Time Will Test Heat Front Court

October 27, 2010

As expected, the Miami Heat's first loss brought a hailstorm of criticism, most premature but some valid. On the side of knee-jerk reactions we heard chants of "overrated" at Boston, analysis comparing Miami to Cleveland in the Lebron era and even calls to fire Erik Spoelstra by livid fans. Making statements like that can be compared to criticizing a baby's future the second it emerges from the womb. Not only is it unfair, it's downright irrational.

However, we did see some signs of concern that have valid support behind them, such as statements on the team's lack of readiness and cohesion. But with time those concerns can easily diminish. What may be of most concern was the exploitation of Miami's front court versus big bodies on an elite team; a team Miami will likely have to defeat in order to reach the Finals.

The Heat front court combined for only 19 points on offense but managed to secure 29 rebounds, 11 of which were offensive. The pressing issue here is their ability to defend teams stacked with big men, such as the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic and Celtics. Tuesday night, Miami allowed the Celtics to score 38 points in the paint - almost half of Boston's total point count.

Joel Anthony has a gifted shot-blocking ability but is greatly over sized, has poor hands (e.g. he mishandles a lot of passes and loose balls) and lacks an offensive game. Udonis Halsem is a much better overall player than Anthony, but also is undersized against many power forwards and centers. Then comes Zydrunas Ilgauskus, who is lengthy and presents a mid-range threat yet lacks considerable mobility and gets into foul trouble easily. As for Jamaal Magloire and Juwan Howard, they provide big bodies off the bench with limited offensive contribution.

Chris Bosh is Miami's most talented front court player, but he alone cannot guard the largest big men in the league, like Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, etc. Bosh's frame is not built for inside presence, rather all-around finesse.

Thus, we are presented with a potential problem in Heat front court.

Can we just wait and see how the team minimizes this weakness? Sure we can. It's still a fledgling season and Miami could game plan in a variety of ways around this issue. However, what should be done in the case the front court continues to be exploited? There are many ways to tackle that as well.

An in-house solution would be to develop rookie center Dexter Pittman on a fast track to contributing this season. Pittman holds the greatest potential on Miami's roster, and if the Heat can tap into that potential they will have a solid, large bodied athlete to match their system.

Other options include signing or trading for someone mid-season. Eric Dampier is still a free agent and there are bound to be other centers available on the trading block throughout the season. Whatever the case may be, Miami would be looking for a seven-footer with some offensive skills and decent defensive capabilities.

Much Needed Loss for Heat?

October 27, 2010

Nine points in the first quarter. Thirty points at the half. Seventeen turnovers to end the game.

Given those statistics you could only believe a team was blown out by their opponent. But the Miami Heat overcame a 19-point deficit and came within three points during Tuesday night's game at Boston, nonetheless in a losing effort.

What we saw was a Heat team lacking in offensive identity and overall continuity. However, we also saw a Heat team with resilience and resolve despite those struggles.

The point: This team learned plenty about themselves in their first loss and will only improve as the season progresses.

Had Miami won that game, it would have made their atrocious play early on "acceptable" - hidden behind the glory of a season-opening victory. Instead, Miami now has to own up to their mistakes and understand that lackluster efforts have game-changing consequences. Otherwise, carelessness will be ignored as long as wins keep racking up.

Entering Philadelphia, the Heat will already have the experience of what true hostility is like under their belt. Rattled, roughed up and pressured by a staunch Celtics team, Miami earned a much needed wake up call to begin the regular season. Expect them to counter with a stronger performance from the onset and a greater will to win.

* * *

Big Three Stats

• Dwyane Wade: 13 points (4-16), 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 6 turnovers
• Chris Bosh: 8 points (3-11), 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block
• LeBron James: 31 points (10-21), 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 8 turnovers
• Combined Turnovers: 15

Notable Contributors

• Udonis Haslem: 8 points (3-7), 11 rebounds and 1 block
• Eddie House: 8 points (3-8), 2 assists and 1 steal

Heat Roster Finally Set

October 25, 2010

Courtesy of Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel

The Miami Heat reached the NBA's 15-player roster limit Monday, by releasing rookie guards Patrick Beverley and Da'Sean Butler.

