Alabama Athletics

Houtz Special: Despite injury, Dolphins should draft Tagovailoa

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Despite a season-ending injury, the Miami Dolphins should still have significant interest in Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa

Tank for Tua

For as long as we can remember, Tank for Tua has been the preferred plan by most Dolphins’ fans.  And truth is, after starting the season 0-7 it was the only thing fans had to look get excited for. But like everything that happens with this team, nothing ever goes according to plan.

So, of course the Dolphins won Tua straight games and looked to be eliminated from the #Tankovailoa sweepstakes.

On one hand, this was a good thing.  Because it showed promise in Brian Flores and the rest of Miami’s coaching staff.  After all, they have done an outstanding job developing players, and have remained competitive despite an XFL-caliber roster.

Unfortunately, winning games means they would miss out on the quarterback they were believed to have their hearts set on.  Sure, there were alternative methods to achieve this goal, but they would be extremely costly. But again, expect the unexpected.

Flash forward to Saturday. With just under four minutes to play in the second quarter of a commanding 35-7 first-half lead over Mississippi State, Tagovaiola landed hard on his right hip. Several reports said he was unable to walk and was heard “screaming in agony”.  Later, we would find out from an team doctor that it was a hip dislocation, which would end his once promising season.

We can all sit here and speculate on who is at fault.

Maybe we can blame Nick Saban for not taking his star QB out sooner.  Perhaps he should have sat him all together, in a game many believed ‘Bama would win handily.

Then again, maybe it’s Tua’s fault, for wanting to be a team leader and play – despite the ankle injury – and prove to the world he is that damn good.

Nevertheless, hindsight suggests this mistake was costly.  Not only for Alabama’s playoff aspirations but for Tua, who was expected to enter the 2020 NFL Draft as the potential #1 overall pick.

Now neither is expected to happen.

Where do the Dolphins go from here?

Obviously, the Dolphins still head into the 2020 NFL draft with a war chest of draft picks-and still have aspirations of finding their next franchise QB.  Could they take Oregon’s Justin Herbert? Maybe, Georgia QB Jake Fromm? Perhaps they draft Jordan Love or Jalen Hurts to develop a year, with hopes of being the guy in 2021? Or maybe, they stay the course and draft Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa.

That’s right, folks.

The 2020 QB Class is loaded with plenty of potential talent. But with potential, comes uncertainty. And no one can sit here and honestly say, they know what is going to come of the aforementioned QBs.

So, why not stay the course?  Why not, draft the QB the Dolphins had their eyes on all along?

Many years ago, Miami’s medical staff made the decision to sign Daunte Culpepper over Drew Brees, and that decision still haunts this fanbase until this very day. So sure, maybe the Dolphins’ medical staff makes another grave mistake, but at what expense?

Why pass on Tua in a draft where Miami currently has THREE first-round draft picks? In fact, most draft picks are nothing more than a gamble anyway, so why not gamble on one of the most talented players at the most important position in football?

In a strange way, the injury might have actually helped the Dolphins’ chances of landing Tagovailoa. Because prior to the injury, many believed he was a surefire top-5 draft pick. A player that if Miami wants to get, they would need to move heaven and earth to do so.  Now, they can win a few more games in 2020 and select the Alabama QB with the first of their day one draft picks.

Conclusion

According to AL.com, ‘sources’ believe the Alabama QB could be ready to play football in 6-8 months.

Obviously, this is all speculation. But if the report are true, I would have no problem with Miami selecting Tagovailoa with the first of their three first-round draft picks.  Joe Burrow is good but in my opinion, there is no better QB in the 2020 NFL draft than Tua. And if the Dolphins finally  want to get out of the 7-9 hell they have found themselves in since Marino’s retirement, they will take the chance.  Tagovailoa can sit a year and learn behind Fitpatrick or whatever other veteran QB the Dolphins deem fit. But they owe it to themselves, to their loyal fanbase, to draft the best QB in the country.

That QB to me is Tua Tagovailoa.

This article was written by Josh Houtz (@Houtz) and he really, really wants the Dolphins to draft Tua Tagovailoa

The Mourning Edition: Miami Heat’s Winning Time Is Coming Early

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Welcome to the first dispatch of The Mourning Edition, Zach Buckley’s take on the biggest developments in Heat Nation.

The Miami Heat shouldn’t be breathing this easy.

Not when they’re playing faster than any team in franchise history. Not when they’re incorporating a host of newcomers, including every-night starter Kendrick Nunn and second-team-minutes-per-game leader Tyler Herro. Not when they’re already working around a number of absences, both for injury reasons and…let’s just say otherwise.

That’s enough to tire any team out; yes, even one that bills itself as the Association’s “best-conditioned, hardest-working…” you know the rest.

But the Heat aren’t wheezing in the slightest. They keep running opponents off the floor, usually shortly after the opening tip gets tossed.

They’ve already had their most lopsided quarter in franchise history, when they amassed a 46-14 first-frame advantage over a Rockets team on a 60-win pace. That was the most extreme example of their out-of-the-gate sprints, but their early execution has been so precise, world-class surgeons should take not.

Their first-half net efficiency rating is an NBA-best plus-10.2 points per 100 possessions. No one else is clearing double digits, and only three other teams sit north of plus-7.5. Their assist percentage through the first 24 minutes is an absurd 71.3. To put that number in context, the Golden State Warriors paced the category last season at 66.8.

