaign, Miami has dropped to fourth after a three-game stretch conceding 51.3 paint points.  

 

When Miami went to the 2-3 zone, Charlotte’s Kelly Oubre had no issues getting to the middle past Robinson or Strus and finishing.  Ball, in single coverage with Martin or attacking through PNR, was also able to get to the box on his terms and convert.  

2. Inefficient catch-and-shooting 

 

The Heat are too skilled from deep to be shooting 33% on catch-and-shoot triples for the season and over the last three games.  

 

Lowry took six of these shots on Thursday, some with the help of a screen and missed five.  The lift on his legs looked fine, but he was missing makeable looks and wide-open trays.  

 

Robinson had the same issues all week, launching away from deep. When a pass from a teammate beat the closeout defender, he was still off target.  Against Portland, when hit with a pass by Butler on the right wing, Robinson unthinkably fired away over the much shorter Damian Lillard by fading to the side.  Clank. 

3. Not capitalizing enough on the break

 

Miami did make its rivals pay when they committed a lousy pass, having 18.8% of its total points for the stretch attributed to scoring off turnovers.  Although, only 9.8% of their output was created on the fastbreak.  

 

In the future, the Heat must maximize these opportunities by out-hustling the opponent, so they have easier chances to score on 3-on-2, 2-on-1, or any break upper hand.  Usually, the starting lineup features four players who could get down the court in a hurry.  It also has a distinguished veteran QB who is highly proficient at launching hit-ahead passes that leave defenders out of the picture.  

 

For the season, Miami is 25th in the NBA in this category at 10.2%.  In week four, the Heat were 18th best in the NBA in this stat, yet they had a lower percentage (9.8) than the yearly average.

 

4. Opponents shot well from the field

 

Through three games, Miami’s defensive rating was 111, and opponents recorded better than league-average efficiency from the field (50.9%, LA- 46.5%).  In the future, everyone not named Adebayo, Butler and Martin will need to show more consistency staying in front of their man and closing out to shooters on drive-and-kick plays.  

 

5. Too dependent on Butler to get to the line

 

Despite the Heat’s stellar shooting at the line, players other than Butler are not getting there enough.  JB was responsible for 43% of Miami’s free throw points during week 4. He took 9.3 charity shots, and his teammates tied for next in attempts were Adebayo and Vincent, each averaging 3.3 tries. 

 

That volume is too low for Bam, and it’s below what he logs for the year (4.2).  Adebayo’s percentage of shots taken from 0-3 from the cup has dropped 5.8 points and his efficiency in that spot has fallen 7.7 points as well.  

 

Weekly Grade: C+

Miami Dolphins Tua Tagovailoa and Trent Sherfield dance in celebration of a touchdown against the Browns.

Pressure Point: First-place Dolphins well positioned for playoff push

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Tyreek Hill said he’s going to the Bahamas to “sit by the beach and drink some mimosas” during the Miami Dolphins’ bye week.

The star wide receiver has certainly earned it, a major reasons the Dolphins are 7-3 and alone in first place in the AFC East following Sunday’s 39-17 romp over the Cleveland Browns — and Buffalo’s subsequent loss to Minnesota.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Jeff Wilson Jr. followed Hill all the way to Paradise Island, just as the running back did on the way to the promised land of the end zone Sunday with his speedy teammate waving him through like a motorcycle cop clearing the express lane for a VIP.

That was one of an inordinate number of giddy, feel-good moments in the Dolphins’ fourth consecutive win that featured so much dancing and jiving and celebrating it was as if everyone at Hard Rock Stadium had taken a deep hit of helium and was jabbering with high-pitched glee like Minnie Mouse.

I mean, when have you seen this team so well in sync?

There was Wilson, who seemingly materialized out of thin air in an oh-by-the-way trade deadline deal by GM Chris Grier, running for 117 yards at a 7.0 per-carry average.

Kudos to Dolphins’ O-line

The much-maligned offensive line not only kept Tua Tagovailoa sack free, it paved the way for a team total 195 yards rushing, with Raheem Mostert going for 65 yards while averaging 8.1 a carry including a 24-yard touchdown gallop that broke the game open on the first possession of the second half.

