Physicality needs to become part of 2024 Miami Dolphins M.O.

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For the past two seasons, if there was one word you could use to define the Miami Dolphins, it would be “lightning.” Their players on both sides of the ball are lightning fast, they are a lightning rod for media talking points and controversy, one could even say that they’ve captured lightning in a bottle when their offense is running on all cylinders. But the easiest counterpoint to all that is Miami’s apparent lack of physicality. Where’s the thunder to go with the lightning?

Physicality is not just a trait, it’s a mindset. One that a team either has, or it doesn’t. In 2023, as fun as it was to watch the Dolphins overwhelm unprepared opponents with their speed and timing, more typically physical teams were usually their weakness. That lack of physicality on their part soon spread and gave Miami a reputation that they wouldn’t shake all year long.

Now, with head coach Mike McDaniel in his third year as head coach, and the entire team backing newly-paid franchise QB Tua Tagovailoa, they’re looking to finally change the narrative and add some physicality to their game. Some thunder to go with their lightning.

“New guys like myself pride ourselves on being physical, and I think of any great defense, you have to be physical.” Linebacker Jordyn Brooks said on Tuesday. “We want to be feared and so right now, we’re in the process of doing that. Not everyday is going to be perfect, but that’s why we got the pads on working in the heat and just emphasizing it day after day until we get to the point where we feel like we’re the bullies on the team.”

But physicality is more than just being big and strong, it’s about mental toughness as well. No one has a better idea of what that’s like than veteran safety Jordan Poyer, who joined the Dolphins this offseason after spending his entire career to date with the Buffalo Bills, the team that has spent more time pushing Miami around than any other these past several years.

“I think just sharing the experience.” Poyer said on July 23rd. “Like I said, playing against this team over the past few years, you kind of get a sense of, ‘OK, if you get on top of this team, they might fold.’ And there are some teams that are – this is just being honest, so what is that that happens in those moments where we get hit in the mouth? What happens in those moments so we’re like, ‘Hey, we’re good. Let’s bounce back. We’re good. It’s a 60-minute game, it’s a long game.’ I’ve been in games where I’ve been up 24 points and end up losing. I’ve been in games where we’ve been down 21 points and end up winning. So it’s just continuing to just play, play the game.”

To be clear, Poyer gains nothing by admitting this. He is merely stating that the perception of the Miami Dolphins outside of the bubble of team fandom, is that Buffalo – and others most likely – saw Miami as dangerous but vulnerable to being pushed around. That is a problem that cannot repeat itself in 2024.

So far, Miami is showing they’ve made changes to how much physicality they have. Only when the season begins will we learn if it truly pays off.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Kevin Durant and LeBron James- The Equalizers

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The Stars and Stripes dismantled Serbia after a shaky start. Nikola Jokić was the heartbeat of his country and outplayed every American big man. But Kevin Durant erupted off the bench for 23 points, and LeBron James nearly had a triple-double, leading Team USA to its first victory in the group stage. 

Yet, early, the Serbians opened the match on a 10-2 run, capitalizing off multiple turnovers for quick baskets, cutting on the left side, successfully posting up Jrue Holiday, and attacking Joel Embiid in drop coverage. Defensively, the Serbians hedged the pick-and-roll and deployed a full-court press in spurts. 

Team USA coach Steve Kerr called a stoppage, subbed out Embiid for Anthony Davis, and the group responded with its 12-point flurry.

Jokic took a break for his country after eight-and-a-half minutes, while they were up four points. As he walked to the bench, Durant checked in for the Americans. The latter instantly discharged six digits from the wings before the quarter expired. 

Then Durant kept burning, curling into the lane for a pull-up jumper, isolating his man at the top for a trifecta, swishing a corner banger and canning another bomb off the dribble.

Jokić checked back in with eight minutes left in the first half as Serbia was down nine marks. Immediately, the squad’s intensity elevated as its engine roared. The NBA’s reigning MVP scored twice at close range and buried a right-wing catch-and-shoot 3-pointer in Embiid’s face.

The closest the Serbians got was within two points in the last two minutes of the half. Next, the Stars and Stripes were up 58-49 at intermission.

Subsequently, Team USA took over the match in the third quarter with its unforgiving defense, permitting 16 points. On the other side, James and Co. proceeded to carve up their rivals, outscoring them by 10 marks. 

The fourth quarter began with Team USA ahead 84-65. From that point, Devin Booker, Holiday, Curry and James carried the Americans to the finish line. 

Team USA won 110-84. Durant had 23 points on eight of nine looks, with two rebounds and a turnover. James provided 21 marks on 69% accuracy, with nine assists, eight rebounds and six turnovers. The rest of the double-digit scorers were Holiday (15), Booker (12), Curry (11) and Anthony Edwards (11).

For the Serbians, Jokić supplied 20 points on eight of 15 attempts, with five rebounds, eight assists and four turnovers. The other double-digit scorers were Bogdan Bogdanović (14), Ognjen Dobrić (13), Vasilije Micić (11) and Aleksa Avramović (10).

Durant handled the on-court interview and was asked about meshing with James and Curry. He said, “We had to build that camaraderie and that trust pretty quickly. Everyone is playing for one another, moving the ball, defensively talking to each other. It’s the pinnacle of basketball when you do that.”

 

Other notable stuff:

 

Dwyane Wade was on the NBC broadcast, providing fun and notable analysis. As he’s transitioned well into another business, his old pal and teammate, the timeless James, is still squashing opponents. 

The Heat’s Nikola Jović still has lots of work to do as a half-court scorer. He needs to be more than a release valve on the kickout. 

It’s special to have Durant and  Curry as teammates again in important games. These mobile snipers were one of the top partnerships in NBA history, winning back-to-back titles. 