They have top-six efficiency marks on both ends through the first two frames. No other team can make that claim, and only the Milwaukee Bucks—last season’s wins leader—also land in the top 10 on each end.

Obviously, there are two halves to a game, and once we expand to full-game statistics, Miami goes from the NBA’s best team to one of its best. (If you have to downgrade, that’s the best way to do it, right?) The team’s actual net rating is plus-5.8, which is “only” tied for fifth.

That says two things about this squad.

The first is that it can be really, really good. The Heat are playing connected basketball at both ends—score one for #TheCulture—and basically everyone inside of the rotation seems comfortable in his role and capable of executing it.

“I know what championship basketball looks and feels like. I’ve been a part of some championship teams,” Nunn said. “The culture here is just for that.”

This also means the Heat haven’t been as effective after intermission.

Frankly, they’ve rarely needed to be. They’re steamrolling lesser clubs so early that they’re able to sleepwalk Big Three-style through second halves. Battling complacency and boredom—and perhaps tired legs lately with more injuries popping up—Miami hasn’t always stepped on the necks of opponents after knocking them down.

This group is good enough that its first punches are landing with a haymaker’s force, so even two-quarters-and-change of effort and intensity has been good enough to dispatch bottom feeders. The Heat are one of only six teams with an undefeated record against sub-.500 teams.

Still, Miami can’t count on 24-minute routs always being enough, even if it has fired up a few victory cigars at halftime already.

“NBA basketball games are long,” Erik Spoelstra said. “And you have to play all the way through to the end.”

Spo’s right. It’s a tedious, nit-picky process, but letting off the gas too much can prove problematic.

At the same time, it’s the middle of November. That the Heat are even encountering this problem already is incredible, and the fact it’s perhaps emerging as an early focus says everything you need to know about this start.

Finding a killer instinct is one of the final steps of in building a basketball juggernaut. Miami revamped its roster this summer and has reshuffled the rotation already in-season (multiple times over). To be this far ahead of the learning curve at this stage of the game with this many moving parts is a testament to Pat Riley’s vision, Spo’s guidance, Jimmy Butler’s leadership and the culture-infused cohesiveness this core has created.

If the Heat continue staying a step or two ahead, then the ceiling keeps rising and wildest dreams become expectations, if not eventual realities.

WATCH: Dolphins coach Brian Flores calls media on the carpet

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Every once in a while, the media receives pushback from those they interview. Reporters in charge of interviewing Bill Belichick and Adam Gase know what that’s like, in different ways. On Thursday, however, a certain member of the Miami Dolphins media got called on the carpet by coach Brian Flores.

And when we say called out, we mean like a middle school student caught whispering to the kid next to him kind of called out. At the end of the press conference, the Sun Sentinel’s Safid Deen laughed at something coach Flores was saying. Flores then cut himself off, turned to Deen, and asked him what he thought was so funny. The exchange can be found at the end of this video.

Clearly, Flores doesn’t find the concept of keeping a cool head to be amusing. What is amusing, admittedly, is listening to Deen try and explain himself. Like he had to explain to the class why he was laughing during the lecture. Unfortunately, the video makes it hard to hear Deen’s response.

Fortunately, the Dolphins transcribed the event as it played out. When asked to explain why he thought it was funny, Deen said this:

“I don’t know. We asked about Shaq Calhoun a couple weeks ago. I mean, we didn’t ask about Shaq Calhoun a couple weeks ago – he came up unsolicited – so it’s nice to hear you want your players to kind of keep an even head about everything.”

The incident in question happened a few weeks ago, when Flores made rookie Shaq Calhoun inactive in response to what Flores called the ‘rookie wall.’ Clearly, Brian Flores didn’t think it was worth laughing over.

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for six years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

Chris Grier isn't a perfect general manager, but he does not deserve to be fired.

Dolphins Rebuild Still on Schedule Despite Win Streak.

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This win streak has Miami Dolphin fans feeling some kind of way.  All of the emotions were on display this past Sunday as I took an unfortunate stroll through Twitter.  That win against the Indianapolis Colts essentially ended the pursuit for Alabama signal caller Tua Tagovailoa in the eyes of many Dolphin fans.

First of all, that is not true.  Circumstances are conspiring to give Miami another shot at Tua Tagovailoa.  Joe Burrow has the hype train rolling and took a giant step toward the Heisman Trophy, and an extended post season with his win at Bryant-Denny Stadium.  It is conceivable that Joe Burrow is QB1 and Tua drops right into Miami’s lap.  On the information side of this, after consulting with a league source, the “thinking” in league circles is that Tua Tagovailoa has nowhere near a consensus among NFL front offices as QB1 and this source speculates that “maybe” half of NFL teams view him as the best Quarterback in this class.

There are two silver linings to this resurgence.  The first is that Brian Flores is somehow finding NFL wins with a team that is sporting several units that belong in the XFL.  The second is that the base of players they will add to this offseason is growing, ever so slightly, but growing nonetheless.

 

So let me offer some optimism.  The 2018 Oakland Raiders were 4-12, having made over parts of the team under John Gruden’s first year as coach.  Not much of it took and a quick reboot was in order.  Trades of top performers, Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper made their immediate direction rather clear. (Is this starting to sound familiar?)  The Raiders then took to the 2019 offseason with 3 first round picks and massive amounts of cap space (sound really familiar now?).  After adding 27 new players and 14 new starters through free agency and the draft, the Raiders are not only a playoff contender, they also play an exciting brand of Football, just in time for their move to Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Dolphins will need to duplicate some of that success to achieve the same thing (competency and contention).