There was the defense overcoming a shaky start and turning in one of the better efforts of the season with newcomer Bradley Chubb beginning to show the impact he can have with half a sack and three quarterback hurries.

And most significant, Tagovailoa summoning chants of “MVP, MVP, MVP” with a third consecutive sublime performance of three touchdown passes, no interceptions and passer rating of 135.0 or better.

Not only has he not thrown so much as a near interception in the past three weeks, it’s tough to recall a pass that wasn’t right on target. The absolute dime he delivered to Trent Sherfield in the corner of the end zone was worth watching over and over again.

One other thing of note: the Dolphins didn’t punt in the game.

Dolphins haven’t been 7-3 since 2001

Considering Tagovailoa missed 2 ½ games with a concussion (or two) and there were serious questions about his health and future, the Dolphins arrived at their well-deserved week off sitting about as pretty as anyone could have dreamed.

Then the first round of mimosas was delivered on the house courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings winning 33-30 in overtime at Buffalo in as compelling of a regular-season game as you’ll see this or any season.

That gifted the division lead to the Dolphins, who had already lifted themselves into a rarefied place.

That was noted in the tweet of the day by Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, who wrote:

“The last time the Dolphins were 7-3 was 2001.
– 24 starting QBs ago
– 8 head coaches ago
– 7 stadium names ago
– Heat had zero titles
– LeBron was in HS
– iPod came out
– iPhone was 6 years away
– Tua was 3
– Mike McDaniel was a Yale freshman
– Tom Brady was a first-year starter”

Plenty of work ahead for Dolphins

In diverging from the frustrating past two decades (at least to this point), the Dolphins have positioned themselves well for the final seven-game push for playoff position, a stretch that features ample opportunity but is certain to deliver plenty of adversity along the way.

Already some on the horizon. According to various media reports Sunday night, defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah suffered a season-ending triceps injury.

Of the four remaining games outside the AFC East, only the Los Angeles Chargers (away on Dec. 11) are over .500.

Ultimately it will be the final round against the three division rivals — Dec. 17 or 18 at Buffalo, Jan. 1 at New England and the season finale on Jan. 7 or 8 at home against the Jets — that will determine whether the Dolphins will be toasting success or drowning their sorrows at season’s end.

At 7-3 entering the bye week, they have good season to feel pretty damn good about themselves for this momentous moment.

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

Tyreek Hill does a flip in celebration of scoring a touchdown for the Dolphins in the win against the Bears.

Pressure Point: Dolphins count on high-flying offense to keep pace in tight AFC East

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The plot has certainly thickened in the AFC East race after the Miami Dolphins held off Justin Fields and the Bears in Chicago and the resurgent New York Jets put the kibosh on Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in the second half at the Meadowlands on Sunday.

That left the Bills, Dolphins and Jets each with six wins, Buffalo holding a thin grip on first place at 6-2, having played one fewer game. The Dolphins and Jets, each 6-3, have a tiebreaker advantage over Buffalo, as New York does over Miami.

With New England close behind at 5-4, the division couldn’t offer more intrigue entering the second half of the season. All four teams are over .500 after nine weeks of play.

This would be an opportune time for the Dolphins to have a bye week and catch their breath after chasing Fields all over Soldier Field. But first they must face the Browns, with one of the league’s best rushing offenses, before getting a week off to sort out their defensive woes.

Tua, Fields put on memorable show

Meanwhile, the Dolphins are on a three-game winning streak after prevailing in one of the wildest games of the season, 35-32 in what was a showcase of two of the NFL’s most exciting young quarterbacks.

The numbers were insane.

Tua Tagovailoa completed 21 of 30 passes for 302 yards, with three touchdowns, no interceptions and no sacks.

Fields not only threw for three touchdowns, he ran for another while setting a regular-season rushing record by a quarterback with 178 yards on 15 carries.
As frustrating as it was to watch Fields run around and through the Miami defense, including a 61-yard touchdown scamper, it sure was entertaining to watch Tagovailoa shredding the Bears’ pass defense, averaging 10.1 yards per attempt.