James’ connection with Edwards for a lob from mid-court was one of the game’s best plays. 

Embiid barking at an opponent while his loaded team was up 10 points was a disgrace. 

 

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: WNBA Observations at the Olympic break

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The WNBA is at a recess until mid-August for the Olympics, but so far, through 62.5% of the season, some ladies have separated themselves from their peers. A former MVP is hellbent on seizing her crown. The rookie class is outstanding, with multiple All-Stars. And tons of people are watching- the All-Star Game on Saturday had its largest audience ever, which was a 305% increase from 2023, and the match between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky on June 23 was the most-viewed WNBA game in 23 years, per ESPN Press Room.

 

Let’s review the difference-makers in the league…

 

A’ja Wilson is having a season for the ages:

She’s the most dominant force in the league and cannot be stopped with double teams or physical action. Wilson is on pace to have the highest-scoring season in WNBA history, surpassing Jewell Loyd’s 2023 campaign with the Seattle Storm. And she’ll easily outdo Sylvia Fowles’ 2018 rebounding record (404) if she keeps the pace of snagging 12 nightly. Note: the WNBA season was 34 games in 2018 instead of 40 now. Even at a 34-match clip, Wilson is on track to claim the glass crown by a few boards. 

The Las Vegas Aces are a loaded outfit with four stars and last season’s Sixth Woman of the Year winner, Alysha Clark, but they struggled without the help of W’s top playmaker, Chelsea Gray. In that span, the reigning Finals MVP (Wilson) carried the group, but it was to a 6-6 record. It’s unclear how much the voters will punish her for that. Yet, she’s a massive favorite in the sportsbooks to win her third MVP trophy.  DraftKings and FanDuel have her odds at -3000. Caesars Sportsbook has her at -3500.  

On defense, Wilson is a shot blocker, which means she stays in the backline unless caught in a switch or covering an outside option. Still, she can hedge to contest in time, but if her teammates aren’t maneuvering past screens well then Wilson is compromised. 

Wilson is averaging 27.2 points on 52.2% accuracy for the season, including 39.5% from deep, with 12 boards, 2.9 blocks, 1.9 steals and 2.4 assists per game.  

Since Gray’s comeback, her first outing since Oct. 15, 2023 (Game 3 of the Finals), Wilson is putting up 26.4 points on 53% shooting, with 36.4% from 3-point range, 12.4 rebounds, 3.3 blocks, two steals and 2.2 assists. 

 

Not many guards better than Caitlin Clark: 

Caitlin Clark ended the rookie of the year race in July with her triple-double in a win against the New York Liberty and her 19-assist outing in a loss versus the Dallas Wings. Her helpings output is the new WNBA record, passing Courtney Vandersloot’s 18 against the Indiana Fever on Aug. 31, 2020. The only other players to register a triple-double this season are Alyssa Thomas (2) and Layshia Clarendon (1).

She is the most doubled perimeter player in the league, yet seven ballers ((with at least 20 games played) are logging a higher usage percentage (Sabrina Ionescu, Napheesa Collier, Jewell Loyd, Arike Ogunbowale, Chennedy Carter, A’ja Wilson and Kahleah Copper).

Clark is a superior playmaker to all of them because of her impact on her teammates and she’s the flashiest passer in the W, despite her high turnover count. To boot, the twice AP Player of the Year, is first in assists, first in double-doubles by a guard and third in minutes averaged. 

In transition, Clark will advance upcourt, producing herself or hitting a teammate in stride for an easy basket. Her most effective scoring method is attacking the rim, converting 63.2% of those attempts and that spot is second in her shot diet. Jumpers, pull-ups and step-back looks are taken with higher frequency, but supplied at an ineffectual rate, partly because of how close she is covered. Still, she’s tied for third in the league with Ogunbowale in 3-point baskets (71).

As her rookie campaign has progressed, she’s improved her assist/turnover numbers (2.27 through six games in July). That stat sits at a low 1.47 for the season, yet 99 of her 145 turnovers came from bad passes, per Basketball Reference.

So far, the latest number-one overall pick has been better than advertised, and her work is electrifying. Anyone who doubted her skills was worthy enough to make TEAM USA when the roster was released should review the fundamentals.

 

Chennedy Carter’s comeback is the best story this season:

The Atlanta Dream drafted Chennedy Carter fourth overall in 2020, but she didn’t last with the club because of conduct issues. Her next stop in Los Angeles ended prematurely for the same reason and she was out of the league in 2023. But this year, Carter is back and she’s been one of the best in the business and is at the top of her squad. 

Coach Teresa Weatherspoon initially had her coming off the bench for the first 12 games and then wised up because no one on the team breaks down a defender like her. The deep shot isn’t one of her weapons, but she supplies 72% of attempts in the restricted area, taking 29.8% of tries from that zone. Also of note: Carter hasn’t been a reserve since June 14, and she’s still second in bench points scored (155), trailing Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (185).

As a starter (12 games), Carter averages an insufficient 30.3 minutes per game. The former Aggie needs more time because she is likely the fastest player in the league with the ball, allowing her to create separation against her matchup without a screen. Her burst also establishes a lethal pick-and-roll ball handler option.

Her top game of the year was a winning effort on July 16 in Las Vegas against the Aces. Carter was the best guard in a game that featured Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray. She scored on backdoor cuts, mid range jumpers, drivebys and fastbreak opportunities.

Not all young people are ready to be professionals when they land a top gig because they are late bloomers, too. Carter is capitalizing on her chance at redemption and becoming the player she was destined to be.

 

Marina Mabrey on the Connecticut Sun: 

Marina Mabrey asking out of Chicago is an organizational failure because the team was more talented than its record indicated.