So let’s evaluate what’s in the cupboard before this offseason. A quarterback will be drafted in the first round, and Ryan Fitzpatrick is the perfect backup/mentor for that draft pick.  I believe the Josh Rosen experiment is near over.  The running backs group needs a headliner, but the rest of the group is pedestrian and could use a look or two.  The tight ends are developing with Mike Gesicki taking a big leap this year, and the wide receivers unit is near complete.  The offensive line is a considerable mess and deserves a complete overhaul with maybe one holdover (Jesse Davis).

On defense is where the most work is needed.  The secondary is a barren landscape, populated with journeymen, street free agents, one super star and one fading performer (Bobby McCain).  In recent weeks, Coach Brian Flores and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham have managed to get above average play out of Eric Rowe as a Free Safety,  Nik Needham in a series of roles, Jomal Wiltz as a slot guy, and Ken Crawley as a boundary corner.

If this coaching staff is now demonstrating that odd skill of squeezing every ounce of detailed, smart play they can get from a non-descript no-name group like the New England Patriots often do, then they have really found something.

The linebackers are a near complete unit with Raekwon McMillan emerging as one of the best interior backers in the NFL, Jerome Baker paying dividends on his promise, and Vince Biegel coming off the edge effectively.  The Defensive line is a group of players that recognize and play their roles well.  The defensive tackles might be a strength with Cristian Wilkins coming on strong and Davon Godchaux having another steady season.

 

 

 

 

One door closes (Tua, but not really) and another opens.  What once looked like a daunting task, has a more defined mission.  All the while we were thinking that 0-16 or 1-15 was necessary to obtain the QB of your choice, circumstances have changed to demonstrate that the work load, while large, is not overwhelming or insurmountable.


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

GUTS CHECK: West Coast Miami Heat Waiters Drama, Looking Ahead

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Welcome back to Guts Check. 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 an expression of the soul of the Heat fan base. In the name of Trusting the Spocess, let’s call these weekly columns position-less.

Since we last touched base:

  • Lost at Denver, 109-89
  • Won at Phoenix, 124-108
  • Lost at Los Angeles Lakers, 95-80

Let’s review a few of my key takeaways from last week, and what we should be looking towards.

More Defense, Less Drama

What a difference a week makes?

The 3 game West coast trip left Miami 1-2 on the trip, 6-3 on the season. They had an impressive win in Phoenix sandwiched in between two tough losses in Denver and Los Angeles.

However, the more troubling elements surrounding the team over the last 3 games have less to do with the Heat’s play and more to do with off the court & injury report issues.

Let’s quickly recap:

  • Dion Waiters earned a team suspension of 10 games for conduct detrimental to the team.
    • I’m not going to spend too much time rehashing this bizarre scenario, but if it makes you feel any worse this appears to be the punctuation to a handful of similar issues as it pertains to Dion. This is now becoming a trend for Waiters and Miami. The team has been at odds with Waiters for far too long and both parties have been left to throw hands up at each other. This isn’t likely to end in nice fashion.
  • Justise Winslow appears to have apparently finished a game while concussed and has now been forced to miss several games following that head injury.
    • Injury aside, Winslow’s uneven start is not viewed as concerning according to a team source. The thought being, time to further build chemistry with Jimmy Butler, improve his shooting and stay healthy will translate to positive momentum for the starting point guard. If the shooting doesn’t come, the Heat are going to have some interesting decisions to make long term.
  • The injury bug has also hit the Heat by the likes of Tyler Herro and Kelly Olynyk. (Not to mention Derrick Jones Jr. remains sidelined).
    • The Heat can’t afford to lose the spacing that Herro and KO provide. Let’s keep our fingers crossed both Herro and Olynyk, listed as questionable tonight, can suit up.

However, all things considered, I think any rational Heat observer would take 6-3 to start this season.

Looking Ahead

The key for this team that will determine if homecourt in the East playoffs is achievable has a lot less to do with how they perform on three game west coast trips and much more to do with how they handle an upcoming 7 game stretch like what lies ahead.

Tuesday Nov 12 vs. Detroit

Thursday Nov 14 at Cleveland

Saturday Nov 16 vs New Orleans

Wednesday Nov 20 vs Cleveland

Friday, Nov 22 at Chicago

Saturday, Nov 23 at Philadelphia

Monday, Nov 25 vs. Charlotte

6-1 should be the goal, 5-2 you also take. However, you can’t stumble through these portions of the schedule. These are the clusters of winnable games that pad the W/L record (especially the home games) to protect against those nights in Denver or other west coast trips in the future.

While aside from Philadelphia, the Heat’s next 7 opponents may lack marquee game appeal, this will be a telling two weeks of Heat basketball.

Player to Watch

Kendrick Nunn is firmly on my radar this week.

Honestly, I still don’t really even know what we have in this kid. How Nunn bounces back from his recent “struggles” relative to his blazing hot start, is probably what I am most curious to find out this week. Defenses are taking advantage of his aggressive style of defense and forcing him to do more than just score.

Nunn has seemingly played his way into the rotation regardless, but the question will become how entrenched as a starter he is, and how effective can he be late in games as teams tighten the screws on defense.

The other player I am anxious to watch this week is Jimmy Butler. Because duh.

As many of those scoring sprees (like we saw in Phoenix) we can witness from a superstar of Butler’s caliber in a Heat uniform, the better. It feels damn good to have a player who can do that type of heavy lifting night in and night out. Plus, he gets respect from the officials.