Can’t cover Tyreek Hill

Tyreek Hill had seven catches for 143 yards and a touchdown, and is now over 1,000 yards receiving for the season. Jaylen Waddle also had a TD grab while catching five passes for 85 yards.

Running back Jeff Wilson, whose acquisition from the 49ers last week was overshadowed by the trade for pass-rush stud Bradley Chubb, ended up leading Miami with 51 yards rushing while averaging 5.7 a carry and caught what proved to be the winning touchdown pass.

Ironically, Tua put the victory in jeopardy by misfiring on fourth-down passes on consecutive drives into Chicago territory in the second half. But the Dolphins defense finally got the game-sealing stop with a sack by Duke Riley followed by two incompletions.

The hope is Chubb’s presence will elevate the defense when he gets fully integrated into the unit — he provided pressure that helped force a punt in the third quarter. But there are more problems in containment and coverage than one player can solve.

Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard isn’t playing at that level as he copes with a lingering groin issue and counterpart Byron Jones still has not played this season and who knows if he will.

Fortunately for Miami, Tagovailoa is healthy and playing the best he has in his career, making full use of the most dynamic receiving duo in the game. Hill is a legitimate MVP candidate.

Dolphins go as far as Tua and Co. take them

The teams Miami is vying with in the division are in sharp contrast to the Dolphins’ strengths. The Jets are getting it done with defense and running the ball; that was a winning formula Sunday against Buffalo. The Bills have one of the league’s top defenses and the sort of running quarterback in Allen that has given Miami fits.

Having to win high-scoring games may not be the classic formula for success. But as long as the Dolphins keep Tua upright and he can keep the offense rolling like the past couple of weeks, they have a chance to make it interesting and entertaining the second half of the season. Sunday’s win at Chicago was all of that.

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

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Evolution of Max Strus’ Game

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Max Strus is a dangerous sharpshooter who has become the perfect role player. His combustibility from beyond the arc earned him a spot in the starting rotation at the end of last season and made him again one of coach Spo’s trusted eight this year.

Strus is not a one-dimensional player. His primary role will likely always be as a premium deep threat, but he has made noticeable improvements scoring inside the arc through the Heat’s first 10 games (4–6).

Last season (2021/2022), Strus took 78.4% of his shots from 3-point range. His volume from that area has dropped to 64.1% this year. Despite a lower frequency, he has become harder to guard because his efficiency has risen on two-pointers.

In Miami’s win over the Sacramento Kings, Strus hit 2/5 from deep while converting a pair of shots in the restricted area. On his first made two-pointer, he beat everyone on the break, catching a pass launched by Kyle Lowry in the backcourt. Strus caught the rock just outside the restricted area, gathered, and came up for a layup with Keegan Murray on his tail.

His other inside finish came in the halfcourt. From the top of the key, Strus cut inside, curled to the left baseline, and dusted Kevin Huerter on the dive back to the basket, assisted by a bounce pass from Bam Adebayo for a layup.

In Tuesday’s win at home against the Golden State Warriors, 10/17 of Strus’ attempts came from the outside (4/10), but he consistently put pressure on the rim too.

In transition, he caught a hit-ahead pass from Adebayo as Kevon Looney closed out to the right wing. Strus faked a dribble pick-up, freezing Looney while he dashed inside for a soft lay-in.

On the next inside score, Strus caught a pass on the left wing and immediately darted past Andrew Wiggins, hitting a floater over Draymond Green in the low post.

The trend continued for Miami’s ignitable marksman in the Heat’s narrow loss in Indiana on Friday. Half of Stus’ makes came in the restricted area, but two of those scores stemmed from steals.

Covering the left wing in Miami’s 2-3 zone, Strus recognized that Myles Turner was about to pass to Tyrese Haliburton up top the moment a pindown was set by Jalen Smith. Max blew up the play by bursting forward, intercepting the rock, and slamming it through the cylinder on a none-on-one fastbreak.