The cuts mean the final roster will include centers Joel Anthony, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Jamaal Magloire and Dexter Pittman, power forwards Chris Bosh, Udonis Haslem and Juwan Howard, small forwards LeBron James, James Jones and Mike Miller, shooting guards Dwyane Wade, Jerry Stackhouse and Eddie House and point guards Mario Chalmers and Carlos Arroyo.

Beverly and Butler are eligible to sign with any team, with the heat no longer holding their rights. Each received a sizeable guarantee for each of the next two seasons.

As a result Mike Miller's freak thumb injury, the Heat went ahead and signed Jerry Stackhouse to add more veteran depth to the roster. What that did was eliminate another spot for a young player to make the 15-man cut, hence Beverly and Butler's departures. It would have been interesting to see which of the two would have earned a spot had Stackhouse not been signed, as it would reveal who Miami believes is more NBA ready.

Miami now enters the NBA regular season with a total of seven returning players and only two returning starters from their lineup last season. Despite this massive roster overhaul, the team managed to be voted most likely to win the NBA title by Las Vegas oddsmakers in the preseason rankings.

Tuesday night the Heat will kickoff their season at Boston versus the Celtics in an NBA season-opener, which will be televised on TNT at 7:30 PM EST.

Beyond Miami's Triumvirate

October 21, 2010

We know more than enough about the Miami Heat's newly-formed triumvirate and what they are expected to contribute in a Heat uniform. In the most simplistic terms, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James will take the brunt of scoring and play-making responsibilities, while Chris Bosh brings versatility at the power forward position. But what about their supporting cast? What are the team's role players expected to do en route to a championship season?

With the spotlight on Wade, James and Bosh there will be less attention paid to the Heat's remaining roster. However, their duties are no less important to Miami's goal of winning a title. In every championship team there are players that step up behind their stars and make a difference whether it's in a game, series or season. When Miami began constructing the roster around their three centerpieces they specifically sought players of this caliber. Let's take a deeper look at those players and their roles:


Name: Udonis Haslem
Role: Do the Dirty Work

In what will be his second consecutive season coming off the bench, Haslem will be challenged with being the leader of Miami's second unit. The Miami native has established his hometown reputation as a hustle-minded, hard worker on the the court. That is, he is man scoring put-back points, securing difficult rebounds over taller opponents, diving for loose balls and - most notably - taking tough charges. These are some of the efforts that define Haslem's identity and have elevated to a state of high praise by fans.

This season Miami will need the hard court warrior to step up once again. Stats will not matter as much as intangibles will with Haslem. He may not average a double-double every night (although he is definitely capable of doing so with ample minutes), but he will bring toughness and stability in crucial points of games. These are elements that differentiate a good team from a great team, and Haslem makes the Heat that much better. To prove his worth even more, Haslem made it a point to say he will give every effort to make teammate Chris Bosh a better player. Don't forget that he took less money to stay in South Florida and is highly motivated to play with his revamped squad.

Names: Mike Miller, James Jones and Eddie House
Role: Be Offensive Spark Plugs

They'll have all day to shoot, that's almost a foregone conclusion. It will be up to them to drain those shots, stretch the court and boost Miami's offense. Each of these three guys can change the outlook of a game any given night with their gifted stroke and natural knack to score.

Miller is the most versatile of the group with slightly better passing and defending skills than Jones and House. He's getting paid $30 million of five years to be more than just a shooter. Miller will likely get the most playing time alongside Wade, James and/or Bosh and should benefit the most from open shot opportunities. As a result, he will hold the greatest burden to produce and add the greatest impact on a regular basis. However, the pressure Miller faces will not be much greater than what he experiences in practice, going against number three or number six constantly.

As for Jones and House, they will just need to put the ball in the basket for the most part. Both have the ability to catch fire and spark the Heat off the bench, and will be expected to do so on occasion. Their minutes will be restricted, but nonetheless they will still be tasked with keeping Miami in the lead or within striking distance while the Heat stars rest. Look out for House to be a major impact player once Miami reaches the playoffs (which is as safe an assumption as predicting the sun will rise tomorrow morning) just as he was with the Boston Celtics last season, taking over a game or two with offensively explosive performances.

Name: Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Role: Be a Versatile Big Man

Big Z has never been known as a dominant, powerful center in the league. Never. But he's never had to in order to be successful. Ilgauskas' immense height and solid mid-range jumper has made him a versatile big man and forced opponents to change up defensive schemes. In Miami, that's the same role he will play.
 