Some might say Jimmy Butler has the guts.

That’s a wrap until next week.

Launching Pad: Bam’s Brilliance, Goran’s Gadget, Heat Rookies Rolling

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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: 6-3 (2-2, 4th in the East)

• Offensive Rating: 105.8 (104.7)

• Defensive Rating: 100.6 (102.5)

• Net Rating: plus-5.2 (plus-2.2)

• True-Shooting Percentage: 57.0 (55.4)

• Pace: 103.69 (100.63)

• Time of Possession: 14.2 seconds (14.7)

Lineup of the Week (min. 10 minutes)

Kendrick Nunn, Duncan Robinson, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Meyers Leonard

• Minutes: 33

• Offensive Rating: 105.5

• Defensive Rating: 71.2

• Net Rating: plus-34.3

• True-Shooting Percentage: 59.8

• Pace: 105.44

The Big Number: 24

When the Heat finally — I cannot emphasize the word “finally” enough — landed Jimmy Butler, the first on-court thought revolved around what he could bring to a sputtering Heat offense. The pick-and-roll playmaking. His slashing ability. The sweet, sweet, free throws he could generate — and make!

A close second, however, would be his defensive fit with the Heat’s prized pupils, Bam Adebayo and Justise Winslow. In theory, having those three on the floor would practically guarantee an elite defensive group. That level of athleticism and aggressiveness would be tough for enemy offenses to deal with, no matter the scheme at hand.

Due to injuries and a baby, we haven’t seen this group much. They’ve played just 24 minutes together this season, with 11 of those coming this past week. In those 24 minutes, opponents have scored just 93.9 points per 100 possessions.
The offensive fit is a bit clunky (97.9 points per 100 possessions), though you can attribute that to Winslow and Butler trying to figure things out. It’s way too early to hit the panic button on that front, but it’s something to monitor whenever Winslow returns.

Weekly Trends

1. Bam Adebayo is taking a leap

I’m not sure anyone could’ve predicted this start.

We’ll kick things off with the easy numbers: 12.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.6 blocks.

Nobody in the league meets all five of those benchmarks. If you drop the search to 12-9-4-1-1, you get to add Giannis Antetokounmpo and Karl-Anthony Towns to the list. That’s it.

The rebounding issue hasn’t been an issue in the way you’d think. The Heat are ending possessions at a higher rate (74.7 defensive rebound rate) with Adebayo on the floor than when he’s off (73.5), but they’re doing a much better job on the offensive glass without him (31.4 vs. 24.0).

Adebayo has looked to stretch his game some. The results have been predictably mixed. He’s starting to go to his face-up game more, finally utilizing his rare blend of ball-handling and strength.

 

 

Most bigs just don’t have the lateral quickness to hang with Adebayo. As a result, he’s getting to the line more than ever. His 7.4 free throw attempts are easily a career-high and rank in the top 10 of the NBA. Of course, it would be helpful if he wasn’t converting freebies at the worst clip of his career (59.7 percent, career 71.0 percent).

With more touches, we’ve been treated to more passing flashes. Adebayo isn’t just a good passer for a big; he’s a good passer, period. The Heat have empowered him in more high elbow sets (more on that later) and he’s delivered with some absolute dots.

This level of exploration comes with slight downsides. Adebayo is taking a much larger share of non-rim paint shots than he ever has. His turnovers have predictably spiked. He still leaves a bit to be desired as a post threat against switches, though you hope that comes with more reps.

You take those speed bumps with the production Adebayo is already giving you. That’s before you get into what he’s giving you defensively. He’s been all over the place, folks.

 

Adebayo has defended post brutes like Karl-Anthony Towns and Nikola Jokic. He’s spent time taking shoulder charges from Giannis. Guards have tried — and mostly failed — to attack him on switches. There isn’t a soul that Adebayo is afraid to defend on an island, and he’s been darn good at the rim so far.

There’s legitimate All-Defensive potential here if he stays healthy.

What do you get when you combine versatile offensive production with All-World defense?

A darned good player *almost* as good as Ekpe Udoh.

 

2. Goran Dragic, off the cuff

To say that Dragic has settled into the sixth man role would be a bit of an understatement. His 16.7 points are good for second on the Heat, and rank 5th in the NBA among players with at least five bench appearances.

The move was honestly a bit overdue, but that’s unimportant. Dragic is killing opposing second units with elbow-hurling drives and a new-and-improved off-the-bounce game. Through nine games, Dragic is shooting 50 percent (18-of-36) on shots off the dribble, placing him in the 97th percentile via Synergy. He’s transitioning from ball-handler to shooter quicker than he ever has, which has put defenders in uncomfortable positions.

This is a counter that Dragic has quietly been adding over the past couple of seasons. With more defenders ducking under screens in pick-and-roll, he started using his screener as a wall to load up for rhythm threes. Now, he’s shimmying without help. It’s the kind of weapon that will force defenders to fight over; fighting over should give Dragic more advantage situations to work with.
Good for him.
3. Rocking with the rookies
There are nine rookies currently averaging double-digit points. Not only do the Heat have the number two (Kendrick Nunn, 16.6) and number seven (Tyler Herro, 13.1) guys on the list, they’re the only players with a positive net rating.
In short, the primary rooks are punching well above their weight right now. At his best, Nunn has looked like a dynamic pick-and-roll scorer with the ability to disrupt sets at the point of attack on the other end. At Herro’s best, he’s been a shot-making, board-crashing, Devin-Booker-pocket-picking ball of fun.
Whew.
There are negatives of course. Opposing guards have started back-cutting Nunn since they’ve caught on to him jumping routes. He also has a pretty extreme case of tunnel vision; we’ll just have to see how much that improves moving forward.
Herro has predictably struggled against length, particularly at the basket. Via Synergy, he’s shot just 5-of-12 at the rim, and has relied heavily on his floater in the intermediate area. Having the floater in his bag is objectively a good thing. He’s knocked down five of his seven attempts. Having the floater be the only source of success as a driver is where things get murky.
Overall, it’s hard not to be pleased with what those two have provided so far.