Before the exchange that brought Marina Mabrey to the Connecticut Sun for Rachel Banham, Moriah Jefferson, and two first-round picks, the squad had a puncher’s chance to come out of the East. The New York Liberty is still favored, but the Sun is a more formidable rival with extra firepower.

Mabrey’s shooting splits aren’t stellar, as she is more of a wildcard sniper, but she catches lots of attention and sets up her teammates well. A third of her made triples were unassisted, and she led the Sky in assists before the trade, too. 

For Connecticut, the scoring burden is loosened off DeWanna Bonner, Brionna Jones and DiJonai Carrington’s shoulders because of Mabrey’s gravity plus scoring competence. Alyssa Thomas doesn’t have to work as hard to get them involved, which should conserve some of her energy for the fourth quarter as well.

The Sun made the right move to maximize its championship window by bringing in a player not far from All-Star caliber. She might blossom into one playing on a squad as deep and well-coached as Connecticut’s.

 

Further comments:

Angel Reese is a winning player and an All-Star rookie. She’s a high-level defender, gets others open with screens, limits opponents’ possessions and buys more for her team by pounding the glass. She’ll ascend into the league’s first echelon when she polishes her scoring near the rim and connects on open jumpers regularly. 

Don’t underestimate the Minnesota Lynx. The recent Commissioner’s Cup champs are the top defense and passing unit in the WNBA but are weak on the glass. 

It’s a lost season for the Wings as its record sits at 6-19. Satou Sabally’s shoulder injury has decimated the defense and the offense lacks significant help. Wings games this season are about watching Ogunbowale, who leads the WNBA in minutes (38.4,  field goal attempts (20.1) and steals (2.7), try to drag her team to the finish line. 

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: The Indiana Fever failed to get stops in the fourth quarter of Caitlin Clark’s record-setting night

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The Indiana Fever faltered, getting beat in a late shootout after being down double-digits in the first half. Caitlin Clark registered a career-high and WNBA record with 19 helpings and scored easily. Aliyah Boston was dominant early. But the depleted Wings were the nastier team in the fourth quarter, connecting on three triples and only allowing the opponent one trip to the charity line.

 

“We took their punches, and we punched back, and we ended up with a W,” Arise Ogunbowale said at her mid-court, postgame interview. 

 

The visitors were stuck in quicksand on defense through two quarters, giving up 36 paint points on 16 of 22 baskets. Additionally, Ogunbowale swished jumpers off the dribble and catch. Plus Odyssey Sims made two 3-pointers, put back her missed layup, scored twice on the break, cut on the left side for a bucket, dribbled by NaLyssa Smith for a basket and defended Clark. 

 

But Clark and Boston sliced a 16-point deficit in half, scoring the last 22 points of their club in the first half. They logged 13 of 20 attempts. The rest of the squad’s accuracy was 33%.

 

The Fever was down 46-54 at intermission but had lost the ball 10 times. Additionally, the group had 30 paint points, five on the break, 13 off turnovers, six via second chances and four from the bench.

 

The Wings had 36 interior points, 14 on the break, 20 off turnovers, five on extra tries and seven from the reserves.

 

Next, the Fever was down 11 points a few minutes into the third quarter.

 

Subsequently, Clark canned a right corner triple behind Boston’s pindown, dribbled left from the top of the key to the hoop for a one-foot shot, and had five assists to Katie Lou Samuelson, Kelsey Mitchell, NaLyssa Smith and Boston. Her prettiest feed was a behind-the-back pass to Smith for a layup.

 

Smith added a transition score, a putback and seven boards. And defensively, the Fever held the Wings to six of 18 baskets in the third quarter by closing out to snipers on time and pressuring the ball entry.

 

The fourth quarter began with the Fever down 70-72. Clark already had 20 points and 13 rebounds, making it her third game in a week with a double-double. She followed up with assists to Damiris Dantas and Boston on pick-and-roll sets, dished to Lexie Hull in the corner on the break, found Boston ahead on two transition seals and hit Kelsey Mitchell on left wing for a 3-pointer. Furthermore, Clark caught the rock behind a flare screen on the left side and dribbled down the baseline for a deuce and produced on a quick post up on Sims.

 

Boston supplied three baskets at close range plus Mitchell made both of her shots at close and long distance.

 

But the fourth-quarter defense was horrendous. The Fever gave up the corner after blitzing Ogunbowale then allowed Jacy Sheldon to take an uncontested right-wing banger because Mitchell overplayed Sims’ entry dribble. And with fewer than three minutes left, Sims dropped in one of those of course shots from 26 feet away that bounced off the back iron and straight down the nylon.

 

Afterward, Ogunbowale tossed up a wild, successful turnaround shot with Hull covering cleanly to put the Wings ahead four points in the last 45 seconds. Clark responded futilely, dribbling down the court, but got her pocket picked by Howard, and Sims slid to the ground for it.

 

The Fever lost 93-101.

 

The Fever had 62 paint points, 14 on the break, 17 off turnovers, 11 via second chances and 12 from the bench.

 

Clark logged 24 points on 10 of 19 attempts, with 19 dimes, six rebounds and six turnovers. Boston put up 28 digits on 78.6% accuracy, with eight boards, three assists and four blocks. Mitchell scored 16 points on six of 10 tries and picked up two rebounds, one assist and two turnovers.  And Smith had 12 points on 41.7% shooting, with 12 rebounds and four turnovers.

 

The Wings had 50 interior marks, 22 on the break, 28 off turnovers, 11 via extra tries and 15 from the reserves.

 

Ogunbowale tallied 24 points on eight of 21 shots, with seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two turnovers. Sims contributed 24 marks on 58.8% shooting, with three rebounds, nine assists, one steal, one block and a turnover. The other double-digit scorers were Natasha Howard (17), Kalani Brown (13), Sheldon (11) and Teaira McCowan (10).