On the next two-point play, Strus closed out to the right wing as Bennedict Mathurin caught a pass. Indiana’s rookie put Strus on his back hip but was stripped in the lane because he shifted his dribble back to his right hand. Strus recovered the ball and took it to the cup, finishing past a contest by Haliburton in front and Turner behind him as he converted the finger roll.

His final inside score came in the halfcourt. Caleb Martin crossed over Turner in the right corner and cut through the baseline. Strus, standing at the left wing, noticed the defense ball watching the breakdown and not sending help. He then cut through the lane, received the pass, and layed it up softly.

On shots from 3-10 feet from the rim, Strus is shooting 50% from the field. In 2021/2022, only 5.3% of his attempts came from that zone. This season, he has nearly doubled his shots from that territory while also raising his efficiency by 6.3%.

Through 10 games, #31 has finished five dunks. Last year in 68 matches, he slammed seven.

Currently, he’s averaging 14.2 points on 44.8% shooting from the field and 37% from deep. Plus 4.6 boards and a couple of assists a night too. But Strus is more than that.

He’s turned into the ideal role player- an egoless and complete teammate. He produces on the court, never throws anyone under the bus, and accepts whatever duty is shouldered on him.

Strus is a guy who keeps polishing his game because still has the hunger that comes with going undrafted. His work ethic is unteachable. People like him are special.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Nets Can’t Do Anything Right

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The Nets’ public relations disaster ended with Kyrie Irving and the team pledging to donate half a million dollars each towards causes that work to eliminate hate in the community. I award the team and Irving zero nobility points -irreversible damage has been done.

 

According to the FBI, the Jewish community is the most targeted religious group in the United States.  Just in 2020, there were 683 recorded hate crimes against them.  What Irving did is serious and would be enough to cost him his job in most places outside of sports.  Promoting those views on his platform makes it unsafe for Jewish people.

 

The excuse that the idling Nets were waiting for the counsel of the ADL will be accepted by many. Brooklyn should’ve suspended Irving the moment he promoted antisemitic propaganda. Letting him play signaled to the public the Nits didn’t think it was a big enough issue until they had more information. Essentially it means they don’t know how to take charge of their organization. 

 

It’s inconceivable how Joe Tsai became a boss when his word doesn’t mean anything.  Supposedly he was going to have Steve Nash and Sean Marks’ backs, but one of them was already sacrificed on the altar of a poor start of the season.  Nash was canned and Ime Udoka, the man, the Boston Celtics, suspended for an inappropriate relationship, has emerged as a strong front runner.  The Celtics weren’t clear on nature of the improper relationship. 

 

It isn’t fair to Brooklyn’s women and Jewish fanbase how they have handled these matters.  Irving’s views, which were backtracked, are, at best, dangerously misguided and, at worst, intentionally cruel.  

 

Fact: Kyrie didn’t even apologize.  The best he could do was say through a press release, “I am aware of the negative impact of my posts towards the Jewish community, and I take responsibility.  I do not believe everything said in the documentary was true or reflects my morals and principles…”  

 

Then on Thursday, when he was asked by a scrum of reporters about the joint statement, Irving wouldn’t answer if he was apologizing.  When peppered by ESPN’s Nick Friedell on if he has antisemitic beliefs, all he could say is that he embraces all walks of life and he couldn’t be antisemitic because he knows where he comes from.

 

I’m glad he said, at least on the record, that he doesn’t share every view of the filth he endorsed.  It shouldn’t be swept under the rug that the book the film is based on despicably denies the Holocaust.  The “documentary” itself promotes garbage from Adolf Hitler too.

 

 There was no “I am sorry” in Irving’s statement.  How remorseful can this pointless contrarian really be?  Forgive me if I am a bit suspicious of his intent to soothe the emotions of observers.  He hasn’t earned the benefit of the doubt to say the Nets didn’t pressure him into doing this.  

 

Before the Nets, Irving and the ADL released their joint statement, insufficient press releases were made public by NBA Communications and the NBA Players Association.  Neither of these declarations named the problem:  Irving.  Instead, they said the bare minimum. 

 

NBA Coms said, “Hate speech of any kind is unacceptable…”

 

The Players Association said, “Antisemitism has no place in our society… We will continue to work on identifying and combating all hate speech wherever it arises.”