Set Play of the Week

HORNS Slice
As mentioned earlier, the Heat have given Adebayo more elbow touches. Most of those have come out of their HORNS alignment. For those unfamiliar, that consists of a ball-handler up top, typically two bigs stationed at each elbow, and the other two players slotted in each corner.
The Heat have been running a quick hitter out of HORNS dubbed “HORNS Slice”, which is designed to get a cutter downhill. Of course, getting a cutter downhill means next to nothing if the ball can’t be delivered in a timely manner.
That’s where Adebayo comes in.
The original plan here is to get Nunn on a cut. However, Butler quickly recognizes that the Nuggets are switching, so he improvs. Instead of setting the screen for Nunn, Butler slips and pins the smaller Jamal Murray on his hip. Adebayo does a great job of feeding Butler on time, and Butler converts a mostly unbothered lay-up.
Easy money.

Wise Man, Dumb Decisions: Developing The G League

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James Wiseman is one of the most intriguing and versatile big man prospects to be recruited since Anthony Davis. But none of that will matter, because this happened:

Just like that, after just one game, a promising college career has been cut short, all because NBA legend-turned-Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway helped Wiseman move to the Memphis area ahead of his hiring.

This is the NCAA, folks.

Personally, I’m sick and tired of seeing players punished because they were given a helping hand en route to their success.

It’s time for a change.

It’s time for the NBA G League to become North American basketball’s official farm league—for journeymen and undrafted prospects alike.

Much has been discussed about lowering and raising the draft eligibility age. Do high schoolers have the right to play in the NBA?

Should they? Should we demand players have more seasoning before entering the league? Is that the responsibility of the player or the drafting team?

What if we decided to fix the NBA Draft process once and for all?

Here are two things, I believe, that should take place first:

  1. The G League officially expands to 30-32 teams in order to accommodate either the NBA’s current makeup or the league’s final expansion—hopefully Seattle and either Las Vegas or Louisville. Each team has an official minor league affiliate.
  2. Now a fully-fledged minor league, the G League opens its doors to players that would, under the NBA’s current draft eligibility rules, be formally ineligible for the NBA Draft.

In this scenario, franchises would be able to draft, then sign a high school-aged (no younger than 17) prospect to the maximum-allowed G League deal, where the prospect (if not eligible right away) will be able to play with the team’s minor league affiliate in order to develop and season until they are able to seamlessly transition into the NBA.

In other words, athletes would be able to choose between playing amateur ball at a certain college on scholarship and playing for a G League at a certain scaled undrafted prospect salary.

As a side-note, let’s assume here that by this point, G League salaries are considerably more lucrative than they currently are (an inevitability with the continued growth of the NBA), so G League players, while not necessarily living in NBA (or WNBA)-styled max-level penthouses, aren’t exactly steeped in poverty either.

This would mean that a talented prospect like RJ Hampton wouldn’t have to move to Australia to play basketball and be paid for his services, nor would someone like Darius Bazley have to take a year off from basketball just to make money.

Players like James Wiseman (or even Zion Williamson last season) would be creating a buzz all around the G League, bringing more fans into areas not normally visited by major franchises.

Under this plan, a prospect’s draft rights could be moved around the league (like any unsigned draft pick’s rights) via trade throughout the G League, but only if traded to another NBA team.

What are the benefits of this idea?

Prospects are able to develop in an NBA-ready environment without being exploited by an already engorged and prohibitively expensive college system here in the United States.

Prospects are taught how to be professionals in an expanded version of the Rookie Transition Program. Prospects are also able to develop under the watchful eye of the franchises that initially drafted them, until they are ready to contribute at a high level.

As a result, players aren’t forced to subject themselves to an outdated collegiate athletic system that only aims to enrich itself, and can instead focus on the very craft to which they’ve consciously dedicated their lives. Think of development squads under international soccer clubs.

I would imagine that this balanced approach might be able to appease both sides of the debate, while growing the league on both ends.

Interest in G League franchises will spike exponentially, and the NBA’s footprint in non-NBA markets will continue to grow with increased attention now dedicated to exciting new talents.

G League markets will be able to get an exclusive glimpse at the NBA’s future prodigies, and parts of the country too far away from NBA venues will be able to fall in love with the game of basketball all over again with competitive play.

Either way, it’s time for the NCAA to stop profiting off the talents of hundreds of talented young athletes.

More on this as it develops…

—

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Boca Raton, Ricky J. Marc is an alumnus of the Obama White House and Cornell Paris Institute, a former Legislative Aide with both the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate, and a graduate of St. Thomas University with a Juris Doctor and Master of Science in Sports Administration.

He currently resides in Paris, France. Follow him on Twitter @RickyJMarc.

Five Reasons, Five Deals: Who’s Moving?

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This has been quite the offseason, hasn’t it?

