Chan Gailey to the Dolphins: A New Look at Running Backs

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It was a week ago when I revealed a conversation I had with somebody familiar with the Miami Dolphins’ front office thinking.

In that conversation, I got around to asking about the running back room and was surprised with what was revealed.  The Dolphins believe Ohio State back J.K. Dobbins to be the “best of the RB group.”  This was odd to me in some respects, because Dobbins is a more instinctive runner, and not the north-south type runner better suited to run Chad O’Shea’s designed runs.

Then Chad O’Shea got fired.  Strange.  Then all the whispers started as to why he got let go, and it became much more understandable.  Then 67-year old Chan Gailey got hired to fill the offensive coordinator position, and things began to clear up.

This was/is a 180 degree philosophy change on how to approach the run game.

So what do these changes to the run game entail?  You have to go back to Chan Gailey’s history to see what his run calls look like, and something is immediately clear.  The man loves Lead ISO runs.  In short, Lead ISO was a way for spread concept teams to gain a bit of that “power” look from more conventional run offenses.  They almost always entail a double team at the point of attack, with the “ISO” part being an emphasis on isolating an opposing LB with a lead block.  The run is either called to the right side of the center (the 2 hole) or the right side of the guard (the 4 hole), or to the left, conversely, the 1 and 3 hole.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iUT7-kdSIc&t=87s

This is a change from what the New England Patriots, and what the Miami Dolphins did for this one year.  Miami had a designed run game, built around counters, use of wham blocks, straight lead runs, and “power” run concepts.  This type of run offense is quickly becoming a NFL dinosaur.  What they are switching too now, in theory simplifies the run game, but puts a larger emphasis on the running back position, and a runner with good instincts to find the correct cuts on each play to find the proper run lane, especially to the back side, which lead ISO plays tend to produce.

 

Having said that, which players fit the bill the best?

 

The Free Agents

 

  1. Melvin Gordon

Adept at pressing the hole, and sliding past the double team to find the cutback lane is his specialty.  His work at Wisconsin was as impressive as any on lead Iso runs.

  1. Derrick Henry

The consummate one cut runner, but figures to be really expensive, while Melvin Gordon has a more “affordable look” to him.

  1. Kenyan Drake

Speed.  Drake has shown one cut ability, especially in his great run of 2017 toward season’s end, and his time in Arizona this year.  But has that ship sailed?

Draft Prospects

 

  1. J.K. Dobbins (Ohio State)

Dobbins has been in this type of offense his whole college career, and has a knack for finding the correct cut back lane a remarkable amount of time.

  1. Travis Etienne (Clemson)

Classic home run hitter, who finds the cut back and goes.  The distance.  Etienne in many respects is a do-over on Kenyan Drake, although Etienne is a much more accomplished (in college) and cheap option than Drake.

  1. Jonathan Taylor (Wisconsin)

It’s everywhere in his film.  See JT press the hole.  See JT quickly change direction and find the crease.  See JT find 8 yards where there was probably 3 playside.

 

Alfredo Arteaga (@Alf_Arteaga) is one-third of the trio of the hosts of the Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) podcast.

 

 

Dolphins coach Brian Flores says will be in for a long season in 2019 with young, inexperienced Dolphins team.

Jake’s Take: A New Year should bring new perspective surrounding the Miami Dolphins

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Rebellions are built on hope.

The Miami Dolphins escaped New England with a 27-24 victory on Sunday. More importantly — they have the Death Star plans.

We’ve been here before. The empire is crumbling – the blueprints are in place. This wasn’t supposed to happen. The Dolphins were on track to be the NFL’s worse team.

However, they started winning.

“I mean, every win, and any win is a big one to me,” coach Brian Flores said after Sunday’s win. “[The Patriots are a] very good football team. Great coaches, great players. This is a tough environment. It’s hard to win on the road in this league. So, our guys played hard, they competed for 60 minutes. It took all 60 minutes. And I’m proud of that group, I am proud of that group.”

Flores accomplished what no Dolphins coach has done since 2008 — win in New England.

Not only did the the Dolphins win a game New England, but the Patriots prepared for the game like the playoffs had already begun. Not only were the Dolphins 16-point underdogs, but the Patriots entered the game with a 61-0 record at home against AFC teams with a losing record.

DeVante Parker and Eric Rowe signed one-year prove it deals. Rowe established himself as a physical safety after struggling at cornerback for roughly half the season. Not only did he shut down top-tier tight ends like Zach Ertiz, but he returned to Massachusetts with a present for the Patriots faithful — a pick-six of Tom Brady.

Parker was left-for-dead after four subpar seasons in which he didn’t play a full season and had a total of nine career touchdowns. Coach Flores shipped out plenty of players who didn’t fit his vision. He was focused on players who were team oriented and worked on their craft each and every day. Despite rumors of Parker not fitting the model, coach Flores brought Parker back to Miami.

1,202 yards and nine touchdowns later, Parker has leaped into the conversation as one of the league’s best receivers. The Parker “games” that were once flashes in the plans turned into a consistent showing from the receiver. He finished with 13 games with at least 50 yards or more. Parker’s coming out party came on Dec. 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles. He showcased his ability to not only be a consistent receiver for whomever Miami’s signal caller may be moving forward, but to flat out take over a game with the two-touchdown and 159-yard performance.

We’ve been here before. The Dolphins finished the season on a good note — why should we believe the Dolphins are headed in the right direction?

Optimism has been just that surrounding the Miami Dolphins in past years, but the growth the roster, especially Parker and Rowe, shows that the hope and potential surrounding this team can manifest itself into a franchise that can take down the Patriots as the class of the AFC East.

I understand what you’re thinking. It was one season. It is crazy to even discuss a 5-11 team upending the empire that has controlled the AFC for two decades. Of course, it is up to Chris Grier and the Dolphins organization to continue to get better and continue to make the right moves. However, Sunday’s victory in New England provided the Dolphins with the best-ammunition possible — hope.

With a new decade comes new possibilities. The Dolphins are locked and loaded with the opportunity to make every and any move they want to this off season.

With a new year and a new decade, its time to view the Miami Dolphins with a fresh perspective.

Miami’s way is the “right” way

With the season over there is nothing holding back the waves of mock drafts that will come crushing through timelines, web searches and your daily programming.

The Ravens are entering the postseason as the NFL’s best team. The last pick of the first round in 2019 is leading the way.

Patrick Mahomes, the league’s reigning MVP, is a member of the Kansas City Chiefs because the franchise moved up in the draft to take him.

Russell Wilson, the cornerstone of the Seattle Seahawks and Super Bowl champion, was drafted in the third round of NFL draft. That Brady guy I mentioned earlier — sixth round.

The San Francisco 49ers traded a second round pick for a quarterback with two career starts. After finishing the regular season with a 7-1 record on the road and a 13-3 record overall, San Fran and Jimmy Garoppolo are playoff bound.

There is one thing each of these quarterbacks have in common. The front office and coaching staff have built strong football teams around the quarterback. The Dolphins, based on the 2019 season, are working to put together the best football team possible. So whether they draft a rookie, trade for a vet, or even ride with some Fitzmagic, it is important to let the team establish itself in 2020 before rushing to judgement.

It isn’t how you get your quarterback, it’s building a successful offense around the signal caller — whomever that may be.

Don’t fall in love with a specific player or pick

The Dolphins have actually had some success in the early rounds of the draft lately.

Miami’s worst pick since 2014 is Charles Harris. The Dolphins took Harris because they were desperate for a pass rusher. Players like Tre’Davious White and T.J. Watt, who fit Miami’s current needs quite well went shortly after. The Dolphins are need to build a roster. Grier and Flores witnessed more than 75 players suit up on game day in the search of depth and part-time starters.