Bringing the chemistry he formed with LeBron in Cleveland, Big Z's transition to Miami should be seamless. Alongside Chris Bosh, Z can effectively contribute in what could become an unconventional Heat front court. That is, both will be able to shoot mid-range jumpers as well as cover significant ground on defense. The ultimate task for Z will be using his height and length to match-up versus the larger centers in the league. While shutdown defense isn't expected from him, Miami's disruptive defensive schemes will help Big Z face the league's most dominant big men. 

Other Notable Role Players

• Mario Chalmers - Role: Distribute the Ball & Force Turnovers
  
• Carlos Arroyo - Role: Manage the Offense off Bench & Make Sound Decisions
• Juwan Howard & Jamaal Magloire - Role: Use Big Bodies & Mentor Team
• Joel Anthony - Role: Contest Shots & Get Blocks

Miami is Hungry

October 18, 2010

Submitted By: Gabriel Marquez

A lot of things happened way back in 1993: Cheers' production ended, Pablo Escobar was killed, Michael Jordan retired and - most relevant to us - Bill Parcells was hired as the head coach of our rival New England Patriots. During Parcells' stint as the Patriots head coach he had a modest 32-32 record and led them to a Super Bowl in 1996, in which they lost to the Green Bay Packers. Shortly after, he decided to leave New England behind the statement "If they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries." This referred to the fact that he, as a head coach, was expected to win games but was limited in the player and personnel decision-making process. It was a luxury that he was granted here in Miami. Minus the actual coaching duties.

That leads me to this, Parcells was allowed to do all the grocery shopping here in Miami for three years and did pretty decent (but not amazing) in my humble opinion. I feel he missed out on some great skill players that were traded for chump change to division rivals (Santonio Holmes, Antonio Cromartie), missed on some players in the draft and drafted some poor picks (Earl Thomas, Philip Merling), got rid of some players he shouldn't have (Zack Thomas, Jason Taylor--twice) and missed on some free agents as well (Antrel Rolle, Ryan Clark), but I digress. The purpose of this article really isn't to bash the hard work, research and talent evaluation skills that Parcells is known for, after all he turned the team from a joke to a division winner over one offseason. The purpose is to discuss his departure from the role.

Parcells resigning in the fashion he did before the season opener truly raised some eyebrows. It seemed like he didn't approve of the direction in which the team was moving and decided to wipe his hands of the mess. He downgraded his role from Executive Vice President of Football Operations to just a consultant now. Jeff Ireland will now assume the real role of NFL General Manager. Hopefully he's not as selective as his predecessor was when it comes to grocery shopping and adding players that can truly benefit our team.

The grocery needs can be viewed in several different ways depending what you fancy, but in my opinion the Fins should be shopping for a few things. They are as follows:

Tight End

First, I'd love to see us have a Tight End who is an actual threat and not afraid of contact. Anthony Fasano isn't bad, but he just isn't someone defenders fear or have much trouble bringing down. His hands are decent but he's shown spurts of the "dropsies" and usually comes down after initial contact. Brandon Marshall's presense should eventually open things up for him, but he's just not cut from the cloth of a threatening tight end. Some better blocking from the tight end position would be great too. Ideally, someone like Dallas Clark or Dustin Keller would be a great fit in Miami.

Running Back

Second, I know most people here in Miami are fans of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams who are experienced, smart backs, but I'm just not sold on them as a long-term solution. Ricky is getting long in the tooth and plans on retiring soon while Ronnie has barely been above average and struggles to stay healthy. Problem is both seem like good second running backs in a two-back system. I'd really hope the Fins end up with a scatback-style running back. Someone with serious breakaway speed and can be a big threat on screen plays. Someone who can be the number one running back with Ronnie being the other half of our two-back system. That is if Brown stays with Miami since he's in a contract year. Think of a back molded in the same way as Chris Johnson or Maurice Jones-Drew.

Extra Goodies
There are also a few other areas of concern that might need to be addressed depending how the current players here pan out. Those positions are free safety, cornerback, outside linebacker, and to some extent wide reciever and middle linebacker. Here's why.