We saw Zion Williamson go #1 overall to the New Orleans Pelicans, an injured Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving spurn the New York Knicks for the upstart Brooklyn Nets, reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and Paul George team up with the Los Angeles Clippers, Russell Westbrook depart the Oklahoma City Thunder to reunite with James Harden in Houston, and Team USA finish a disappointing seventh-place at the FIBA World Cup of Basketball.

And then came Jimmy.

Has the dust settled yet? Probably not.

We are now one month into the season, regular season or otherwise. Even with all of the movement and turmoil, we would be remiss if we didn’t take into consideration the possibility that we might still see some eyebrow-raising deals get done this season that, quite frankly, should happen for the sake of the players involved.

With that in mind, here are five transactions worth expecting at some point this season.

 

Beantown Love

When Kevin Love first arrived in Cleveland, it was essentially to serve as the Cavaliers’ counterpart to the Miami HEAT’s Chris Bosh for a returning LeBron James. This was something that definitely wasn’t smooth sailing at first, and that is something Love himself would admit to.

However, the acquisition ultimately paid off at the best possible time: Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, when he was successfully tasked with preventing the unanimously-selected 2016 NBA MVP Steph Curry from sinking a game-tying three, resulting in the city of Cleveland celebrating its first sports championship in more than five decades.

But that was then, and this is now. Three years later, that championship Cavs team is no more, LeBron James has since sought greener pastures in Los Angeles with the Lakers, and Kevin Love now finds himself surrounded by a rebuilding roster of prospects and D-League acquisitions.

Now 31 years old, Love’s days of championship contention, if he remains in Cleveland, are more than likely done for good. For an All-Star caliber player like Love to spend his twilight years on a perennial lottery team would be a waste, and it’s obvious that he still has much more to give.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jDXfMFEJ0g

Why Boston? For starters, Love has been linked with the Celtics dating back to his days with the Minnesota Timberwolves. A deal involving the perennial All-Star’s move to Beantown would allow him to compete at a high level on one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams for the foreseeable future, while serving as a formidable running mate for the likes of Kemba Walker and the improving wing Jayson Tatum.

Though they lost Kyrie Irving and Al Horford this past summer, there are worse things in the world than replacing them with a more teammate-friendly Walker, Love, and continued growth from Tatum.

Lastly, the Gordon Hayward signing has been a failure for Boston, and that’s no one’s fault but circumstance. Hayward, after signing with the Celtics in the summer of 2017, fractured his tibia on Opening Night against the Cavs, and hasn’t been the same player since.

Combine that with the development of Tatum and Jaylen Brown in his absence, along with the continued play of Marcus Smart, and it’s clear that there’s no real place for him anymore in the rotation.

A deal centered around Kevin Love and Gordon Hayward makes sense for both sides, as the Cavs would receive a veteran swingman to aid with the development of their own wings.

 

Denver: Making A Beal

For those of you that have subscribed to episodes of the Five On The Floor podcast in the last few months, you’re likely well-aware of all the hoopla surrounding Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal and recent reports concerning an extension with his home team. No, he’s not coming to Miami. Womp womp.

Let’s not sugarcoat it—with backcourt mate John Wall not scheduled to return to competitive basketball for another year and Beal currently entering the prime of his career, the Wizards don’t look to be an ideal situation for an All-Star guard of Beal’s caliber to compete at the highest level.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgM0doVU_5A

Why Denver? Without question, the Denver Nuggets look to be a team on the rise right now, revolving around the likes of All-Star center Nikola Jokić and a collection of talented wings. In order to acquire Beal, it will likely take one or more of those wings (plus filler and picks) to satisfy the Wizards’ need to facilitate their continued rebuild.

This is a situation that, we believe, can be as fluid as the sides are willing to let it, so long as Beal makes his desire clear and the front office is willing to work with him. Combining Beal with Jokić and Denver’s remaining depth could immediately transform them into a serious contender in the Western Conference.

 

Di-On The Move: A Motor City Malcontent

Dion Waiters’ days are numbered in Miami.

Beyond a two-month period in 2017 when Waiters had HEAT fans thinking of another clutch shooting guard as the team went on that now-infamous 30-11 run in the second half of the season, Waiters’ HEAT career has been a disappointment, marred by poor shot selection, a debilitating ankle injury, “Dion Weighters” memes, and sulking at the end of the bench over his perceived role in the offense.

Combine this with the apparent emergence of rookies Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn, as well as the arrival of Jimmy Butler, continued steady play of Goran Dragić, and Justise Winslow’s establishment as the team’s point guard of the future, and it’s clear that Waiters’ time is up with this team.

Why Detroit? From what we’ve seen, Miami’s tried to move Waiters for quite some time now, with no takers. This is no surprise, especially considering the glut of talented or developing guards on many rosters throughout the league. Detroit, however, may become the first, especially after losing starting point guard Reggie Jackson to a back injury this past week. Now is not a good time to lose guard play.

Detroit, a team that has been built to not only qualify, but compete in the postseason, cannot afford to let this injury set them back in an Eastern Conference that could realistically send you to the lottery as early as December (ask the 2016-17 Miami HEAT and the tanking debate that happened then).

 

OK-CP3: The Point God Stands Pat

Yes. That’s not a typo. We don’t expect Chris Paul to wear another uniform besides his current one this season.

This was the man whose supermax contract (one he helped engineer) made the Russell Westbrook-to-Houston trade possible, traded to Oklahoma City where he played half of a season as a member of the then-New Orleans Hornets in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. His return there is almost poetic.