Injuries happen — all the time. It is nearly impossible to fill all of Miami’s holes. Under Adam Gase the Dolphins focused on rostering a “starter” at every position. Not only did some of these players under perform, but season’s spiraled out of control after losing a few starters. With 11 starters on each side of the ball, it is nearly impossible to have a “solid” starter at every position.

Don’t panic if Miami avoids a “need,” because there are plenty. This staff has proven its ability to succeed with undrafted free agents and will likely have to showcase that skill again in 2020.

Instead of forcing a need, players like Nik Needham, Vince Biegel  and Sam Eguavoen can showcase their ability to become contributing members of the franchise without siphoning the team’s salary cap and draft capital.

Enjoy the ride

Fans spent most of Sunday’s win over New England upset about Miami’s lowering draft pick. Not only did the Dolphins celebrate the team’s biggest win in recent years, but Miami remained in the fifth spot of the 2020 draft.

The results are out until the games are played. The Dolphins picked an unconventional route in 2019 by not tanking, but moving plenty of players who were cornerstones of the franchise. Brian Flores is looking like the right guy to lead the Miami Dolphins after his first season at head coach. Of course, so did Joe Philbin and Adam Gase.

Despite the “no days off” mentality, a kid named Ferris offered some great advice on his day off.

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while you could miss it.”

The Dolphins are in the middle of the process and there is plenty of work to do. However, if you don’t enjoy the highlights, even if its a win over the quarterback-less Colts, you’ll miss out on some remarkable games. Potentially some of the biggest upsets of all time.

 

 

A new decade is upon us, but hopefully the no-quit Dolphins aren’t changing too much.

Here is to 2020.

20 Best Movies of the 2010s

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Universal

As we officially head into a brand new decade, it’s time to look back at the best movies of the last ten years. The 2010s had a SHITTON of good-to-great films and, sure enough, since this list is limited to 20, we had to leave out a few.

The list of movies that didn’t make the final cut includes a couple of really good Marvel movies — Black Panther (the last scene of the final battle is some heart wrenching shit) and Captain America: Winter Soldier (a movie starring Robert Redford that’s an homage to 1970s conspiracy thrillers starring Robert Redford) — are seriously great flicks, even if you don’t watch any other Marvel movie. Then there were good films elevated by great performances, such as Birdman (MICHEAL KEATON IS AN AMERICAN TREASURE) and The Revenant (man, fuck that bear!). Ultimately, the 20 movies below beat out the rest.

Here are the 20 best movies of the 2010s. DIVE IN AND AGREE OR TWEET ANGRY THINGS AT ME LET’S GO!:

20-11

 

20. DJANGO UNCHAINED (2012): Quentin Tarantino rolls out another alternative history story where the bad guys get their comeuppance good and proper (following 2009’s Inglourious Basterds) — this time at the hands of an escaped slave named Django (The D is silent). Leonardo DiCaprio was absolutely robbed of an Oscar for his portrayal as a vile plantation owner, and Jamie Foxx is awesomely roguish and dangerous as the titular Django. “I like the way you die, boy.”

 

19. LINCOLN (2012): Lincoln is more a movie about the complicated passing of the 13th Amendment than a biopic of the 16th President, but it works as a dramatic chronicling of a pivotal moment in U.S. history. Meticulously researched, the movie shows us just how hard so many racist old farts fought against freeing the slaves, and all the maneuvering — shady and otherwise — Lincoln and his “team of rivals” cabinet had to do to get the amendment passed. Daniel Day-Lewis turns in one the best performances of his career, going all methody with his high-pitched Honest Abe voice (The voice is the fingerprint of the soul, according to God). Day-Lewis won his record-breaking third Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of a worn down melancholic Lincoln, grappling with the soul of America. “I am the President of the United States of America, clothed IN IMMENSE POWER.”

 

18. SPOTLIGHT (2015): An important movie and a great real-life telling of journalists up against the seemingly untouchable machine that is the Catholic Church. Spotlight is the riveting tale of a team of dogged Boston Globe reporters (led by an editor from Miami!) uncovering the great scandal that rocked the Vatican, and the lengths the church went to in order to protect child predators and cover up their crimes.  The film moves along almost like a murder mystery as the reporters uncover some shocking truths, and are stonewalled at every turn by those in power trying to brush the evils of the Church under the proverbial rug.

 

17. THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010): It’s Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher at their finest. A lot of the story is bullshit, but it’s an entertaining look at how Mark Zuckerberg became a gazillionaire and how Facebook went from a small college dorm idea to social media giant where your family members post racist memes and dumb MAGA shit in droves.

 

16. BLACKKKLANSMAN (2018): A movie for our times if there ever was one. This is Spike Lee yet again showcasing what he’s best at: making a fun, funny, entertaining flick that doubles as serious social commentary. Blackkklansman is based on real events, and has some harrowingly scary moments, as well as some hilarious ones. Overall, it’s a disturbing portrait of neo-Nazis being total assholes, and the way their leaders oftentimes break into the mainstream to spread their vile beliefs. *SPOILER ALERT* David Duke is a real piece of shit.

 

15. GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (2014): Nobody frames a movie quite as quaintly beautiful as Wes Anderson. Funny, quirky, and tender, Grand Budapest Hotel is why Wes remains one of the best, most thought-provoking filmmakers in cinema.

 

14. SICARIO (2015): Denis Villeneuve’s dark story about drug dealers and the cops out to stop them is a slick, smartly paced thriller. It’s tense, it’s gorgeously shot, and it’s Benicio Del Toro being a total badass.

 

13. BRIDGE OF SPIES (2015): What happens when you get Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and the Coen Brothers to make a movie? A fantastic telling of largely unknown historical events. Bridge of Spies is a taut Cold War espionage thriller with unmistakable commentary on modern times dressed as classic film noir. SO MANY TRENCH COATS AND FEDORAS.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z5LXyWn3-w
 12. DRIVE (2011)
Quiet, cool, violent as fuck. Beautifully shot and scored, Drive moves languidly for most of its runtime, only to be interrupted by flashes of action sequences and people having their heads explode like watermelons dropped from a rooftop by shotgun-wielding bad dudes and Ryan Gosling stabbing said-bad dudes to death with a curtain rod. Drive also has Oscar Isaac nearly stealing the movie from Gosling, and an evil Albert Brooks — which is weird but also works really well. The opening chase scene and the elevator scene are pieces of pure cinematic badassery.

 

11. 12 YEARS A SLAVE (2013)
12 Years A Slave is the kind of movie that will make you simultaneously cry in sorrow and want to put a fist through a wall in anger (the slave auction scene with Paul Giammati is a perfectly constructed, rage-inducing showcase on the banality of evil that was America’s slave trade). Director Steve McQueen’s quiet framing and the cast’s poignant performances make you all at once feel the pain of those in bondage and real, visceral anger at the entire heinous and malignant institution that was slavery in America. It’s the closest thing in cinema to show the naked unvarnished truth of all its horrors. It’s beautifully shot, perfectly acted, and a film that sticks with you forever.