 

The NBPA’s statement is BS.  Irving is still incomprehensibly a vice president of their union.  One of their own validated bigotry, and they didn’t hold him accountable.  

 

Imagine if NBA personnel were held to the same standard people outside of sports are.  It was just 16 months ago that Google fired Amr Awadallah over his antisemitic views.  In 2020, Beverly Hills police chief Sandra Spagnoli was forced into early retirement after lawsuits alleged racism, antisemitism, and harassment.  In 2019, the Palm Beach County school board fired principal William Latson from Spanish River Community High School because he wouldn’t acknowledge the Holocaust as factual.

 

Irving is fortunate he still has a gig in the NBA, but this is the last year of his deal.  Even before this nonsense, I couldn’t imagine any team outside of the Lakers soliciting for his services owing to the fact that he’s overpaid and undependable.  This latest headache is the icing on the cake.

  

As for Udoka becoming a front runner, he has an adequate understanding of the game and has earned respect on that front.  It’s evident by the fact that his Boston team managed to claim the second seed after a poor start to the season and came two wins away from a title.  But a coach is supposed to be a leader of a group.

 

His conduct was unbecoming of a teacher, and it remains to be seen the ultimate impact of how the mess ended in Boston.  It’s no secret that athletes and their colleagues fool around.  I am not excusing that wicked behavior, but you shouldn’t be untrustworthy at work.  Udoka couldn’t follow protocol and reportedly sent more inappropriate messages to other women in the organization.

 

The Nets considering Udoka makes it clear that winning is a priority over keeping a respectable workplace environment.  

 

If he gets the job, good luck to Udoka dealing with Irving.

 

Tyree Hill and Jaylen Waddle are giving the Miami Dolphins the most dynamic receiving duo in the NFL.

Pressure Point: Dolphins’ offense spectacular in win, but porous pass defense worrisome

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The Miami Dolphins’ uneasy 31-27 comeback win Sunday at Detroit brought more relief than satisfaction.

It looks a lot better concealed in a 5-3 ledger — which keeps Miami in the thick of the AFC East race — than it did in the light of day.

Falling behind 14-0 and 21-7 against a 1-5 team (now 1-6) that didn’t score a touchdown and only six points total the previous two games was ominous for a team with playoff aspirations.

Jared Goff shredded Miami’s injury-riddled secondary like soft cheese and special teams got burned on a fake punt during the Lions’ 27-point first half.

Fortunately, the Dolphins have an unstoppable force named Tyreek Hill, who had 12 catches for 188 yards and is on pace to break Calvin Johnson’s single-season receiving record and the first 2,000-yard receiving season. The Cheetah had two key catches on the final drive that sealed the win, and was clearly the best player on the field all day.

Tua on target

Tua Tagovailoa turned in one of his best performances: 29-for-36 for 382 yards three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 138.7 rating. The accuracy absent last week in Tua’s return from a concussion (or two?) was back to his standards Sunday.

He threw some beauties, such as the second of two touchdowns to Jaylen Waddle.

Hill’s sidekick Waddle had another 100-yard receiving day (eight catches for 106 yards), and with 727 yards and five touchdowns is tracking toward a 1,500-yard season of his own.

Meanwhile, Mike Gesicki had another TD-grab as he becomes more of a factor in the passing game, and Trent Sherfield continues to contribute timely catches.

All of those gaudy numbers on offense (476 total yards including 107 rushing) are fun to talk about and the replays entertaining. Particularly after the Dolphins failed to score 20 points in the previous four games.

Offensive eruption overdue

Essentially, Tua and Co. finally delivered what has been missing since the 28-point fourth quarter against the Ravens in Week 2. They needed every bit of it to outlast one of two remaining one-win teams in the league.

It was a win to feel grateful for but queasy about after watching Goff and the Lions score on all five first-half possessions.

The Dolphins’ offense consumed most of the third quarter with nearly 11 minutes of possession and the defense got a vital fourth-down stop on Detroit’s final drive of the game.