Free Safety

As I previously mentioned, we missed out on two free safeties during this past offseason that could have helped out a lot. Instead of those two, we decided to stick with Chris Clemons who was an unproven second year safety out of Clemson. He's been our starting safety this season and has been less than stellar. He's definitely played better than Gibril Wilson did last season, but hasn't forced turnovers and been as aggressive as required by a Mike Nolan-led defense. This past draft we selected Reshad Jones in the 5th round, which was considered a steal by many. His college stats and tape speak for themselves, and I would love to see him play somewhere other than special teams. Plus he packs a hard hit that could fire up our defense and serve as an emotional boost to energize the fans and the team. If Jones doesn't play well enough to be a game-changer or even a starter, I'd like for the Dolphins to upgrade over Chris Clemons in the near future. You see, since Mike Nolan runs a blitz heavy defense, the corners and safeties have to excel in coverage and producing turnovers. I don't know if I can trust Clemons to do those.

Cornerback

This season seems to be going amazing for Vontae Davis. I believe he was a great first round pick and we could see him turn into one of the better corners in the league (and he's only in his second year). But to succeed on defense, you need two good cornerbacks and his counterpart has not been a consistant one this season. During the training camp and preseason, much was expected from Sean Smith, a 6'4" second-year cornerback drafted the same year as Vontae, but instead he lost his starting job to Jason Allen (who was considered a complete letdown 'til now). Allen has played decent and secured three picks thus far, but has played very inconsistantly in between - constantly losing his footing, blowing coverages, and drawing penalties. Will Allen has also been injured a lot and is no longer trusted in Miami. This past draft the Fins selected Nolan Caroll in the fifth round. He looked pretty good during the preseason and I'd like, and expect, to see him play a bit at corner opposite of Vontae at some point soon. Again, this defense a secondary that can provide exceptional coverage, and if we don't have that corner on our roster we should look for one soon. Champ Bailey may be a free agent after this season and might be worth a look, but if Ireland "consults" with Parcells on this one, he probably won't even take a look at him (despite Bailey being a very feared cornerback in this league).

Outside Linebacker

During this past offseason the Dolphins let go of Jason Taylor and Joey Porter. Taylor was a good but older linebacker who was loved by Miami as a player and a person, but was shoved out of town by a younger, stronger, and potential-filled Cameron Wake (who has played outstanding thus far). On the other end, we let go of Porter to bring the unwanted rubbish to an end. He was a locker room cancer and was becoming a less and less affective player each game. This past draft we selected Koa Misi in the second round (Coach Sparano had a close look at him in the Senior Bowl and liked what he saw). Misi has played well but not amazing. I'd like to give him this year to develop under his belt and closely monitor his rookie season. If he doesn't look like he can become a great linebacker, then I'd love to see us upgrade over him quickly as well.

Wide Receiver

Now before everyone freaks out over this, I'm not saying Brandon Marshalls sould be replaced or isn't good enough. On the contrary, he has been great. I feel he can be even better than he was in Denver if we surround him with a better cast. Aside from a better Tight End and Running Back who's a receiving threat it would be good to see another good reciever opposite of Marshall? Now, Davone Bess has been very productive but he is a true slot reciever. Hartline is good as well, but again he's built like a slot reciever. If we had a true number two reciever the defenses would struggle to cover them all. We can find recievers from a lot of different places and hopefully add one soon. Vincent Jackson was available, but the Fins didn't make a move despite the possibilities his presense on the field would present.


Middle Linebacker

Just to get to it quickly, Karlos Dansy has been outstanding and even better than I thought he'd be. Channing Crowder has been, well, absent. He's injured. Again. I don't know if I'm the only one who's getting tired of seeing him injured and inactive. He reminds me some what of Porter because he's a loud mouth (and has actually thrown some teammates under the bus before) that hasn't lived up to his talk. When Crowder has been healthy he's blown coverages and been run over by some RBs in the league. I'd like to see him get healthy and stay that way so we can see how he works out in the new aggressive defense alongside Dansby. I think this should be the year where we decide wether or not Channing is a permenant starting LB for us. If not, I'd like to see us move on. A.J. Edds was drafted this past year but blew out his knee during training camp so it'll have to be atleast another year before we get to see him. I think Crowder is on a put-up-or-shut-up basis this season.