10-6:

 

10. WHIPLASH (2014)
WERE YOU RUSHING OR WERE YOU DRAGGING?!?! Set in an elite music school in New York, Whiplash is a meditation on the raw and brutal realities of artistic ambition gone horribly, horribly askew. Miles Teller stars as the cocky but talented jazz drummer looking to prove that he’s the best, beating his drums into the ground. A jacked-to-the-tits JK Simmons is the sadistic and tyrannical music instructor drunk on power, beating his students into submission through expletive-filled outbursts and verbal abuse. The story moves at breakneck speed (NOT QUITE MY TEMPO!) as Teller’s drummer boy is pushed to his absolute limits by Simmons’ batshit sociopathic instructor. Simmons won a well-deserved Oscar for yelling at Miles Teller for two hours. Yet for all the kinetic energy and anger in his performance, it’s Simmons’ subdued monologue on how mediocrity chokes out excellence that shows the movie’s heart — for good or for bad. It’s also got a hell of a jazz score.

 

9. PHANTOM THREAD (2017)
My favorite story behind the making of Phantom Thread is about how Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Day-Lewis crafted Day-Lewis’ fashion designer character. At one point in the exchange, the story goes, Day-Lewis told Anderson that his character has to be named Woodcock and then he laughed and laughed. Anderson acquiesced, and so Daniel Day-Lewis’ Oscar nominated performance of Reynolds Woodcock was born. The fact that such a brilliant and elegant piece of cinema that examines the flawed, yet unshakeable, romantic relationship between a tortured artist and his beautiful muse is built on one of the greatest actors to ever live making a dickjoke is just amazing.

 

8. THE BIG SHORT (2015)
So what the hell was up with the 2008 financial crisis that nearly broke America and wrecked millions of lives while allowing the gazillionaires responsible for the meltdown to get off scot free? The Big Short answers that question. Charles Randolph and Adam McKay’s near-perfect script is laced with sardonic wit and helpful exposition, laying out exactly how everything went to shit in the housing market (where Florida was ground-zero weeeeeeee!) and just how unbelievably easy it is for rich greedy assholes to fuck things up for everybody else. The Big Short features a ridiculously talented cast (Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Brad Pitt) and is accessible, hilarious and exacerbating. Also, MARGOT ROBBIE IN A BATHTUB EXPLAINING FINANCIAL TERMS, WOO HOO.

 

7. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)
An absolute perfect action flick in every way. From its blow your head clean off crazy practical effects, to its subversion of the classic protagonist archetype; the movie is called Mad Max (Tom Hardy) but it’s actually all about Furiosa (Charlize Theron), the badass desert bitch who saves women from a life of sex slavery and wars against a weird tyranical patriarch who drives around the desert with his own personal heavy metal guitarist. Hardy was perfectly cast to play the titular Max — the stoic leather-clad wasteland wandering hero made famous by Mel Sugartits Gibson in the 80s. Hardy manages to grunt his way through the entire movie while helping Furiosa fight against the usual Mad Max Movie Baddies (i.e.: weird mutated dudes who are probably riddled with fallout cancer and are gross and smelly). Director George Miller practically invented the post apocalypse genre with his Mad Max films and fills Fury Road with even more balls-out crazy shit like flaming guitars, exploding catapults, human blood bags, deadly sandstorms, and the awesomest chase scenes ever put on film. Fury Road is his masterpiece. I LIVE. I DIE. I LIVE AGAIN.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPWTMAJbmyQ
6. ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD (2019)
Here’s what I wrote in my 5 Reasons review for Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood back in July: “It hits most of the Tarantino sweet spots: It’s funny, it’s irreverent, it’s violent, it’s nostalgic, it’s stylized and it’s cool. And it’s going to be a movie that, in ten years or so, will be considered one of his best. This Tarantino film, more than most, is about the journey more than the destination. And, much like Jackie Brown — Tarantino’s third movie and a masterpiece in its own right — it leans heavy on an amalgam of interesting hapless low-rent characters you can’t help but like and root for. And, like Jackie Brown, Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood is a film you’ll need to see again and again to truly grasp how good of a movie it really is.”

 

Top 5:

 

5. BLADE RUNNER 2049 (2017)
Man, it’s hard to make a good sequel, let alone a great one. Especially when the sequel is wholly unnecessary. But if anyone was up to the task of making a sequel to one of the greatest science fiction movies of all time, it’s Denis Villeneuve. Just as its predecessor did, Blade Runner 2049 explores the duality of being human and non-human (or, more human than human). It’s Philip K. Dickian philosophy wrapped in sci-fi action and uses the major parts and characters of the original film not as fan-service prop pieces, but as important plot devices. It’s beautiful to look at and listen to, and it’s right up there with The Godfather Part 2 as a movie that challenges the greatness of the original.

 

4. GET OUT (2017)
An instant classic as soon as it hit theaters, Get Out is a smart piece of political commentary wrapped in a brilliant horror film. Jordan Peele stepped out of the sketch comedy world and announced himself as a filmmaker to be taken seriously with this flick — a modern day version of Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner in scary movie form that uses humor, suspense, and horror to sharply critique white liberalism, cultural appropriation, and the bullshit narrative that we live in a post-racial America.

 

3. MOONLIGHT (2016)
Based on a script by Miami native Tarell Alvin McCraney, and directed by Barry Jenkins, Moonlight hits the trifecta of great drama — it’s excellently written, excellently acted, and gorgeously shot. It’s a film that examines the life of Chiron, an African American kid living in the projects in Miami grappling with his family, his sexuality, his identity. It’s brutally honest in its depiction of African American life, and the life of an African American boy coming of age, discovering his sexuality, and taking a life-long journey of self discovery. Moonlight is a perfect film.

 

2. THE MASTER (2012)
“If you leave me now, in the next life you will be my sworn enemy. And I will show you no mercy.” Paul Thomas Anderson has denied any connection between Lancaster Dodd (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church of Scientology. But man is that denial hard to believe, especially if you know a little of the history of Hubbard and his weird Tom Cruise outerspace boat cult. Either way, The Master is simply a perfect piece of filmmaking. It’s a meticulous character-driven exploration of a grand American tradition: religion and the wonderful world of manipulating the vulnerable. The film is a psychological immersion of the senses, a PTA trademark — beautifully shot with an unsettling score from Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood. Joaquin Phoenix is getting a lot of praise for his portrayal as the Joker this year, but it’s his turn as the wayward World War II vet Freddie Quell that will go down as his finest ever performance. Paul Thomas Anderson is the GOAT filmmaker of the current century, fight your mother.

 

1. INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS (2013)
Set during the rise of the folk music scene in the early 1960s, Inside Llewyn Davis tells the melancholy tale of ill-fated troubadour Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) and his cold winding odyssey with an orange tabby cat. It’s an existential exploration of how we don’t all make it, how the Universe is indifferent, how the gatekeepers of art and commerce don’t always know the difference between good art and dog shit. It’s also an exploration of how art is vital, even when life kicks you in the balls over and over again. Davis keeps reaching for the stars but can’t quite grasp them, either because he sabotages himself, or from sheer bad luck. Even on the biggest night of his career, he puts on his greatest performance in front of a crowd filled with star making critics, only to be followed by a certain then-unknown folk singer from Minnesota. The film is shot in dark shades, imbuing it with a cold dirty Greenwich Village winter vibe, and features a fantastic soundtrack showcasing Isaac’s versatility as an actor and musician. It’s sharply written with the trademark Coen Bros. wit, and has great performances from an impeccable cast — including Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Justin Timberlake, F. Murray Abraham and Adam Driver (seeing Kylo Ren and Poe Dameron singing a song about outer space together is an unintentionally funny little moment in movie history). The Coen Brothers’ love of dark comedy, mythology and Shakespearian themes are on full display in Inside Llewyn Davis, yet another masterpiece in their ingenious filmography.

Chris Joseph (@ByChrisJoseph) is a host of Five Reasons comedy podcast, Ballscast. He’s written about sports and movies for Deadspin, Miami New Times, CBS Sports, and several other outlets.