 

The match had eight lead changes and 11 ties.

 

At the postgame presser, Boston said the Wings got “easy buckets they didn’t need.”

 

Clark downplayed her record and said, “The late turnover definitely kills, for sure. They were up pressuring me, so then I kind of got behind them to attack, but I tried to pull [the ball] out and lost my handle while getting poked from behind…”

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Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signing pushes the Magic over the Heat

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The Orlando Magic have surpassed the Miami Heat as the top team in Florida with the addition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the sharpshooting, defensive ace. He leaves the Denver Nuggets after two seasons, registering 313 trifectas, 253 steals and 95 blocks combined between the regular campaign and Playoffs.

In year one as a Denver Nugget, the two-way guard instantly became the release valve on the perimeter, downing open trays. His screen navigation bought Nikola Jokić, a reputable weak defender before 2022, the spare moment to get into position, and the latter stopped being a liability. And the Pope also brought leadership- during the Playoff run, he wore his championship ring with the Los Angeles Lakers to inspire his teammates and keep them focused on the mission.

That quest ended with the Nuggets as champions. KCP was the sixth leading scorer (10.6) in the postseason and converted 38% of 3-point attempts. One of his finest moments of the ride was Game 4 of the Finals at Miami. He had three takeaways, blocked Bam Adebayo’s layup as a helper and rejected Jimmy Butler on a post-up with over five minutes left.

The Nuggets wanted to re-sign him, but at their end-of-the-season presser, hinted it wouldn’t be easy. President and owner Josh Kroenke said, “the core of this team was assembled under a different CBA, and we drafted and we developed, and we built this team under a different set of rules.”

Nuggets coach Michael Malone once called KCP the missing piece.

Life without him will stress the starters. The squad has no replacement that matches his defensive persistence and marksmanship.

But now he wears Magic blue and supplements a 47-win group.

In 2023-24, Orlando deployed the third-strongest defense, had Paolo Banchero break out into an All-Star and capped out at Game 7 in the first round against the Cavaliers in Cleveland. Also, the Magic’s defensive rating (100) through seven Playoff matches was the sharpest of 16 qualifying teams. On top of that, they recorded 35.2% of hoisted threes through 82 outings and 30.9% against the Cavaliers.

KCP is a perfect match for the Magic. He and Jalen Suggs’ stinginess on the perimeter would rouse medieval lords. His deep shooting will enhance his teammates, particularly Banchero, because rival defenses won’t be able to trap low off the sniper.

So how do the Magic compare and contrast with the Heat?

Orlando’s backcourt- Suggs and KCP- is mightier defensively than Miami’s Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier. The former are more accurate from deep, too.

The shot creator category slightly favors Miami. The Heat have Butler, who can get what he wants against most matchups, and Adebayo fits here because of his rim attacks, screening and handoff action. The Magic have Banchero and Franz Wagner. Both have big man size and a vast arsenal with moves off the dribble.

The backline defense edge goes to the Magic due to their mobile size. Even if the club loses Wendell Carter Jr, Jonathan Isaac can be pushed into the starting unit. Isaac would have been a serious candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year crown if he had logged seven more games to meet the requirement.

The Heat’s Adebayo is arguably the top disruptor in the NBA. His backline partners were Nikola Jović, Caleb Martin and Haywood Highsmith. Jović is a developing pupil with promise as a helper but lacks experience. Martin was effective handling switches but will likely leave in free agency. Highsmith, who is 6-foot-7, showed instances of dominating one-on-one and helping defense, yet his issue is that some matchups are too strong or too tall for him.

The bench advantage goes to the Heat. Jaime Jaquez Jr. should emerge as its primary scorer because of his advanced footwork. Duncan Robinson is a shooting stimulus, yet he is the wildcard if coach Erik Spoelstra wants to get creative. As a reserve, Robinson was decent, recording 11.1 points nightly on 36.2% accuracy from 3-point range. But as a starter, he was among the finest marksmen in the NBA, downing 42% on over seven tries. And veteran Kevin Love is coming back, providing quality board work and deep shooting.

The Magic declined Mo Wagner’s team option, making him an unrestricted free agent. Reportedly, talks of a new deal with Wagner are possible, but a new squad could and should scoop him up. He was impactful, throwing his weight around on the glass, disrupting actions, and was an irritant. And Cole Anthony is a mid-level reserve.

Coaching is even. Spoelstra overachieves with his units and is likely keeping trusted lieutenant Chris Quinn around.

In 2023-24, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley led his troops to a 13-win improvement over the previous campaign, which was the highest mark in the Eastern Conference. His 2022-23 band improved by a dozen victories after the 2021-22 season.

Key player attendance is on the side of the Magic. Banchero is a 1A who logged 80 matches last season. Suggs made Second Team All-Defense and suited up for 75 nights. The other top three starters in games played appeared in a combined 153.

The Heat’s starters fused 245 outings. Word on the street is Butler wants to have a bounce back season for a new deal next summer. That would mean raising his rim pressure frequency plus efficiency and showing up in at least 75 games. He has only hit the latter marker twice in his career since draft night.

Banchero and Butler are in the same tier, but the former gives his club a significant lead if he is playing 24% more of the season.

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Legacies cemented after Panthers win Stanley Cup

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Florida’s Game 7 Stanley Cup Final win will be remembered forever.

 

It was a truly historic day in Panthers history as the franchise took home its first Cup in their 30 years of existence.

 

The win was the first Cup for all but two players (Vladimir Tarasenko, Carter Verhaeghe) and it cemented the legacies of many within the Panthers organization. 