For the Dolphins, moving on means trying to somehow put together a patch for a secondary that is going to be targeted every week. Brandon Jones and Nik Needham are gone for the season and it’s beginning to look like veteran cornerback Byron Jones may not surface at all. He has yet to practice since offseason ankle surgery.

There just isn’t a cache of viable defensive backs lurking on the waiver wire and practice squads midway through the season.

Odd that veteran Erik Rowe was left inactive Sunday. Supposedly it was for the benefit of special teams, which didn’t exactly justify the decision as it turned out.

Ranks thin in secondary

Surely, some unemployed DBs will be brought in for auditions. Realistically, thought, the current cast is going to have to cowboy up and hope to get more help with pressure up front than we’ve seen.

Good news for Miami is the Dolphins are into the softest stretch of the season: Bears, Browns, Texans, 49ers, Chargers in the next five games. All currently under .500 except the 4-3 Chargers.

Those are winnable games, but by no means gimmees. Sunday’s close call at Detroit was proof enough these Dolphins can’t take anything for granted. Not with a defense that showed vulnerabilities early in the season and is now greatly diminished in pass coverage.

So, celebrate the highlight-reel showcase of Tagovailoa, Hill, Waddle Raheem Mostert and the rest of the playmakers. They put on a spectacular show Sunday.

They’ll need to repeat it every week for this team to remain on a playoff course.

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

Five takeaways from Panthers loss to Flyers

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Florida made their way to the City of Brotherly love for their second meeting of the season against the Philadelphia Flyers. 

 

The Panthers won the first meeting 4-3 in Sunrise a week ago, but the Flyers got their revenge in Philadelphia with a 4-3 win of their own.

 

Here’s the takeaways.

 

A power play goal has been scored 

Every time the Panthers play, the big problem staring them in the face is their lack of success on the power play. 

 

Entering tonight Florida was 2/33 on the power play. The first two periods in Philadelphia looked much the same, with Florida going 0/2 on the man-advantage. 

 

However, all things come to an end and the Panthers power play drought, which had not seen a goal since Oct. 15 was one of those things tonight. 

 

Brandon Montour, who scored the last Panthers power play goal two weeks ago once again found the back of the net, giving the Florida power play a much, much needed tally. 

 

Florida only got one power play goal on their four attempts tonight, but it’s a start in the right direction. 

 

The defense was the offense?

Florida’s roster is made up of quite a few guys that are more than capable of burying 30 goals over the course of an 82 game season. 

 

So who scored the Florida goals tonight? Yes, the defenseman. 

 

All three goals by the Cats tonight were scored by the d-corps; Forsling, Mahura and Montour. 

 

The blue liners were finding open lanes and jumping up in the play all game. Florida’s defenseman had 17 shots on goal in the game. 

 

With the forwards not finding the back of the net, it’s good to have your backend hold it down offensively. 

 

Carter Hart slammed the door

Philadelphia’s 24-year-old goalie Carter Hart was the main reason why the Flyers got out of this one with two points. 

 

Hart was lights out, finishing the game with 47 saves. In the final minutes of the third period, Florida was sending everything they had towards goal, but Hart wasn’t having any part of that. 

 

Florida outshot Philadelphia 50 to 22. 

 

Hart improves his season record to 5-0-0 after tonight’s game. 

 

Reinhart and Barkov are still goalless 

For the first seven games of the season, Sam Reinhart was next to Aleksander Barkov on the Panthers top line. Tonight, the pair was split up as their offensive production hasn’t been there, with the duo not having a single goal to their name this season. 

 

The two combined last season for 72 goals during the regular season. 

 

Following tonight’s game, the number still stays at zero, though they both picked up assists in tonight’s one goal loss. 

 

Reinhart and Barkov are two of the best goal scorers on the team, as they showed frequently last year. But the lack of goal production has hurt the team, specifically in close games like this. They need to find the back of the net soon.

 

Colin White quietly contributes again 

The third line has been the most consistent one for Florida all season.

 

With Anton Lundell being the staple down the middle and Eetu Luostarinen getting the bump to a top-9 winger role, the Finns have been clicking. 

 

The other member of this highly-effective line is first-year Panther Colin White. 