Guts Check: Top 5 Miami Heat Moments of 2019

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Welcome to Guts Check by Greg Sylvander. A weekly Miami Heat column aimed at bringing readers my perspective on all the hot topics surrounding the team. You can expect a regular balance of sourced information, analysis and feeling the Heat down in my soul. In the name of Trusting the Spocess, let’s call these weekly columns position-less.

Since we last touched base:

Won at Philadelphia 108-104

Won vs New York 129-114

Won vs Utah 107-104

Won vs Indiana 113-112

Won in OT vs Philadelphia 117-116

Lost at Washington 123-105 

Record to date: 24-9, 3rd in the Eastern Conference, 4th best record in the league.

 

 

Happy New Year!

As 2019 winds down and we turn the page to 2020, this week’s edition of #GutsCheck will be focused on my personal Top 5 Miami Heat moments of 2019.  A stroll down memory lane and reflection upon what has proven to be a significant year for the Miami Heat.

1. Wade’s Final Home Game – April 9th, 2019

    • Heat 122 – 76ers 99

What a way to send Dwyane off! The crowd was emotional, the Heat got a win & all was right in the world.

 

2. Dwyane Wade’s triple double in his final NBA game – April 10, 2019

    • Nets 113 – Heat 94

Most lovable Heat loss in franchise history. Dwyane Wade said his final good bye in dramatic fashion, ending his career with a triple double (25 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) – and punctuated it all with an assist to best friend and Heat Lifer Udonis Haslem.

3. Jimmy Butler’s introductory press conference – September 27th, 2019

This press conference was a Heat Culture Classic. This was the day Heat fans fell in love with Jimmy.

 4.  Dwyane Wade’s buzzer beater vs Golden State – February 27th, 2019

The game that produced a half dozen Court Culture Moments T-shirts will forever live near and dear to Heat fan hearts.

5. The final moment that rounds out my Top 5 of 2019 – was exemplified in a single Woj bomb:

Did you really expect it to be any other?

Short and sweet this week folks, make sure to check out recent collaborative column with Brian Goins on the Heat’s new years resolutions that came early.

Wishing all of Heat Nation health and happiness in 2020.

Launching Pad: Tyler’s Herroics, Jimmy’s Jumper, Heat’s Handoffs

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Welcome to The Launching Pad, a weekly roundup of Miami Heat basketball. Who’s playing well, and who should pick it up? What numbers should you be watching? What was that beautiful play Miami ran in the second quarter? You can find all of it here, every Monday.

The Stats (Weekly stats in parentheses)

• Record: 24-8 (3-0, 2nd in the East)

• Offensive Rating: 110.8 (111.6)

• Defensive Rating: 106.3 (110.3)

• Net Rating: plus-4.5 (plus-1.3)

• True-Shooting Percentage: 58.6 (55.1)

• Pace: 99.59 (97.13)

• Time of Possession: 14.7 seconds (14.9)

Lineup of the Week (min. 10 minutes)

Goran Dragic, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Derrick Jones Jr., Meyers Leonard

• Minutes: 12

• Offensive Rating: 103.4

• Defensive Rating: 86.2

• Net Rating: plus-17.2

• True-Shooting Percentage: 57.1

• Pace: 97.8

The Big Number: 12.3

It’s easy to scoff at the importance of role-players, particularly when their contributions aren’t sparkly on the stat sheet. Cliches are boring — we want highlights and arbitrary benchmarks that put you in the air with legends!

There’s still value in doing your job. The #LittleThings, if you will. Meyers Leonard does exactly that.

He’s the Heat’s most valuable screener, consistently springing guards free with smart angles. His reads have become better in that regard. He still pops more than he dives to the rim, but his ability to find those pockets of space allow the Heat offense to flow.

Defensively, Leonard is comfortable as the “Drop” big or the backbone of the zone. Bad things can happen when he’s forced to defend in space, but his size and spatial awareness make him effective at the rim. Opponent shot just 50 percent at the rim against Leonard this week, per Second Spectrum.

Absolutely none of what I described is conventionally exciting. Leonard’s averages from the week — 6.0 points, 6.7 rebounds in 23.5 minutes — don’t call for Player of the Week chants. But the Heat were 12.3 points better per 100 possessions with him on the court.

Weekly Trends

1. Tyler Time

This is the sequence of the season so far.

That is Tyler Herro, allegedly a rookie, calling his own number with a stepback three facing a two-point deficit. Clearly he’s a descendant of Stonehenge.

Not even two minutes later, Herro takes — and makes — an even more difficult shot.

Initial action breaks down. Improv. Herro receives a pitch, then steps back into another triple to give the Heat a one-point lead.

In both cases, Herro is sharing the court with a perennial All-Star (Jimmy Butler) and a former All-Star (Goran Dragic). He’s still confident enough to say “Nah, I got this.”

Herro isn’t scared of anything. This is something we collectively knew, even if it was something I undersold. Not only is he fearless in big moments, he’s pretty darn good in them.

Per 36 clutch minutes, Herro is averaging 25-8-2 with a 53-54-100 shooting split. Only Butler is averaging more clutch points for the Heat, though that’s because he’s averaging more free throw attempts than Herro is averaging shot attempts.

As usual, the “how” matters more than the “what” here. Herro’s feel for the game really shines through, particularly in 2-on-2 scenarios. Playing “Drop” coverage against him is an invitation of death. Though he’s a two-level scorer at this stage, he’s able to compensate for his rim-finishing woes with cotton-soft floaters and timely passes when the big commits.

Very loudly, Herro is showing the kind of secondary creator chops needed to raise the Heat’s playoff ceiling. Him becoming a pull-up artist isn’t necessarily a surprise; doing it against elite defenses, and this soon, is almost absurd.

2. Is Jimmy Broken?

On the other end of the spectrum … it’s time to talk about it.

Jimmy Butler has mostly been a godsend for the Heat. He’s been all about empowerment, on and off the floor.

Butler has made a point to blend in with teammates; his relationships with Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Goran Dragic have been well-documented to this point. He’s sharing the ball, posting a career-high in assists (6.7). When the time comes, he can still take games over with shoulder-checking drives to the basket.

But good lord, man, what is going on with his shot?

Per Synergy, Butler’s 28.5 percent clip on jumpers rank 162nd among 168 players that have taken at least 100 of them. His 0.703 point-per-possession mark on those shots rank 165th.

He’s been a mess on guarded catch-and-shoot jumpers (23.1 percent), unguarded looks (33.3 percent), and jumpers off the dribble (30.8 percent). The latter is especially important because of how often he operates in pick-and-roll.

Teams ducking under picks against Butler isn’t a new strategy, but it’s one that has particularly bothered him against the Sixers this season. You need pull-up shooting to neutralize their size and length; Butler hasn’t been able to do so.

Butler’s been able to to compensate from an efficiency standpoint because of his forays to the rim. He’s still driving like a madman, and ranks third in the NBA in free attempts per game (9.4).

But those kind of windows close in the postseason. Butler’s career postseason free throw rate (39.3) is nearly 10 percentage points lower than his regular season clip (49.2). Defenses will get more blatant with their give-him-space strategy. He’s going to need to prove he can make defenses respect him off the bounce.

3. Gettin’ Pitchy With It

On a recent episode of Five On The Floor, my colleague Alex Toledo talked about Bam Adebayo and the gap defense he faced against the Sixers. He noted that there were three ways for Adebayo to counter that: attack the basket (#FloaterGang), take open jumpers, or use the defender’s space against him by flowing into handoffs.