Why Oklahoma City? Before we condemn CP3 to a life sentence in Basketball Siberia, let’s take a good look at the roster that the Point God-not-named-Justise has been tasked with leading this season. No, seriously, let’s look at it.

PG: Chris Paul – Dennis Schröder

SG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Hamidou Diallo
SF: Terrence Ferguson – Darius Bazley
PF: Danilo Gallinari – Mike Muscala
C: Steven Adams – Nerlens Noel

At the time of this article, the Thunder are 2-4 after six games. Do we expect some sort of barn-burning run by the Thunder this season? That would depend on CP3’s health and his ability to elevate the level of play of the others around him. Players like Adams, Ferguson, Gallo, SGA, and even the young Bazley could really become something cohesive enough to emulate what the Clippers were able to accomplish last season.

Are we the only ones that are interested in seeing what CP3 could do for Shai, Ferguson, Gallo, and Adams over the course of the season?

It’s still early, but this situation in OKC is worth monitoring.

 

A Crossover Melodrama: Who Signs First?

Carmelo Anthony’s post-Rockets free agency saga is well-documented, so there’s no need to rehash it here. Jamal Crawford’s, however, is a bit more peculiar.

Granted, Crawford, unlike Anthony, has, alongside Lou Williams, revolutionized the Sixth Man role in the NBA, doing much of his damage from the bench. Crawford has started one (yes, one) game in the last three seasons and a total of 34 out of 438 games in the last five, having last played for the Phoenix Suns.

He’s also 39 years old. Most players don’t last past age 35 in the NBA. Vince Carter, currently aged 42 and in his final season with the Atlanta Hawks, will turn 43 next January.

Could it be that his age is scaring teams off? We suspect that it has more to do with perceived talent than age at this point. If Crawford can’t play, he can’t play.

But he came off the bench last season and averaged 7.9 points and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 39.7% from the field and 84.5% from the free throw line.

Oh, and this happened:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze2tDw4WVZo

Yes, your eyes didn’t deceive you. A 39-year old Crawford really dropped 51 points on the Dallas Mavericks last season. On a recent episode of NBA Hang Time with Sekou Smith, Crawford stated that he’s still ready and willing to contribute to a team that is willing to utilize his services.

While we’re not as optimistic about Anthony’s chances, we believe that Crawford will likely sign onto a team during the latter stretch of the regular season, a likely contending team seeking veteran bench help after the Trade Deadline and All-Star Break. We believe that will surely take place, as it’s hard to pass up Jamal Crawford’s abilities for too long. Even if it could be his final season.

Look out for teams like Milwaukee, Los Angeles (Lakers), Detroit, Houston, Toronto, Dallas, Portland, and perhaps even Denver if our aforementioned Beal deal goes down.

Ultimately, we never truly know what will happen in terms of major transactions this season, but we believe that these five instances are worth looking out for; in the event that they do happen, don’t forget where you heard it first.

Stay tuned for future episodes of Five On The Floor.

—

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Boca Raton, Ricky J. Marc is an alumnus of the Obama White House and Cornell Paris Institute, a former Legislative Aide with both the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate, and a graduate of St. Thomas University with a Juris Doctor and Master of Science in Sports Administration.

He currently resides in Paris, France. Follow him on Twitter @RickyJMarc.

Guts Check: Head over Heels for Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler

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Welcome back to Guts Check. 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 an expression of the soul of the Heat fan base. In the name of Trusting the Spocess, let’s call these weekly columns position-less.

Since we last touched base:

  • Heat beat the Hawks 112-97 & 106-97 in a home and home series.
  • Dominated the Houston Rockets from start to finish in a 129-100 route on Sunday.

Let’s review a few of my key takeaways from the undefeated week of Heat basketball that was.

Jimmy Butler: The Human Embodiment of Heat Culture

“The group of guys we have is the group of guys I want to play with.”

That was one of many quotes from the recent interview with Yahoo’s Chris Haynes.

Jimmy Butler has Heat fans ready to run through brick walls for him at this point.

I would argue that no player in Heat history has arrived on the scene in Miami and become as endeared by (and connected to) the fan base as Jimmy. Not Alonzo, not Timmie, not even Dwyane or Lebron James. Shaquille O’Neal was endeared by all, but for far different reasons.

Jimmy resonates with this fan base because he brings to life the things even the most cynical of Heat Culture critics tend to scoff at. The doubters who scoffed, have largely been left to praise. Butler reinforces so much of what the organization has built its reputation on. He talks and walks the Miami Heat way. Pat Riley has found his next Alonzo Mourning.

Whether it be winning that introductory press conference alongside Riles, to posting 3AM workout videos with Heat rookie sensation Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler has been incredibly vested to the success of the team since day one. Fans notice the way Butler goes out of his way to prop up the young players he is surrounded by. He chose this group, because they approach the game the same way he does.

Speaking of Herro, Heat fans wanted as many reasons to embrace the Bucket Bros as they could find. Being co-signed by Butler was the icing on the cake that allowed fans to fall firmly in love.

 

This all goes back to one thing. Jimmy Butler has all the guts. He is exactly who this organization needed. His arrival was perfect timing for both player and team.

Heat fans were desperate for a star, literally any star, to come to Miami and remind them this organization mattered. Not only did they get a star, they got one who is reminding the NBA that the Heat matter, but especially in all the ways the Heat view as most important.