No More Bargain Shopping
I'm a firm believer in the saying "you get what you pay for" and for the most part in football the higher quality players cost more. The mathematics are simple, you pay the better players more, they perform and provide you with their services, and you win games. Simple. I know we have a salary cap and all but we once paid Jake Grove a lot of money and he's no longer on the roster. So if we should research more effectively to eliminate those costly mistakes in order to eliminate "Grove-like" blunders. If you notice, you rarely hear the Colts, Saints, Ravens, Steelers, Patriots, or other playoff winning teams suffer a salary cap blunder or sign a player who completely flopped. They barely even make poor draft choices. Most of them find immediate starters and impact players late in the draft. However, we have failed to do those things (aside from Brian Hartline, really). Also, those teams don't win just because, they do so because they've surrounded their offense and defense with several impact players. They're flooded with pro bowlers. We need to spend more money at the grocery store for better quality goods.

This is the simple economic concept I hope Jeff Ireland will follow. Miami is hungry and it's time for Ireland to deliver the goods.

Dolphins in "Better Win" Situation at Green Bay

October 14, 2010

Let's throw out the fact that the Miami Dolphins have lost two consecutive games (albeit against division rivals) and put things in a bit of perspective. The Dolphins are 2-2, a .500 team, entering Green Bay for a week six road match-up. While it may not be a "must win" situation for Miami, it definitely is turning into a "better win" situation. Here's why:

The Packers' depth chart for Sunday's is steadily becoming less and less formidable due to the spike in injuries to key players. For starters, tight end threat Jermichael Finley sustained a significant knee injury that will keep him sidelined anywhere from three to ten weeks (reports vary wildly). As sad as it may sound, that's good news for Miami as they are notorious for allowing chunk yardage to opposing TEs. And don't count out the injury Green Bay's backup TE Donald Lee had as well. His status is unknown for Sunday, nevertheless the Packers are clearly thin at that position.

More impacting on Sunday's game is the concussion QB Aaron Rodgers received last week. Packers head coach has openly stated the possibility of Rodgers sitting out versus Miami, which would deal a large blow to the team's offensive flow. If that's the case, the Miami defense will face rookie QB Matt Flynn instead. However, Rodgers seems to be recovering and may well get the nod as a game-time decision. The point is that there is uncertainty with Green Bay's offense at the moment. Expect Mike Nolan to capitalize on this instability with the extra time to plan thanks to Miami's bye week.

But when things could not look more grim for the Packers, ESPN's Adam Schefter has reported "pessimism" on LB Clay Matthews chances of playing Sunday. Matthews suffered a hamstring injury versus the Washington Redskins, which was similar (but not as serious) to his preseason ailment. That provides some relief to Chad Henne and the Fins' offense entering a raucous Lambeau Field.

In essence, the Packers could be without three (very) key players versus the Dolphins. And with the running game a weak point in Green Bay's offense as is, the challenge for Miami has become much less difficult.

Is it anymore evident why the Dolphins "better win" this week? Otherwise Miami will face an uphill battle similar to a climb up Mount Everest in the following few games after Green Bay. If you can't beat a depleted Packers team, how can you expect to beat a stout Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens team?

Football Fields Are No Place for Training Wheels

October 13, 2010

Submitted by: Gabriel Marquez

Remember when you first learned to ride a bike and it had those embarrassing pesky training wheels on it with your dad hovering right behind you? Your balance was nonexistent but your imagination was twice your size. Your mind promised you that soon you'd be able to fly down the street with the cool kids that ruled the block (minus the training wheels and dad of course.)

Well, I think sometimes as we grow older we still yearn for those feelings of independence, that excitement of risk, the trial and error lesson plan, the success attained only by trying your hardest and having a short memory when it comes to those scrapes and bruises. We see the cool kids' whiz past us and feel like we can be that cool, but are still equipped the damned training wheels. Usually because our dads say we aren't ready to take them off.

This theory is especially painful to watch when it pertains most to our home team quarterback. Chad Henne, drafted in the second round of the 2008 draft by our beloved Miami Dolphins, has been babied into the league like most of the quarterbacks are nowadays. During his first year he sat, watched, and learned from Chad Pennington who played the older-but-nice brother role to Henne. Henne watched his 'big bro' turn a doomed 1-15 franchise into an 11-5 playoff team within a year. He was a sponge during this season, just watching the kids on their bikes. The following season started off with Miami struggling early before Pennington suffered a familiar season-ending injury. Henne went from watching the kids on the bikes to being forced onto his, with training wheels at least. Not necessarily baptism by fire considering that the Fins were a run-first team with no threats at wide receiver at that point, and no surprise to anyone in the league.