The latter point is especially key, because it was a huge part of Miami’s offensive success this past week.

Adebayo ranks in the top five of screen assists (5.1) and points via screen assists (11.8) this season, per Second Spectrum. Those numbers skyrocketed to 7.3 and 17.7 respectively during Miami’s 3-0 stretch.

Take these plays from the Utah game for example. Watch how far back Rudy Gobert is from Adebayo. Conversely, watch how quickly Adebayo is able to generate these looks:

Shockingly, the Heat lead the NBA in points via dribble-handoffs (289 total, 9.0 per game) and are second in points per possession (1.062)

They’re essentially condensed pick-and-rolls that don’t give the big time to recover. Having shooters like Herro and Duncan Robinson that can fling off-movement triples give the Heat’s offense a layer of unpredictability that teams can’t really account for.

Set Play of the Week

Post-Split Pandemonium 

There is a lottttttt going on in this train reaction of an opening set.

Before digging into what happens — and why it works — it’s important to understand what Philadelphia wants to do. It’s easy to point out their scheme with the big (Joel Embiid) — they want to drop back and close off lanes to the rim. But that also affects they way they defend the perimeter.

The Sixers don’t just want to run shooters off the line, they want to funnel everything inside to Embiid specifically. Within that lens, peep how high Josh Richardson plays Kendrick Nunn, and the positioning used to force him left. On the other side, it’s notable that Tobias Harris is basically face-guarding Robinson.

Now, this is why it works for Miami.

After Nunn enters the ball into Butler, he wraps around Butler and cuts baseline. Because Richardson is trailing him in an effort to funnel him inside, Ben Simmons stunts to disrupt Nunn’s cut. On top of that, Embiid drops further down to cut off that path.

Robinson and Leonard are reading all of this, and kick off their action right as Nunn begins his cut. With Embiid occupied with Nunn, there’s no path to him to disrupt any sort of pindown. Al Horford is technically in position to help, but that opportunity disappears when Leonard dives.

Robinson essentially fakes a flex screen (down-screen for Leonard) before flying off a screen from Adebayo. Harris has no chance of tracking Robinson, and there’s nobody up top to help him out either.

This is a fantastic example of the Heat using opponent tendencies against them.

Let’s Talk About Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker

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Lucasfilm/Disney

The following article contains major Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker spoilers. You’ve been warned. Also, why haven’t you seen the movie yet? It’s been over a week, jeez.

No other movie franchise in the history of cinema makes fans lose their shit quite like Star Wars. And, with the release of the final chapter of the original saga — The Rise of Skywalker — this month, fans losing their shit has reached 11.

So, is The Rise of Skywalker bad? Is the Star Wars saga franchise tentpole money machine forever ruined? Is JJ Abrams a nostalgia fetishist? LET’S TALK ABOUT IT ALL.

Is Rise of Skywalker bad?
Let me start by saying this: I hate the prequels. All three of them. They are an abomination. They are three separate piles of human shit disguised as movies. A slap in the face to good storytelling, character arcs and overall good movie-making. They make no goddamn sense. There are plot holes too numerous to list here that are bigger than a Star Destroyer. In fact, they have no plot. You can’t give a discernible explanation as to what any of these movies are actually about. The Force went from being a martial arts-like philosophical ethos for those who choose a life of self-sacrifice and service towards keeping galactic peace — to whatever the hell midichlorians are. Anakin Skywalker is an insufferable weirdo with zero redeeming qualities. Padme was totally cool with him murdering people, particularly little kids. Oh yea, the prequels feature little kids being fucking MURDERED. Chewbacca and C3PO are in these movies for some reason. R2-D2 fucking flies!? George Lucas shoehorned superfluous scenes that didn’t move the plot along and served no actual purpose other than to show off his CGI skills. There are very long scenes with senators debating trade disputes. There is no central protagonist to relate to or root for like, say, a Luke or a Rey. Yoda is reduced to being a goddamn moron. The Jedi are completely useless. Padme dies at childbirth even though Leia told Luke that she has memories of her in Return of the Jedi. Darth Maul — the best character in the prequels — is eliminated in the first movie, never to return. General Grievous was sold to us as this supposedly deadly Jedi hunter but turned out to be a cowardly robot with tuberculosis. Darth Vader walks around like Frankenstein and yells “Noooooo!” JAR JAR FUCKING BINKS.

So, with all that said — sure, Rise of Skywalker has its flaws, but it’s light years better than any of the prequels. I realize that’s a weird way to gage a movie’s quality, but the only way to judge any movie in this current trilogy is by comparing them to the past trilogies; Episodes IV, V, and VI being the gold standard, and Episodes I, II and III being buckets of old lady diarrhea.

Lucasfilm/Disney

That Really Didn’t Answer The Question
Okay, here’s my official take on The Rise of Skywalker: It’s good. It’s not great, it’s not bad, it’s fine. It’s a bit of a mess at times, but it’s a fun ride. The people losing their minds over it need to calm their tits just a little bit. And here’s why: Star Wars has been and always will be for kids. It’s pure escapism. It’s fantasy. It’s not high-end cinema and it doesn’t have to be taken so fucking seriously (I’m not a fan of The Last Jedi but I didn’t get mad online about Rose or send death threats to Rian Johnson for making Luke throw a lightsaber).

I realize not everyone will view the movie through my particular lense, because not everyone has kids. But the main reason I enjoyed Rise of Skywalker so much is that I watched it through my 12-year-old son’s eyes. During every major development in the movie, I gazed over at him and saw a face filled with wonder, delight, shock, awe, and laughter. At the end, I asked what he thought. He said he loved it. He said he couldn’t believe Rey was a Palpatine. He said he was sad when he thought Chewbacca was dead but happy when they showed that he wasn’t. He said the fight scenes were awesome. This movie is for him. Just as it was for me when I was 6 or 7 and went in to watch Return of the Jedi back in the day (another Star Wars movie lambasted by critics but loved by fans). These are movies that were made to make kids happy. To immerse them in a Universe filled with weird creatures and swashbuckling adventures, and bad guys with cool black masks and people with laser swords. Everyone calm down.

Lucasfilm/Disney

What Was Good About It?
–Poe Dameron Was Given a Small Backstory, Finally. Up to this point, Poe has been just a gung-ho type of guy and a good pilot who is, well, all gung-hoey. But in RoS we get a little glimpse of his past and learn that he was a drug smuggler, which is kinda cool.

–Rey Somersaulting Over Kylo’s Oncoming Tie-Fighter And Then Slicing the Wing Off With Her Lightsaber. They showed parts of this scene in the original teaser trailer and they really shouldn’t have because it would’ve blown audiences away. Alas, it’s still a badass scene.

Lucasfilm/Disney

–Kylo’s Super-Glued Helmet. I don’t give a crap that critics are mad that this retconned Rian Johnson’s original intent in Last Jedi. That mask and his voice are cool as shit.

–HAN. Yea, I’m a sucker for JJ Abram’s nostalgia porn, fight me. Seeing Han Solo back for a few minutes gave me all of the feels.

–LANDO. Seeing Lando back in action with all his suave debonaire style on full display was a treat. And, of course Lando would be living on a planet that hosts the Star Wars version of Burning Man. Lando is the fucking coolest.

–LUKE. We all knew he’d return as a Force ghost, but it was still neat to see him not only dispense advice and encouragement to Rey, but to be a part of actually helping her in a meaningful way. Ever the hero gazing at the dual sunset.

–LEIA. It sucks that we’ll never get to see what JJ and company wanted to do with the late great Carrie Fisher to close out the saga — this was supposed to be her movie. But they were able to put together a nice send off for the Princess with the little they had to work with. It was bittersweet.