 

Aleksander Barkov became the first captain from Finland to win the Stanley Cup, 17-year NHL veteran Kyle Okposo finally attained hockey’s greatest prize, Oliver Ekman-Larsson became a champion just a year after being one of the largest buyouts in NHL history, Dmitry Kulikov returns to win where he was drafted 15 years before — the storylines were plentiful. 

 

 Now that they’ve finished the job, a few Panthers should expect to see their name among hockey’s greatest sometime in the near future.

 

 Bobrovsky, you’re on the Cup

 

35-year-old Sergei Bobrovsky had nearly everything you could ask for as a goaltender. Over his 14-year NHL career, the Russian native had been a first team All-Star twice, an NHL All-Star three times, a two-time Vezina winner, is 14th all-time in wins — and has the most by a Russian — holds three World Championship medals and was an olympian.

 

The one achievement that was missing from his Hall of Fame resume was a Stanley Cup — now he has it. 

 

 

“It means a lot, it’s a dream come true,” Bobrovsky told TSN after winning the Cup . “I’m so happy to be here. It’s an amazing moment. It’s the hardest trophy to win and for a reason. We’re happy.” 

 

Posting a 2.32 GAA and .906 save percentage this postseason, Florida doesn’t win the Cup this year without Bobrovsky and they certainly wouldn’t have made the Final last year either. 

 

When Bobrovsky retires, there’s no doubt that he will be elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame and it seems almost certain that he should get in as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.  

 

By the time he calls it a career, Bobrovsky should finish top-10 all-time in wins (needs 27 more) and he still has the chance to win more hardware. But even if he walked away from the game tomorrow, he’d still be getting the call from the Hall. 

 

Paul Maurice finally did it

 

The other Panther that will be seeing his name enshrined within the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Esso Great Hall for the rest of time is the man who led his group of men to hockey immortality — head coach Paul Maruice.

 

A proud son of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Paul Maurice has been one of the most prominent figures in the National Hockey League for the better part of 30 years.

 

After getting his first NHL head coaching job at the fresh age of 28 back in 1995 with the Hartford Whalers, Maurice has waited a long time to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup. 

 

With 24-seasons as a head coach under his belt between Hartford, Carolina, Toronto, Winnipeg and Florida — Maurice’s name is near the top of the coaching record books. 

 

He’s coached the second most games in NHL history (1,848) and has the fourth most wins (869). Despite the plethora of experience in the NHL, Maurice was still searching for his Stanley Cup. 

 

“I need to win one,” Maurice said on June 7, just a day before Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. “That’s the truth, that’s how I feel. I’m 30 years into this thing, I wouldn’t mind winning one — how about that?”

 

Maurice came close twice to winning it all, making the Cup Final in 2002 with the Hurricanes and then last year in 2023 with the Panthers — losing both of those series.

 

Entering Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, Maurice was 4-0 in his career in a Game 7. 

 

In by far the most important Game 7 of his career, Maurice kept that undefeated streak alive and finally won the Stanley Cup. 

 

On Monday night after all the players took their lap with the Cup, 23-year-old Spencer Knight came over to Maurice mid-interview and said “here you go,” handing over the Cup to a man who got his start in the NHL nearly six years before he was born. 

 

With his eyes closed, Maurice hoisted the Cup over his head as cheers poured down from the stands at Amerant Bank Arena and his players watched nearby. 

 

“F– yeah,” Maurice shouted as he pumped the Cup in the air. He finished the job. 

 

“It’s for my mom and dad in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario,” Maurice told Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas postgame. “All of the people that suffered through 30 years of me losing and making excuses. Mom and dad especially.”

 

“Hey dad, your name’s going up with your heroes,” an emotional Maurice added. “Beliveau, Richard, Howe, Lindsay, Maurice.” 

 

The once young man behind the bench is now a grizzled 57-year-old vet and he finally has his Stanley Cup. 

 

Like Bobrovsky, this should all but guarantee Maurice — the second winningest coach in NHL history —  a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame. 

 

Who’s next?

 

I think it’s clear that if Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov continues producing at the same rate, he’ll hit 1,000 games and 1,000 points in the NHL — he’s already surpassed 700 for both of those at 28. Just the tenth player ever to win the Selke trophy more than once, Florida’s  franchise leader in virtually every record and now the first captain in Panthers history and the first captain from Finland to win the Cup, Barkov is on the right path for a Hall of Fame career.

 

“It’s incredible,” Barkov said after Florida won the Cup. “It’s hard to describe what’s going on and what just happened.” 

 

Aaron Ekblad, a former first-overall pick and the second longest tenured Panthers after Barkov, will more than likely see his name hang from the rafter at Amerant Bank Arena once he retires. The holder of most games, goals, assists and points by a Panthers defenseman across his 10-years in Florida — No. 5 should belong to Ekblad and Ekblad only.

 

“They always say you can’t f—ing get the words out man, it’s incredible, this is amazing” Ekblad said on Sportsnet after Game 7. “Sorry for swearing but this is the best moment of my life so far. Nothing tops it.”

 

Whether they find themselves in  the Hall of Fame, in the rafters or just in an alumni suite, the 2024 Florida Panthers are the greatest team in franchise history and will be remembered for eternity as the very first team to bring the Stanley Cup to South Florida.

Coach Paul Maurice hoists the Stanley Cup for the first time in his career after the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7. (Craig Davis)

Pressure Point: Zito, Maurice show Panthers the way to joyous Stanley Cup win

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Watching the newly champion Florida Panthers posing with their kids with the Stanley Cup and beginning a summer fling with the most tradition-rich sports trophy, I was reminded of looking down on this same sheet of ice in 2013.

Nobody was skating. It was preseason. But Lord Stanley’s ornate punch bowl was a focal point of the gathering.