 

White doesn’t see the ice as much as Lundell and Luostarinen as he’s not in the special teams rotation, but when he’s out there 5-on-5, he seems to get the job done. 

 

White picked up an assist tonight on Mahura’s goal, making it his seventh point in eight games. 

 

During his last few years in Ottawa, White was setback by injuries and ended up getting bought out this summer. He seems to have found a new spark in South Florida, becoming a much needed player on the wing. 

Five Takeaways from Panthers 4-3 win over Flyers

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SUNRISE – After being the best team at home last season, the Florida Panthers returned to FLA Live Arena for their 2022-2023 home opener. 

 

The Cats didn’t disappoint the home fans as they defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3, moving to 3-1-0 on the year.

 

Here are the takeaways:

 

Verhaeghe gets into the scoring flow 

 

Carter Verhaeghe performs well at home, look back at Game 5 of last year’s first-round against Washington. It was no different tonight,

 

Entering the game, number 23 was pointless through his first three games of the season, all of which were on the road. Verhaeghe didn’t let this early season slump affect him at the home opener. Six minutes into the first period, Verhaeghe sniped a shot past Flyers goalie Felix Sandstrom, giving the Panthers a 1-0 lead and Swaggy his first goal of the season.

 

Verhaeghe wasn’t done there. Just a few minutes after his first goal, he bursted through the neutral zone, catching a stretch pass from Gustav Forsling. Verheaghe, who is extremely effective off the rush, didn’t waste the breakaway chance, tucking the puck right under Sandstrom’s glove for his second of the game. 

 

Captain Barkov plays his 600th game

 

It was 2013 when the Florida Panthers drafted a soft spoken teenager from Tampere, Finland second-overall. Tonight, that 27-year-old played his 600th career NHL game, all with the Florida Panthers. 

 

Aleksander Barkov, who didn’t even realize at morning skate that tonight would be his 600th game, showed one again why he is the franchise player, he played his game. 

 

Defensively, the former Selke winner continued the little things which have made him a household name across the National Hockey League. The little things being his positioning on the blue line when the Flyers were trying to get zone entries on the power play, his aggressiveness in corner battles and his overall presence across the ice.

 

Offensively he was no different. Barkov picked up two assists in the first period and could have easily had two more throughout the game. He was sprinign his teammates open with subtle but extremely effective passes. 

 

We’ve seen this game for nearly a decade from Barkov and once again we witnessed his worth to the team tonight after seeing it 599 times before.

The defense had a new look

 

With the news today that No. 1 defenseman Aaron Ekblad is on LTIR, which would see him miss at the minimum 10 games and 24 days, the Panthers blueline was looking depleted. The problems didn’t get any better with Brandon Montour missing tonight’s game. The Panthers had to call up Matt Kiersted and Lucas Carlsson for their season debuts. 

 

Gustav Forsling, who already jumped into a top-two role this season with the departure of MacKenzie Weegar once again saw him get a bump with Ekblad out. 

 

The blue-line was a unique one tonight. Forsling and Kiersted started as the top unit, both of whom are left-handed shots. Carlsson was paired with Marc Staal while Radko Gudas was alongside Josh Mahura.

 

The scoresheet saw some points on the scoresheet, with Mahura getting a goal, while Forsling and Gudas picked up some helpers.

 

The blue-line being in a blender didn’t seem to be a problem, with the Cats coming out on top tonight. 

 

Paul Maurice said Brandon Monotur is expected to be a full participant in the next Panthers practice, he was also on the ice for morning skate. Getting him back in the lineup is huge for the Panthers.

 

Welcome to Florida 

 

It can take time for players to get adjusted to a new team and this year’s Panthers squad has a lot of new bodies. 

 

With the 2022-2023 Panthers home opener, some of the new Cats showed out to the contingent at FLA Live Arena. 

 

With his linemates already on the goal sheet this season, Rudolfs Balcers was ready to get in on the action. After a great pass from Sam Bennett, Rudy was free on goal. The Latvian national stayed composed, sold the shot and went bardown on the back-hand to make his first goal as a Panther one for the highlight reel.