–General Hux Is The Spy! Then he dies! Haha fuck General Hux.

Lucasfilm/Disney

–Finn In Action. It was nice to see him do more stuff than just run around a casino planet or yell “REYYY!!!” for two and a half hours.

–Rey and Kylo Force Timing Each Other. Their ability to communicate via the Force and even physically hand things to each other was a cool addition in the last movie, and has some cooler uses in this one.

–Kylo/Ben Solo Channeling His Dad. In the scene where Kylo/Ben runs unarmed into the Emperor’s lair and finds himself hopelessly outnumbered and surrounded by the Knights of Ren, he gives a little shrug at them just before they fight — an I’m outnumbered but I’m gonna fight you anyway because fuck you attitude that is pure Han Solo.

Lucasfilm/Disney

What Was Bad About It?
–Emperor Palpatine’s Resurrection is Never Explained. I was generally okay with the notion that they brought back Palpatine as the bad guy, and the whole idea that he’s been masterminding everything from behind the scenes the whole time. It’s hokey, but it works. The problem is this movie never gives us an explanation as to how he got back after dying when Vader threw him down a shaft at the end of Return of the Jedi. Something about a Sith cult? Cloning? Sith powers are unnatural? Something about the Life Force? MIDICHLORIANS? If there’s a scene explaining it, it’s not memorable because I still have no fucking clue how he was suddenly back. Just lazy writing, man.

–Kylo Ren’s Redemption. I understand that a major theme in all of Star Wars is redemption. Light versus Dark. Choosing between good and evil. Yada yada yada. But I’ve never been comfortable with these evil bastards finding redemption at the last minute before they died. It worked for Vader because he found redemption through his son’s love, which ultimately led to him using his dying breath to kill the bad guy and save the day. But even then, when Anakin reappears to Luke as a Force ghost along with Obi-Wan and Yoda, he’s young and spry in the afterlife, while the other two are old and decrepit. How’s that fair to Obi-Wan and Yoda, who never turned to the darkside their entire lives?? Moreover, Kylo, like his grandfather, committed mass genocide. He murdered trillions of innocents. He murdered his own father. He tried to murder his own mother. And yet he gets to kiss the girl and die a redeemed man? Imagine if Hitler turned to religion moments before he died at the end of World War II and then that was accepted as Oh he’s in Heaven now because he suddenly felt bad about living most of his adult life exterminating 6 million Jews. Everyone cool with that? Fuck and no. Fuck Kylo’s redemption.

–The Kiss. Fuck Reylo. Fuck that kiss. Kylo Ren spends the better part of all three movies harassing Rey, trying to turn her to a life of pure evil, fucking with her mind, taunting her, murdering her friends, murdering her mentor, invading her thoughts like a damn creeper, sending her unsolicited mind-texts while sweaty and shirtless, and he gets to have a romantic moment with her just before he dies? He gets to kiss her? That’s fucking awful. Hey kids, stalk that girl to your heart’s content even if she objects because she’ll eventually come around and kiss you, just like Rey did with Kylo!

Lucasfilm/Disney

–The Star Destroyers Have Dicks Now! The big bad weaponry used by the First Order in Rise of Skywalker is a fleet of super roided up Star Destroyers each equipped with a cannon that can blow up planets. Except each cannon comes down from the bottom of each ship, and looks like a large dick. A large dick that shoots lasers. It’s very distracting.

–The Planet Where Palpatine Lives On Sounds Like Testicle. Turns out Palpatine is hiding out on a mysterious planet on the outskirts of the galaxy called Exegol, which sounds like Testicle. Again, very distracting.

–The First Half of The Movie Moves Way Too Fast. It’s hard to grasp onto the stakes. Then it tries to tie up loose ends haphazardly at the end. It’s the last movie in a nine-movie saga, adding another 45 minutes to it to make things less rushed wouldn’t have killed us.

Lucasfilm/Disney

So What Now?
The Skywalker saga is supposedly over and done with (unless Palpatine comes back again for reasons??). Ultimately, part of the problem for this new trilogy is that, instead of having one person in charge of the vision of the saga, they hired three different directors — one of which was fired mid-way through production — with three distinct visions to flesh out a complex story that carries a great deal of weight for a large number of people. Having a coherent vision is why the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies succeeded so well, even with so many different movies and directors. Kevin Feige was in charge of everything at the MCU. And so a coherent vision was put out, to the delight of critics and fans alike. But the good news for Star Wars geeks is that it seems that Disney has wised up because they hired Kevin Feige to head up an all-new Star Wars saga in a few years. So, maybe there will be less shit for people to get mad about. Maybe. Probably not, though.

Chris Joseph (@ByChrisJoseph) is a host of the Five Reasons comedy podcast, Ballscast. He’s written about sports and movies for Deadspin, Miami New Times, CBS Sports, and several other outlets.

Dolphins will have the 5th pick in 2020 NFL Draft

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According to Tankathon.com, the Miami Dolphins now hold the 5th-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Will they draft Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa?

The 2019 season is finally over. And for a season where the Dolphins started out 0-7, it sure was fun to watch this team progress over the last several weeks. But now, we must turn our attention to the 2020 offseason and most importantly, the 2020 NFL Draft.

Now that the week 17 slate of games are official, we now know exactly where the Dolphins will be drafting in 2020.

According to Tankathon.com, the Miami Dolphins will have the 5th pick in the 2020 NFL draft. Sure, this isn’t as sexy as the projected top-3 pick they had a few weeks ago. But to achieve five wins with this roster–and go out with a last-minute victory over the New England Patriots– feels great. Not to mention, Miami is projected to have 15 draft picks, so there’s no telling what Chris Grier is willing to do to assure he gets the players he and his staff covet.

In the latest Tankathon three-round mock draft, the Dolphins do what every fan hopes they do this coming April.

First Round

Truth is, no one knows whether or not Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa is going to return to college. After all, he’s been cryptic over the last few days on social media and a lot of experts and analysts believe he could go back to college and enter the draft in 2021. I have no #sauces, so I can’t speak on the hypothetical. But IF Tagovailoa decides to declare this season, there’s a team in the top-5 that will likely do whatever it takes to assure he’s wearing a Dolphins’ uniform for the foreseeable future.

With the fifth-pick in the 2020 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins select–Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

Tua is believed to be the QB the Dolphins and owner Stephen Ross have coveted for several years. And no one can argue that his elite skill-set would fit perfectly in Chad O’Shea’s offense. Obviously, his health plays a huge factor in this decision. But IF there’s the potential that Tagovailoa will ever be 75% of the QB he once was, Miami should do WHATEVER it takes to make sure he’s their guy in round one.

With the second of their three first-round picks, the Dolphins draft Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson. The Dolphins don’t have an immediate need at WR, but Higgins is one of the most talented WRs in this year’s class. And adding a player with his skill-set to Miami’s already loaded receiver corps, would spell trouble for all 31 NFL teams.

Lastly, the Dolphins select Jedrick Willis, OT, Alabama with the 25th-overall pick. I’m not sure whether or not he will be available this late in round one, but Willis is one of-if not-the best OT in this year’s draft. He’s already very familiar with protecting Tagovailoa’s blindside and would be a much need addition to Miami’s putrid offensive line.

Second Round

In round two, the Dolphins get two immediate contributors, at two important areas of need.

First, with the 39th pick in the 2020 NFL draft, Miami selects Bryan Hall, CB, Virginia. Yes, the Dolphins secondary has played pretty well despite their ‘next man up’ mentality, but the secondary could definitely use help, especially for a team that loves to play man defense. Hall’s senior season was cut short due to a leg injury, but the talented CB would be a valued asset in Flores’ defense.