The Panthers were introducing new owner Vinnie Viola, who was making bold promises. Like new team owners always do.

“We are committed to provide the resources to the Florida Panthers necessary to win the Stanley Cup,” Viola vowed.

He concluded by saying, “We’re going to win. Put the word out, we’re going to win.”

Viola makes championship vow a reality

Eleven years later, Viola proved to be a man of his word Monday night after the Panthers somehow protected a one-goal lead over the final period to hold off the resurgent Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The keys were that Viola did provide the financial resources and he ultimately found the right leader when he hired Bill Zito as general manager in 2020.

Never mind that the Conn Smythe Trophy went to Edmonton’s Connor McDavid in a losing effort. That’s a rarity, but the award is for MVP of the entire playoffs. So, well, fine.

The award travesty of this NHL season was that Bill Zito got snubbed again as top GM. Dallas’ Jim Nill got it for the second year in a row. Inexplicably, Zito wasn’t even second in the voting.

What an absolute joke.

In four years, Zito, a first-time GM, reshaped a sad-sack franchise into a champion.

Zito dramatically transformed Panthers into champs

The ballsy trade to acquire Matthew Tkachuk from Calgary for cornerstone Panthers Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar in 2022 was the turning point.

But the volume of personnel moves that Zito got right is staggering. Acquiring high-scoring forwards Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart, who scored the goals in the Cup clincher, were among the most important.

Others weren’t as obvious. Such as the waiver claim for defenseman Gustav Forsling, who had the NHL’s best plus-minus rating this season and is signed through 2031-32. Zito hit on trades for Sam Bennett and Brandon Montour, who have been significantly more productive with the Panthers than they were with previous teams.

After the Panthers were blown out of the 2023 Cup Final by Vegas, Zito added a number of role-player types – defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Dmitry Kulikov and Niko Mikkola, forwards Evan Rodrigues and Kevin Stenlund, goalie Anthony Stolarz, – who filled remaining needs that led to Monday’s celebration. The trade-deadline additions of veterans Vladimir Tarasenko and Kyle Okposo helped as well.

The other vital move was hiring Paul Maurice as coach after the 2021-22 Panthers won the Presidents’ Trophy but got swept in the second round of the playoffs by Tampa Bay.

Maurice instituted a defense-first approach best suited to success in the playoffs. Perhaps more important he was able to bring the right balance of tough love and humor – as he famously said about one outburst, he felt the players “needed some profanity in their life.”

Championship void ends for Maurice, Panthers

Recalling the call he received from Zito about the Panthers’ coaching vacancy, Maurice said he sensed “something different about these guys.”

There was something similar about the Panthers franchise and Maurice’s coaching career before they came together for what culminated in Monday’s ultimate hockey achievement. Both were star-crossed.

Monday’s win means Maurice no longer has to answer to having coached the most games in the NHL without winning the Stanley Cup.

The Panthers spent much of their 30-year history lost in the woods. There was the remarkable Year of the Rat in their third season of existence that began with forward Scott Mellanby killing a rat in the locker room before the home opener and ended in a run to the Cup Final before getting swept by Colorado. Plastic rats rained on the ice after goals and wins that season and it seemed like every other car in South Florida had Panthers flags flapping from the rooftops during the playoffs.

And then nothing. For way too long.

After that 1996 season, star center Stu Barnes was traded for Chris Wells, who flopped, and futility followed. Worse was the trade that sent future Hall-of-Fame goalie Roberto Luongo in his prime to Vancouver for forward Todd Bertuzzi in 2006.

Viola’s ownership had its share of blunders

While a loyal corps of fans remained, the euphoria of 1996 faded and was mostly forgotten. The arena many nights was a dead zone, except around the holidays when visiting Canadians and New Yorkers showed up to cheer when their teams visited. Calls to move the team to Canada persisted.

The effort by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to facilitate Viola purchasing the Panthers probably saved the franchise for South Florida. The previous owner didn’t have the resources to keep the team afloat and needed to bail.

But it wasn’t a smooth ride to success under Viola. The first season they were seventh of eight teams in the Atlantic Division.

Maurice is the eighth coach under Viola, and at times this ownership appeared as clueless as its predecessors. That peaked with the shameful firing of Gerard Gallant on a road trip and ill-fated stint of Tom Rowe as interim coach as well as general manager while Dale Tallon was shoved aside.

Eventually Tallon was restored to command and got the Panthers back on track. But in 10 years Tallon never produced a playoff series win. He did leave a foundation for Zito, including captain Aleksander Barkov and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.

Zito faces challenge as players wait to get paid

It is said that the Stanley Cup is the toughest trophy to win in sports. Barkov, Bobrovsky, Maurice and the whole sordid history of the Panthers franchise can be cited as evidence.

Somehow Zito, in his fourth year as general manager, put all the pieces in place to get it done.

A case could be made for Bobrovsky for the Conn Smythe, and Zito certainly was the most effective team architect of this season in this league.

But both of them got what they wanted most Monday night. Bob, who figuratively – and at times literally – stood on his head throughout the playoffs, got to hoist the Cup over his head. Zito, who is emotionally driven, wept openly in celebration.

With only $20 million in cap space and 11 unrestricted free agents, Zito faces another big offseason challenge in keeping as much of the team together as possible and finding replacements as needed. Reinhart, who scored 57 goals in the regular season and 10 more in the playoffs, including the Game 7 winner, will be a free agent.

Panthers begin summer fling with Cup

But none of that matters right now. The Panthers began their summer fling with the Cup by taking it to the beach Tuesday morning. A parade is scheduled for Sunday morning along Fort Lauderdale Beach.