 

Balcers wouldn’t be the last new acquisition to get the South Florida crowd on their feet. Josh Mahura was a waiver pickup right before opening night and slotted himself directly into the lineup. Tonight he showed his offensive skill to the home crowd.

 

Mahura walked into the zone and fired the puck across his body, beating Sandstrom right below the glove. Both Mahura and Balcers completed the goals with picture perfect cellys.

 

And not to forget, Matthew Tkachuk picked up two assists tonight in his home debut.

 

It’s good to be home

 

South Florida sports fans had a few decisions to make today as both the Heat and Panthers played their first home games of the season. 

 

Panthers fans made it known, as they did many times last season, they love their team. FLA Live Arena was loud tonight. Whether it was the infamous “ref you suck” chant or the Ric Flair “WOO”, Sunrise was the place to be tonight. 

 

Every big Bobrovsky save, which he had a lot in the third, was accompanied by large rounds of applause. The final goals of the game had the building on its feet. This place was bumping.

 

The players were feeding off the energy,

 

“They’re excited to go play in front of their fans and it’s a good live building,” Paul Maurice said post-game. “I think there’s a good synergy there because I think the fans are having fun, the players on the bench, like they’re working hard but they’re having fun.” 

 

Panthers hockey is back in South Florida.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Not Enough From Joel Embiid in the Season Opener

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It’s indisputable the 76ers are a loaded squad. After the regular season, it wouldn’t be a shocker if they were the one seed. Yet it remains a mystery if Doc Rivers can unleash them.

Joel Embiid was second in MVP voting in back-to-back campaigns, but he emerged in the season opener with an atrocious shot selection that hindered his club. Anytime the opponent can force Philly’s center into playing mainly from the perimeter, it will likely translate to an extra mark in the win column, as it did for the Celtics.

Thirty-six minutes passed, and the 76ers only attempted 21 field goals in the paint, with a scarce three tries by Embiid in the box. Credit to him for feeling assertive in the fourth quarter, where he registered 5/8 of his close-range shots, but he was rewarded with one free throw by the refs’ whistles in that period.

Embiid’s box score numbers are eye-catching- 26 points on 50% efficiency, 15 boards, 7/9 at the line, etc. Statistically, it was a solid night for Joel. But, anyone who has seen him overwhelm the paint knows the version of him that took the court against Boston resembled a lapdog more than the ferocious wolf he’s capable of being. At TD Garden, he fell into his bad habits.

A third (6/18) of #21’s attempts came from behind the arc, and he only cashed one. Some of these came with a smaller defender in front. Instead of overpowering a mismatch, Embiid took a pair of triples defended by Malcolm Brogdon and Jaylen Brown. As the ball bounced off the iron both times, it dawned on me, why can’t he play smarter?

In the six seasons Embiid has suited up for, he logged over 50% shooting just once. That was in 2021 before Rivers ran Ben Simmons out of town.

Defensively, Embiid was a shell of himself. A couple of fouls picked up in the first quarter reduced his willingness to sufficiently contest. In Boston, the opponent shot 11/19 (58%) from the field, with Embiid as the closest defender.

It was Philly’s first game of the year. Much of their inadequacies- Tyrese Maxey not receiving enough touches, getting beat on the boards, lax rock protection, and poor shot selection- are fixable. But it all starts with the guy towering at seven-feet tall who commands immediate help with the ball in his hands near the rim.

Rivers has to make sure Embiid gets the rock back more often as he rolls to the cup, while James Harden is iced in pick and roll. No more than a fifth of his shots should come outside the arc. He is too streaky from that area, and he can impose maximum affliction on the defense by pushing an opponent with his back.

If #21 focuses on his strengths, the 76ers will turn into a team that can’t be stopped but rather outscored. Harden and Maxey were creating separation without screens. That’s a massive upgrade over their capabilities last Playoffs because then the Beard couldn’t get by anyone without help.

The backcourt’s ability to break down a defense on rim attacks will leave open looks for a cutting Embiid. It’s on the team’s MVP candidate to ensure the group never scores below 50 points in the paint again.