Later in round two, the Dolphins fill their much-needed void at RB selecting Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson. Anyone that watched the Fiesta Bowl could see how explosive Etienne was as both a runner and pass-catcher vs one of the top defenses in the country. Etienne is currently my RB1 and his skill-set would be a breath of fresh air, for an offense that was led by 37-year old Ryan Fitzpatrick as the team’s leading rusher.

Third Round

Lastly, with the 70th-overall pick, the Dolphins continue to add talent to their offensive line selecting Nick Harris, C, Washington. Adding Harris to an offensive line that already drafted Jedrick Willis and will likely spend valuable resources in free agency is extremely smart. And if Miami wants to build a sustainable winner, solidifying the trenches is the first step in a long, tumultuous process.

 

This will change many more times between now and April 23, 2020. With that said, how do you feel with Tankathon’s latest mock draft?

Josh Houtz (@houtz) is a die-hard fan of the Miami Dolphins #Tankovailoa

 

 

The Miami Hurricanes Are At DEFCON 1

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It’s been an arduous season for the Canes. It started with 2 losses, then an “easy” 5-game home stand that featured 2 losses and a close win against Central Michigan, followed by a brief resurgence mid-year, and then a complete and inexplicable collapse over a final 3-game stretch that included losses to FIU, Duke, and Louisiana Tech.

Perhaps it is a sign of the times that not only was there no reaction from the Athletic Department as The New Miami quickly devolved into a disaster, including an embarrassing loss to FIU, but that no reaction was expected. This is the new normal. No loss too shocking. We keep saying we’ve reached “Rock Bottom” but in reality, there is no bottom for this program, because it is a program devoid of standards.

Sure enough, after the failure against Louisiana Tech, Blake James released a non-statement:

Putting the substance aside, there is something shocking here that is not evident until you look back a year:

Nothing represents the apathy of this administration more than this. Copying and pasting a “well, that sucked” message from last year and “changing it up a little” is pathetic. I’m sure they want to win, but they appear to be more concerned with controlling the narrative and saying what they think they should say to show they care, then with actually making hard decisions and holding people accountable. That it mirrored last year’s statement shows a complete lack of seriousness.

Manny Diaz was hired precisely because his hiring would not result in a complete overhaul since the team was “close.” That entire rationale turned out to be dead wrong. Diaz was not ready to be the head coach at Miami, he made a million mistakes, and instead of taking the program from “almost there, but needs offensive help” to “there,” he took it to “needs a complete rebuild.” He lost to GT, FIU, Duke, and Louisiana Tech.

Now, maybe the school overestimated the health of the program. Maybe it wasn’t a few offensive tweaks away. But that’s irrelevant now. The bottom line is the job that Diaz was hired to do either (1) never existed or (2) doesn’t exist now because he destroyed it.

To pretend like this was even within the realm of their wildest nightmares when they hired Diaz is disingenuous. There is no way they hire Diaz if they could go back a year knowing what they know now. Diaz is now tasked with a job that he was not hired to do, a complete rebuild of the program.

The Culture and the Standard

One of the ironies of this season as it devolved into failure was Diaz commenting on the culture of the program. Who allowed a WR that quit on his team last year to come back, only to have to suspend him again? Who rode in a yacht? Who crashed another coach’s clinic? Who said 7-5 is unacceptable and then started making excuses for losses? Who invented the Turnover Chain and Touchdown Rings? This is Manny Diaz’s culture, and his complete lack of self-awareness about his central role in creating the culture he now decries is galling.

But the Athletic Department shares the most culpability for the current state of affairs. As much as we were all happy to hear that Dan Enos was going to be coaching his last game in the Independence Bowl, who in the hell leaked that a few hours before kickoff?

Likewise, who is feeding crap to Barry Jackson trashing players, talking about who needs to be shoved out of the program and how they need grad transfers to fix the program? Even if it is true, that stuff should actually be part of the “full assessment” and done behind closed doors. Using the media as a proxy to get messages out to pretend they care, often to the detriment of players, while the paid professionals have little to no accountability must stop. You cannot run a program where the second something goes wrong, everyone goes leaking to the press, publicly assigning blame to scapegoats.

The truth is that this is a program that has been resting on the accomplishments of those that built this program decades ago, trying to do just enough to not get screamed at by fans, with little regard for the standard which they purport to try to “get back” to.

But the only way “back” is to actually accept their culpability in how we arrived here. The standard is no longer about winning championships, because Blake James changed the standard.

  • He can tweet about “#BuildingChampions” but there are no championships.
  • He can say that 6 wins fell below expectations but Al Golden went 6-7 in Year 4 and was back for Year 5.
  • In fact, in 3 out of Al Golden’s 4 full years as head coach, he won 7 or fewer games.

The second James accepted all of that, there was a new “standard.” He lowered our standards, and lowered them to the point that he actually has a canned “we just stunk in a bowl game after winning fewer games than expected” press release. That is the definition of the standard.

So when Blake James talks about the standard, I frankly have no idea what the bleep he is talking about because he has been a senior member of the Athletic Department for almost a decade, including AD for most of that time, and it’s pretty clear that this year’s performance is perfectly acceptable to him since he has accepted it from multiple coaches. 

A Path Forward

So, do we give up? As negative as I’ve been, the answer is no.

Should Diaz have been stolen back from Temple as a first time head coach? Should he retain his job now? Irrelevant, because those decisions have already been made.

The question we’re now faced with is whether Diaz can change. And in this, we have no evidence that he cannot, which means there is reason for hope. 

Blake James was not wrong in stating that there needs to be a “full assessment” of the football program. But what does that look like? Diaz needs to account for everything that happened from the second he accepted the job to the second the Louisiana Tech game ended. Work through what worked, what didn’t, why it didn’t work, and most importantly, what he is going to do differently.

A lot of this will be hard on Diaz, in particular as he looks at his own missteps, some of which were quite public and extremely embarrassing in hindsight. He chose to coach at the University of Miami not because it is easy, but because it is hard. 

It’s time for him to do the hard work of creating the culture and standard that the hashtags pretend to care about.

Yes, assistant coaches will change, but everything Diaz does sets the tone for the program. When he came in and fired the entire offensive staff, he sent a message that the offense was the only problem. That’s fine for a defensive coordinator, it’s not fine for a head coach. His hiring of Enos was a classic first time head coaching mistake where he brought someone in that thought he was smarter than everyone else on the staff and should be the head coach himself (see Shannon-Whipple for previous examples).

You win and lose as a team and everyone has to be under no illusion of who is in charge, and that’s Manny Diaz. So, as he assembles his 2.0 staff, a lot of attention needs to be paid to chemistry across the offense and defense. How does the collective staff work together? Are they marching to the beat of the same drum? Does every coach understand his responsibilities and that Manny is calling the shots? And under no circumstances does anyone, ever, publicly criticize a player. If the staff is cohesive, if they actually like working together, the program becomes a much more enjoyable place to be, and the players have a better chance of success.

These lessons were paid for in embarrassing losses, but if they were learned, and if they are grown from, Manny Diaz can steer this ship back on track. He has the opportunity in front of him. But he must demand perfection from himself, from those around him, from those working from him, and ultimately, from his boss. Reset the standard, learn from this year’s false start, and move forward from there. Anything else will ultimately result in failure.