The Other Kids

The problem was that on Henne's block there's a stud named Tom Brady and a new kid named Mark Sanchez. Brady rides past a lot of kids on his bike like Lance Armstrong in the Tour De France. Sanchez and Henne both peddled along with the help of their training wheels, hoping they could look as fluid and cool as Brady and one day win Super Bowl rings like him. The shaky training wheel period lasted a season before 2010 rolled around, where most people thought things would change in Miami (considering that a new weapon named Brandon Marshall was brought into town to help our young gun-slinger). But the season has begun and the training wheels seem to be on just as tight as last year, despite Marshall's presence.



Not so Fast

On the other side of the fence, Mark Sanchez seems to be unrestricted and trusted. He's off to an amazing start and flying right past Henne. He's taking risks, looking sharp, throwing deep, plating confident, consistent, productive and most importantly winning games. He's becoming someone that opposing defenses are afraid of and must gameplan against. Chad Henne on the other hand is still being babied. His arsenal consists mostly of running plays and check down passes, while regularly being substituted for Miami's suddenly ineffective Wildcat package. I can't help but feel that if you just let the guy ride alone and give him a longer leash he can build some confidence and ride with the best of them. He's shown he can win games, he has the arm strength and he can take a beating. But the Fins still decide to continue their run first strategy despite having a young bright quarterback and one of the most feared recievers in the game.

It seems that everyone except the coaching staff in Miami knows that this is a quarterback-driven, passing league. Another point of interest is how every good quarterback, including Mark Sanchez, uses the pump fake often and looks off defenders with his eyes. Chad Henne has gotten into the troubling trend of locking onto his target as soon as he snaps the ball without taking his eyes off the intended receiver. Then he doesn't pump fake to get the defender out of position, leading to a forced pass into tight and risky coverage. With a few tweaks to minor flaws like this, I believe Henne can be an elite quarterback in this league.

The training wheels should be thrown out. Now. Trust the kid and hope that your guidance will keep him out of trouble. He could be a superstar but we won't know if we keep up the baby act. All we can do is keep our fingers crossed and hope that those in charge have a change of heart. The last thing we need is foe Brady and Sanchez stroll by laughing as they pop-a-wheelie over Henne's dream of being the top-tier quarterback he can be. It's time to let the boy play.

What to Make of Heat Pre-Launch

October 7, 2010

The start of the Miami Heat's preseason could have not come at a better time for local sports fans. It was both an escape and change of pace for those DolFans that witnessed Monday night's nationally-televised embarrassment at the hands of the New England Patriots. And the baseball postseason is beginning without our beloved Florida Marlins. Thus, instead of focusing on a team whose immediate future is in limbo, fans have the chance to focus on a star-studded squad with instant championship potential.

Both local and national attention shifted toward the revamped Heat team for what usually is considered a meaningless exhibition game. But this game had more to showcase than just second-unit and bench warming players off the Heat and Detroit Pistons rosters. This game boasted the first glimpses of what the new all-star trio of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh had to offer.

That's the obvious part. So, what was so special about this game beyond the big three?

The fact that Miami won was a non-factor, but the game itself enlightened and forecasted fans on what is to come.

Beyond Wade

Take this into consideration: Wade's early exit with a tweaked hamstring portrayed that the Heat could seamlessly transition into a Wade-less system with ease and fluidity. That's not to say that Miami doesn't need Wade to win a championship, but it is to say that they can fare well in the instance that he misses time. Simply put, the Heat can do fine (at least in a short-term stretch of games) with two all-stars instead of three. Fans will just have to "sacrifice" and settle for only two-thirds of their riches (sense the sarcasm?).

The LeBron We All Know  

On that note, LeBron took the helm of the play-making role in Wade's absence and performed beautifully. In his debut, James revealed all phases of his game to the raucous home crowd. LeBron the passer, LeBron the scorer, LeBron the rebounder and LeBron the defender all emerged in James' 27 minutes of play Tuesday night. Just take a look at his stat sheet: 18 points, three rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal. And that's a modest rendition of his typical all-around game. James averaged 29.7 points, 8.6 assists, 7.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals and one block just last season. At least we know he's not far off from the norm and can expect more of the same this season.