There is a fine line between joy and despair in sports. One shudders to think of the long-term impact on the franchise if the Panthers had lost the Cup Final after winning the first three games. They ended up thwarting the McDavid-led Oilers by the slimmest of margins.

Maurice managed to get them back to playing without fear at just the right time.

“At no point did we say, ‘We better win this one or we’re gonna suck forever,’ ” he said.

Instead, plastic rats showered down amid the frenzy on the ice after time expired. They were shoveled aside and could be seen massed together along the boards as players took turns skating with the Cup.

Maurice got to lift Lord Stanley’s unwieldy trophy over his head for the first time after 29 years of coaching. He recounted the experience in an interview with ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt late Monday:

“I closed my eyes and I wanted to feel it. … I’ll never forget the weight of it and how I felt. And then I opened my eyes and all the players were in front of me smiling, and that’s when the profanity came out.”

He wasn’t alone in that. Fourth-line forward Ryan Lomberg blurted out an F-bomb during the celebration while being interviewed by Miami’s Channel 10. It came through on the broadcast.

Surely we can all use some profanity and joy in our lives. So go ahead, Panthers fans, shout it out as loud and often as you want.

F%*K, YEAH!!

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Panthers, for four decades. Follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @CraigDavisRuns.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: JJ Redick is introduced as the new Lakers coach

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The Los Angeles and national brigade of reporters questioned JJ Redick on his 40th birthday for 45 minutes, and nobody asked him about his ill-informed comment about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar being a “one-note wonder” that perverts NBA history.

Redick blurted that nonsense about the NBA’s six-time MVP during the 2022-23 season, impersonating the obnoxious gimmick of his then-colleague, Stephen A. Smith. Without question, Redick failed to do any real homework. Had he made the effort, he would’ve identified how regular hooks, floaters and jumpers were a part of Abdul-Jabbar’s arsenal. Hopefully, he will spend more time identifying the team’s weaknesses in the film room.

Then 16 months later, the host of the Old Man and the Three podcast and co-host to Mind the Game with LeBron James, ascended to become the Lakers’ coach with no experience other than instructing fourth-grade hoops. Imagine if commoners could move up the ladder like that. One can only ponder what assistant coaches like Sam Cassell and Chris Quinn think when frat boy wonder cuts the line because he’s friends with the right peeps.

Rest assured, Redick confirmed he doesn’t give an F what the outside noise thinks, which still didn’t win him the press conference and made him look like a muppet.

Hopefully the Lakers had some sense and told Abdul-Jabbar that Redick was wrong about him and please come to next season’s debut.

Yet at the presser sat Redick, the sloppy seconds at centerstage, next to Rob Pelinka, who has clipped the last three coaches and somehow avoids accountability like a politician evading the public’s ire.

Redick said he didn’t take the Dan Hurley drama personally. Hurley was the Lakers’ first choice, rejecting them after getting a preposterous, below-market offer. If the Lakers were still a serious organization, UConn’s back-to-back championship coach- the guy James tweeted is “so damn good”- would probably have handled Monday’s introduction. And Redick could have still been doing ESPN’s weekly shows and game analysis when the season resumes.

Nonetheless, Pelinka said James was supportive but not involved during the hiring process.

At one point, the Purple and Mold’s new coach said the media is the engagement farming industry. Conveniently, he didn’t elaborate on how he lucratively profited from that and will go back to it once he fails.

“I take this responsibility very seriously,” Redick said. So did Luke Walton, Frank Vogel, who won a championship in 2020 and Darvin Ham. The first and last should get Pelinka more heat because that’s two misses.

Pelinka broke up the title squad’s key role players- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma- for Russell Westbrook, which many, including this scribe, thought would work. Time revealed Westbrook didn’t fit Vogel’s system, and he was misused, spending too much time in the corners after averaging a triple-double the previous season for the Washington Wizards. Then Frankie Vogel was sacked.

When Pelinka was asked what he liked about Redick and James’ podcast, he said he liked how his new coach communicates, as if James’ handlers would ever allow him to be compromised by a sincere, tense exchange on tape, even more so with someone far from his equal on the court.

Notably, what appealed to Redick about coaching was the fulfillment of helping others max out, which he credits to Rick Carlisle for helping flesh out. He also said he will use Anthony Davis as a hub and wants him shooting threes and going hard in transition. The plan is for Rui Hachimura to take more 3-pointers and become a better offensive rebounder, too. And winning a championship in the short term is a reasonable expectation. “I don’t look at the current roster as being far off from a championship-caliber team,” Redick said.

He doesn’t have his coaching staff filled yet but will have the the final decision. Pelinka will collaborate by offering ideas about every position.

Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Chris Quinn is ready to lead or fill any need

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Three hours before Miami Heat games tip-off, assistant coach Chris Quinn is one of the team’s personnel, located on the hardwood, working out with a player or reviewing material on an iPad. On special occasions, Quinn will break out his old moves and challenge a player.

On Feb. 28, 2022, before the then FTX Arena was filled for the match against the Chicago Bulls, Quinn showed Heat forward Duncan Robinson a bit of his handle as Bam Adebayo diligently worked on his free throws. And when Dwyane Wade was on the team during the 2015-16 season, Quinn would warm up with him prior to game time.

Quinn is coach Erik Spoelstra’s trusted lieutenant- a liaison between the head and the players when a message needs to be understood and an advisor with whom to consult ideas. Given Quinn’s calm, cordial, public demeanor, he is Spoelstra’s Tom Hagen. Yet, he still jokes with his boss and friend about how he traded him in 2010 before the Big Three era. Spo’s counter is that he “didn’t have much pull” in the organization.