If you asked me a year ago if Gino DiMare would have the Canes as a Top 5, National Championship contender, I would have said no. Maybe Diaz can surprise us. I choose to believe that Diaz can accomplish this not because he has shown he can, but because, possibly in my own naivety, I still believe in the ability of anyone, in particular someone new to a role, to change and to grow from mistakes. The speed and nature of that growth will ultimately determine whether this year was a series of rookie mistakes on the way to ultimate greatness or a series of red flags that ultimately lead to failure.

New Year Resolutions Came Early for the Miami Heat

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As 2020 approaches, replete with all of the resolutions and commitments to diet and exercise that come with a fresh New Year, the Miami Heat are exempt from such firm declarations at this time.

In the life cycle of every Miami Heat player, the in-house expectation is always the same regardless of calendar position: to become your absolute best, getting and staying in world class shape is a demand, not a request.

Pat Riley acknowledged as much in his end of season press conference last April.

“I set the template for it back in 1995 when I got here,” Riley said. “It’s academic. It’s a culture that I think every professional team should start with…. They want their players to be world class athletes first and knowing that if they become that, their basketball skills can become more efficient when they’re in great condition.”

“But every now and then, I used to call it, you got to tighten the screw if there is some slippage” Riley added. “And there will be changes next year. Not a new culture but tightening the screws on a culture that sometimes erodes just a little bit.”

Last year’s Heat team appeared to have rested on their laurels. “One Last Dance” with Dwyane Wade was the focus, and for all the warm and fuzzies that dance provided, it couldn’t offset the slippage.

Fast forward to the 2019-20 Miami Heat, and the screws have been tightened.

Riley made good on his promise of changes. Roster changes, lineup changes and absolutely no tolerance for approaching the process with anything less than total commitment.

Expectations were set on the first day of training camp, a message Coach Erik Spoelstra delivered to the team promptly.

“Look, we have a level of expectation and professionalism that you’re going to have to uphold. Period.” Meyers Leonard recalled as Coach Spo’s message to the team back in October.

What does the process of getting in “world class shape” look like?

Nutrition is a natural starting point.

Heat starter Duncan Robinson has made this a primary focus and has seen the results pay off in big ways. Robinson literally looks different this season.

“For me, what I tried to emphasize was my diet. I worked with a dietician and started cooking my own meals that way I knew exactly what was going into my body. Being locked in and consistent with that helped me put on the weight.” Robinson told Five Reasons Sports.

“I think the biggest difference is the emphasis and consistency they put on it here (in Miami).”

When we think of athletes training to be in world class shape, sometimes the assumption is athletes are asked to turn down food to maintain their chiseled physique.  Robinson paints a different picture.

“It was a hard adjustment to add more calories. The big adjustment was in the morning, eating such a big breakfast. I was having like 1,300-1,400 calories for breakfast. I wasn’t used to it.”

The team tracks their macronutrients – protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Players do not need to guess when it comes to meal prep. “I was given a meal plan and a shopping list” Robinson added.

Robinson had to go as far as cutting out one food item that is near and dear to all Floridian hearts: Publix subs.

“I had to cut out Pub(lix) subs. The chicken tender sub is really good. They’re not the healthiest thing in the world, but they are good for sure. There’s a saying that “cut” is in the kitchen. You’ve got to be eating the right stuff, especially if you’re working out as much as we are. That was the biggest adjustment from college to here.”

Leonard has a similar regiment.

“I eat between 4,800-5,000 calories a day. Most of it clean. It’s honestly kind of like a second job. I eat two pounds of protein per day,” Leonard told Five Reasons Sports.

“The focus off the floor is so important when it comes to how you’re going to perform on it. I want to look good, feel good, and perform well.”

The Heat training staff makes it easy for players to become educated and connected to the proper resources.

“The Heat have done a great job putting together a staff that allows for players to ask questions and get better. When you’re putting yourself through the ringer like that, you also have to have a staff and a support system that understands what you need and will work with you,” Leonard said.

Kelly Olynyk has transformed his body since his arrival in Miami, but it hasn’t been easy.

“It’s tough. It’s dedication and a lot of it is sacrifice. You’re not going to be eating the things you want to eat. You can’t take days off. You have to make sure that you’re giving a conscious effort day in and day out. I have to do something every single day. If I take days off, it hits me harder than it hits others. My body will lose body fat if I’m disciplined,” Olynyk explained.

Discipline, to the extent that Heat Culture demands, is not for everyone. The starting front court in Miami has embraced the process.

“I love it. I think that we are, first of all, blessed to do what we do, and also we’re paid pretty damn nicely. So, to stay in shape and be ready and do the little things that matter should be an expectation anyways,” explained Leonard.

Heat star Bam Adebayo takes the responsibility of carrying Heat Culture into the next decade seriously.

“There’s no limit in being in even greater shape. We just go out there and try to keep our body fat as low as possible, maintain our weight at a good playing weight, and eat right,” Adebayo told Five Reasons Sports.  “They hold us responsible for it, so whatever you put in your body is going to show on the court. We play fast, so if you can’t keep up, then it’s obviously in your diet, and that’s pretty much the Heat Culture, for real.”

Heat rookie sensation Tyler Herro now knows the reality of Heat Culture after spending a year in the college ranks at Kentucky.

“It was definitely an adjustment. Coming from Kentucky, they prepare you to be a pro. I think that’s the reason why you go to Kentucky. But it’s definitely been an adjustment in all aspects. I’m still adjusting. Taking it one day at a time,” Herro told Five Reasons back in October.

This year’s Heat team is a working embodiment of everything Heat Culture stands for, and it shows with what and who we are seeing on the court.

“It’s not really an option, so if you don’t want to do it, then you probably won’t be playing for the Heat much longer,” said Herro.

That sentiment has proven to be much more a promise than a threat – and it is paying off for the Heat this season.

Tightening the screws has led to a happy new year indeed.

Brian Goins contributed to this story.

Miami Dolphins: Mike Gesicki is finding his groove, making an impact

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Mike Gesicki emerging as a viable target for the Miami Dolphins.

Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals was a big one. It may have been to the dismay of some, but it provided certain players with the opportunity to shine. One player who competed at a high level was tight end Mike Gesicki.

After not producing at the beginning of the season, he has finally found his groove. Sunday against Cincinnati was proof of that. He caught six passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns. Averaging 13.7 yards per catch, a 31-yard grab was his longest of the afternoon.

The Penn State product recorded 22 catches for 202 yards last season. He has surpassed those numbers this season. Catching 47 passes for 536 yards and four touchdowns, he has begun to find his groove. What has been most impressive is his impact when he gets touches. He has 23 receptions that have gone for a first down this season. That certainly indicates he is reliable when called upon.

It’s interesting to look at how far he has come over the past couple of games. In back-to-back contests in September, he was barely noticeable. He caught one pass on two targets for 11 yards against New England on September 15. He caught all three passes thrown his way, but for only nine yards against Dallas on September 22. It was looking like the tight end position would be a non-factor for the Miami Dolphins.

Winds of change for Gesicki, Miami Dolphins

However, as soon as Fitzpatrick took over in October, we saw an increase in Gesicki’s numbers. The Miami Dolphins have done a nice job of getting the tight end position involved, and it’s paying off for them. Sunday was an example of that. This was the Mike Gesicki people saw at Penn State. After having such an up-and-down season last year, it would have been easy to predict that he would have a sophomore slump. Instead, he is playing at a high level.

What he is doing this season should set him up nicely for 2020. He is proving to be a consistent target for Miami. If he can carry this momentum over to next season, I could see at least 1,000 yards in his future. With how the young receivers  emerged at different points throughout the season, having a viable tight end could be crucial for the Miami Dolphins.