Erik Spoelstra appears rejuvenated, and we can understand why.

Coach Spo looks like a man who has had a 235 lb. weight lifted off his shoulders. He just has a different look in his eyes when he talks about this group. He likes this team and all its elements. (well, almost all of them)

As we watched the team this week, we saw multiple players put in position for major contributions. Spoelstra finally has a roster that fits the way he wants to play, and it shows in the way Spoelstra has been able to mix and match lineups and tinker on the fly as he finds combinations he likes best.

Although they all feel like they involve Bam & Jimmy don’t they?

The Heat’s potent bench depth is surely going to be a needed boost on Western Conference road trips against high powered offenses, such as the one that starts in Denver tonight and ends in Los Angeles against Lebron’s Lakers on Friday.

Spoelstra having the ability to go full “mad scientist” on the rest of the league with 3 or 4 cyborgs on the court at all times is a distinct advantage he was not awarded in recent seasons.

Most of all though, Spo looks reinvigorated and rejuvenated. In my opinion, it has a lot to do with who has relocated.

Quick Hits:

  • The Heat continue to quietly communicate that Dion Waiters is available via trade. The Detroit Pistons, who have a further depleted back court with the injury to Reggie Jackson, is a team that continues to be mentioned according to a source. The Charlotte Hornets are also a team to watch as a willing trade partner it if means securing an asset.
  • Marvin Williams and Jae Crowder, both players the organization has shown interest in previously, are potential targets that could entice the Heat to eventually package an asset (such as Derrick Jones Jr.) with Dion Waiters to find the shooting guard a new home. Such a trade would likely need to involve a third team, and the Heat prefers not to surrender any asset in such a move at this time according to a source. The reemergence of James Johnson would also cool off any interest in Williams or Crowder for the time being.
  • Although the Heat remain open minded to all trade scenarios, the team is by no means actively pursuing any major trades at this point, according to a league source. The team, as expected, is pleased with its 5-1 start and prefers to be patient. Check back in mid December, when more than half the league will become available via trade due to free agent restrictions that lift on 12/15, as that seems to be a more realistic reevaluation date for trade options.

 

Player development key to Manny Diaz tenure in Miami

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The Miami Hurricanes are coming off a high after two straight impressive road wins at Pittsburgh and Florida State. They have already impressed before when they defeated ranked Virginia but that came before the Georgia Tech loss.

“We’d be very foolish, given some of our past performances, to think we’ve got everything figured out,” Miami head coach Manny Diaz said during his weekly press conference on Monday. “We know hard work and attention to detail give us a chance to win.”

The defense took a hit after safely Bubba Bolden’s injury removed him from the remainder of the season. He intercepted a pass in Miami’s 27-10 win against Florida State and fellow safety Gurvan Hall leaped in celebration and crashed into him, causing him to landed awkwardly and suffer an apparent ankle injury.

“Unfortunately, he’ll be out for the season, which is tough on our defense because he was really, really starting to play at a very high level,” Diaz said. “We’ll have to do what we always do. We’ll rely on the depth we have at the safety position and move on.”

Part of that depth includes veteran safety Rob Knowles, who has already played a vital role to the defense. Diaz considered the senior safety as “a testament to player development.” 

“Rob Knowles is so important to our football team,” Diaz said. “I don’t know where we’d be without him. I don’t know how many wins we’d have without him.”

Player development has been the theme of the press conference, something that may seem like a lost art in college football when players who are recruited to be starters lose their time and transfer somewhere else in search of that opportunity. 

He’s the guy right now in college football that’s not sticking and staying,” Diaz said. “He’s the guy that doesn’t look player development in the eye that wants to leave and wants to go someplace else because of the assumption that it will be easier somewhere else.”

Diaz said Knowles is more athletic that he’s ever been and other players have followed suit. To him, recruiting is half the battle, development is the more crucial half.

“Not all players walk on to campus ready to play from Day 1,” Diaz said, “but it’s our jobs as coaches to get them to be the best versions of themselves that they can be.

Another example is redshirt freshman defensive end Greg Rousseau, who won ACC defensive lineman of the week after posting a career-high four sacks, a career-high five tackles for loss and a career-high eight tackles against Florida State.

“Greg’s a guy that didn’t know a whole lot about playing defensive end when he came here,” Diaz said. “And obviously he had to spend some time being hurt, so getting a guy like that to transform his body. The way he looks now is not the way he looked when he was dropped off on our campus 18 months ago.”

Junior running back DeeJay Dallas rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown along with 44 receiving yards against Florida State. Surprisingly enough, being Miami’s featured back wasn’t the original plan when he came to campus. He was a high school quarterback when he committed to Miami.

“You always try to find ways to get these guys to maximize their potential and thats one of the things we take as much pride on as a coach,” Diaz said. “Coaches a lot of times like to beat their chest about this one was a first rounder, this guy was a first rounder. Sometimes getting that guy that became an undrafted free agent that was not gonna be that, one of the most awesome stories in the last three-four years was Adrian Colbert. He’s still in the National Football League and was left basically out of football at Texas and came here and had a great 2016. As coaches you just love advancing those guys, just getting them to be the best they can be, whatever’s out there for them. That’s as much of a success story as a guy that becomes a first rounder.”

The Hurricanes will be closing out the home slate of the season on Saturday with a Louisville team that is coming out of a bye week. It will be both their homecoming and senior day.

“We play a very dangerous Louisville team that had a week off to do nothing but think about the Miami Hurricanes,” Diaz said.