Wide Open Supporting Cast  

With all the attention on James (and to some extent Bosh), the Heat supporting cast truly understood the term "wide open shots." Mario Chalmers, Mike Miller, James Jones and a few other role players benefited from James' presence. Chalmers and Miller scombined for 3-of-7 from three-point range, which is above average but still low considering their circumstances. Whether it was rust or the sheer shock of how open they were that caused Miami's sharp shooters from making more threes, the fact remains that there is only room for improvement. You can only miss so many shots when you have all day and no defender in sight.

Free Business Card Giveaway Contest!

October 7, 2010

We are proud to introduce our first-ever free giveaway courtesy of UPrinting.com! This is a small treat for you, our readers and fans, who dedicate time to visit our site and fuel its existence. UPrinting is providing us with 250 die cut business cards for absolutely no cost, which means it's free to you as well.

And they're not just any plain business cards, you've got a bevy of options to customize the cards to fit your taste (check them out here). Here are the details:

• 250 Die Cut Business Cards for One (1) Winner
• 2 x 3.5”, 2 x 2” (square card) or 1.75 x 3.5” (slim card)
• Die cutting options available: Rounded Corners, Leaf, Rounded One-Corner, Half-Circle Side, Circle
• Paper Type: 14pt Cardstock Gloss, Matte, or High Gloss; 13pt Cardstock Uncoated
• Color: 4Color Front, Blank Back; 4Color Front, Black Back; 4Color Both Sides
• Limited to US residents only 18 years old and above

Now that you know what the prize is, I'm sure you're wondering how you can win it. Well here's the deal:

• Take a picture of yourself styling your favorite sports gear of a South Florida sports team (e.g. Miami Heat, Miami Dolphins, Florida Marlins, Miami Hurricanes, etc.)
• E-mail this photo to info@miamisportsgeneration.com with your name and preferred e-mail address in the body of the e-mail (subject: "Giveaway Photo").
• We will review all entries, choose the "best fan" photo and post the winner some time in November (Exact date TBA). 

If you have any further questions or comments, feel free to e-mail us at the aforementioned address.

Dolphins Fall Behind Wildcat Revolution

October 6, 2010

No longer can we call Miami the home of the Wildcat formation.

Where once the Miami Dolphins innovated the league with their implementation of the Wildcat, now they find themselves trailing behind the league's adopters of their own creation. Two seasons ago Miami unleashed their direct-snap formation at New England, sending the Patriots into a frenzy and the league into confusion. Today, the Dolphins run the same formation with little success against any opponent.

But other teams are finding effective ways to use the formation to their advantage, while Miami lags behind. Peek over at the New York Jets and you'll find Brad Smith running a majority of their Wildcat plays. Travel a bit west and the Cleveland Browns have Joshua Cribbs taking direct snaps on occasion. And a handful of other teams across the league also dial up their own rendition of the Wildcat.

So, what's the difference between the teams who are benefiting from Wildcat success and those who aren't (like Miami)? Simple: The player taking the snaps.

As previously noted, Smith and Cribbs are a few of the notable athletes spearheading the Wildcat for their respective teams - and with general effectiveness. The reason being because these players present both a legitimate running and passing threat to opposing defenses. Both Smith and Cribbs played quarterback in their college careers and have enough skill to drop a pass on target to receivers. On the contrary, teams like Miami that utilize one-dimensional players for their direct snaps only pose a ground threat, which allows defenses to anticipate the play with greater ease.

It's now evident why the Dolphins attempted the "Pat White Experiment." Their goal was to diversify their options from the Wildcat package with a shifty speedster that possessed passing skills. Unfortunately, White's physical build and lack of development led to his departure from Miami - ending the experiment after just one season.

It's been three seasons since the inception of the Wildcat and defenses have improved their preparations against the package. This is why the Dolphins' current version of it has continuously been stunted by opponents, placing the "gimmick" set on life support.

Whether Miami chooses to continue their use of the Wildcat or rip it clean off their playbook is unknown. What is known is that the reemergence of the package will only come if diversify their snap takers. That could mean switching out Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams for other options like Tyler Thigpen.

Nevertheless, we are witnessing a new era of the Wildcat in the NFL as the Dolphins' no longer are the guru's of their own mastery.

Coach Tony Sparano will have two full weeks to think extensively about the future of the 'Cat in Miami before the team's week six return versus the Green Bay Packers.