Quinn is a married, family man with three children. Professionally, he has been Spoelstra’s assistant since the 2014-15 campaign, the first following LeBron James’ departure to Cleveland. He’s developed players and his skills as a coach for seven Playoff trips, including two visits to the NBA Finals. When the Heat beat the Celtics in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, Quinn and the other Heat assistants congratulated Spoelstra on not being the first NBA coach to give up a 3-0 lead and lose a series.

In the past, former Heat captain Udonis Haslem said that whenever Quinn speaks, Spoelstra’s words fall from his lips. This is the same as back in the day with Pat Riley and his star center, Alonzo Mourning.

Quinn has a 2-0 record when put in charge of the team in Spoelstra’s absence for COVID protocols in 2022. After one of the games, Spo said, “He has the full trust of everybody… This is something that he has been developing for several years.”

Before that game, Quinn had a few hours to prepare.

When Quinn took over for the Heat’s match, hosting the Charlotte Hornets on April 5, 2022, the crew set a franchise record for made 3-pointers and points scored. “It’s 2022,” Quinn said jokingly. “You pass up the layups to get the threes.”

On another occasion Spoelstra missed because of personal matters, the Heat were beaten by the Brooklyn Nets in Miami by 15 points. At the postgame presser, Quinn somberly talked about giving up 40 marks in the second quarter, but his message was clear: there were no excuses to be made.

Before that, he was a four-year collegiate athlete at Notre Dame, playing point guard under coach Mike Brey. At school, he was named to the All-Big EastFirst Team and finished sixth in true shooting percentage (58.9), sixth in Fighting Irish history in steals (155), eighth in steals per game average (1.3), and ninth in made 3-point field goals (239). In his freshman year, the team made it as far as the West regional semifinal, losing to Arizona.

He advanced to the NBA, playing for the Heat as one of their undrafted gems in a year they had no picks. In fact, he earned his gig by performing well in the summer league. He later worked for the San Antonio Spurs, New Jersey Nets, and Cleveland Cavaliers over six seasons. Quinn also had a stint in Russia during the lockout season and then played in Spain the following year.

As a former pro, Quinn has credibility with players because he understands the business and the anxieties that come with it, making him relatable.

Given the type of player he was as an off-ball shooter, he must see the game through the lens of a marksman. Lots of misdirection and off-ball movement would likely be an emphasis of his half-court offense.

“A lot of us in the Heat culture have in common [that] we are super competitive,” Quinn said during a summer league interview with ESPN’s Israel Gutierrez. “For better or worse, if things aren’t going the way we all think they should be going, we have a level of accountability. We talk to each other…”

In the summer of 2024, Quinn’s name surfaced for potential head coaching vacancies. The Heat gave permission to the Lakers and Cavaliers to interview him. The former post went to ESPN broadcaster, podcaster, and former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick. Redick’s only coaching prior experience is instructing youth basketball. The latter spot went to Kenny Atkinson.

Last year, the Milwaukee Bucks were granted permission to interview him for their spot after Mike Budenholzer’s dismissal, but they chose Adrian Griffin, who lasted 43 games as head coach.

When an organization takes a chance on Quinn, they’ll have someone with credible coaching insight who has paid his dues. He is ready to lead or fill any need.

‘We’re going to try to drag them back to Alberta’: The Oilers look to play spoiler again on the Panthers Cup dream

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SUNRISE —  The Edmonton Oilers were successful in keeping their season alive after winning Game 4 on Saturday.

 

Still down 3-1 in the series, they have a new goal entering Game 5 in Sunrise — get the Panthers back to Alberta — or drag them there. 

 

The Oilers fed off the home crowd at Rogers Place on Saturday night, thrashing the Panthers 8-1 as they won their first game of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. 

 

“Everytime you’re back in Edmonton it seems to get louder and louder when you didn’t expect it could get any louder,” Oilers forward Connor Brown said on Tuesday. “That’s the goal. We’re going to try to drag them back to Alberta.”

 

Still facing elimination the rest of the way out, the Oilers have to take it one game at a time as the Panthers will have two opportunities to win the Cup at home if this series does drag out to a Game 7. 

 

Oilers captain Connor McDavid said the same phrase on Saturday as Connor Brown did, they want to drag the Panthers back to Alberta. 

 

While Edmonton has looked into their mindset for Tuesday’s elimination game, the Panthers are going to do everything they can to make sure the next bus they take is to a Cup celebration on Las Olas, not to the airport for a flight back to Edmonton. 

 

The Stanley Cup will be in Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday night as the Panthers will try again to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history — this time in front of their home crowd. 

 

“It’s another opportunity right?” Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad said going into Game 5. “Another brilliant chance, an opportunity to realize our dream. We’re excited and anxious to get it going.”

 

Florida will need to be better than they were in their last game, but the team has been successful this postseason and controlling their emotions after losses — including blowouts. 

 

The Panthers are undefeated this playoff run after losing an elimination game (2-0), they are also 4-1 after a loss. 

 

“Worrying is more important than forgetting,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said when asked about the last game. “We had two other games I think that were very similar to that and both in similar situations. So we have to learn from it. The gift of Game 4 is a brand new experience that really maybe one or two other players have had and coaches… Once that is learned, then the entire ideas come back to form that our team — this is what we’re good at, this is what we do.”

 

As for what is expected in terms of lineups going into Game 5, the Panthers will be making a change on the fourth line with the reinsertion of Ryan Lomberg.


Lomberg has appeared in five games this postseason but has not seen the ice so far in the Stanley Cup Final. Who he is replacing has not been confirmed, but it is expected that Steven Lorentz will come out of the lineup.

 

Edmonton’s room was once again more secretive on who they will ice in Game 5.

 

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said “you’ll have to wait” when asked about his lineup for Tuesday night’s matchup.

Puck drop for Game 5 will be just after 8 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. MT from Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, FL.