Monday Night Fight: Dolphins-Patriots Preview

October 4, 2010

I'm calling it right now. Tonight will be a smash mouth showdown filled with prolific offense and opportunistic defense between the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins. Expect all the drama of a classic Monday Night Football game between two rivals, because these two squads will have their season's defined tonight. Similarly, both teams will try to keep up with the New York Jets in the division standings. But for Miami this game means more than just a week four match-up.

It sets the tone for the rest of the season.

It couldn't have been stated any better than Dolphins beat writer Armando Salguero put it in his Miami Herald article. In Armando's own words, "[t]he Dolphins will streak headlong in one of two directions after Monday night: Things will get very good, or we're in for some hard times." In sum, a loss places Miami at 2-2, winless at home and with a sour taste entering the bye week. Whereas a win provides a morale boost for the Dolphins with a 3-1 record and a positive outlook on the rest of the season.

With that said, here are the noteworthy points of tonight's crucial game:

Containing New England's Offense

Moss: 45 reception, 760 yards & 10 TDs vs Miami

Plagued with one of the worst passing defenses last season, the Dolphins were notorious for allowing big plays. In fact, the Patriots held two of the top three biggest plays Miami allowed last season: an 81-yard pass to WR Sam Aiken and 71-yard bomb to WR Randy Moss. Exploitation was the name of New England's game. And they succeeded at it.

Miami's revamped defense looks to revert that trend and shut down Bill Belichick's offensive game plan. With a more mature - yet still young - secondary, the Fins are more prepared for the air assault that Brady will try to orchestrate in Sun Life Stadium. Moss and WR Wes Welker will be the targets of Miami's highest interest, but the up-and-coming New England tight ends may serve as greater causes for concern.

TE Aaron Hernandez and TE Rob Gronkowski have already made significant impacts in their short rookie tenures. And Miami has given up large chunks of yardage to opposing TEs, namely Visanthe Shiancoe (Minnesota Vikings) and Dustin Keller (Jets). Thus, the tight end production will be a major factor tonight.

Bottomline: Miami must limit blown coverages and play physical against the Patriots receivers and tight ends.

Challenging the Patriots' Suspect Defense

Marshall: 8 receptions, 64 yards & 2 TDs vs NE (2009)

Let's get this straight: This is not the same Patriots defense of the early 2000s. To make this point, here are some defensive stats for 2010:

• New England has allowed at least 24 points in each of their first three games
• They are currently ranked 27th in the league in total defense
• They are allowing an average of 260 passing yards per game

If these stats send any signal to the Dolphins its one that is bright and green. Green as in "green light" for aggressive offensive play calls. You bet your Dan Marino jersey that Tony Sparano and Dan Henning are opening up the playbook for this game.

This means QB Chad Henne will be looking for another career night at home. This means that WR Brandon Marshall will be targeted early and often against the Pats' young corners. This means that RB Ronnie Brown and RB Ricky Williams (AKA The Miami Ground Machine, AKA The R&R Express) will be used to bust open New England's porous defense.

Bottomline: Torch em' through the air, tire them through the ground. This will be the most vulnerable defense Miami has faced yet, and they must take advantage of it. 

Winning the Turnover Battle

CB Vontae Davis had 2 interceptions vs Tom Brady last season

Ultimately, the turnover differential will decide this game. In such a closely contested battle (odds have the Patriots as one-point favorites), turnovers will be key to victory.

The Dolphins currently have a -1 turnover ratio, but have shown solid defensive efforts in two of their first three games. Most notably, the week two match-up versus the Vikings was a promising performance as the Dolphins forced four turnovers. But if Miami wishes to recreate that kind of performance tonight, they will need to apply more pressure than they did versus the Jets last week (no sacks, interceptions or fumbles forced vs NYJ).

It's time for Mike Nolan to get creative once again and put his unique defensive schemes to the test. In other words, if you see Brady with a dirty uniform and his head down on the sidelines, then Nolan and the defense have done their job.

On the offense's end, Henne must continue to protect the ball and make smart decisions as he's done thus far, while the Miami RBs need to cure themselves of the fumblitis. That's as straightforward as it gets.

Bottomline: Don't give the Pats' defense any opportunities to build up confidence by limiting poor passes and careless fumbles. At the same token, keep Brady off balance with a steady dose of pressure all game long.