Miami, FL
Labeled as a ‘cornerstone’ and ‘beloved,’ it’s clear Heat wants P.J. Tucker back next season
Veteran ahead P.J. Tucker signed with the Miami Warmth final summer season as a identified commodity after 10 NBA seasons, with a repute as one of many hardest and grittiest gamers within the league who does the little issues that don’t all the time present up on the boxscore.
However Tucker’s all-out effort, capacity to play by way of accidents, management, defensive versatility and the untapped facets of his offensive sport nonetheless caught his new teammates, coaches and entrance workplace abruptly in his first season with the Warmth.
“Man, I used to be shocked at simply how laborious and the way constant and simply how powerful P.J. is,” Warmth captain and veteran Udonis Haslem mentioned amid exit interviews final week. “There are only a few guys that I really feel like strategy the sport each night time the way in which I did, you realize what I’m saying. P.J. simply occurred to be considered one of them.”
Simply days after the Warmth’s season got here to an finish in Sport 7 of the Japanese Convention finals, coach Erik Spoelstra labeled Tucker as “an absolute throwback participant” who’s “beloved by employees and everyone within the locker room” and group president Pat Riley referred to as Tucker a “cornerstone” participant for the franchise.
The Warmth may have a chance to indicate simply how a lot it values Tucker if he chooses to grow to be a free agent this summer season. Tucker, 37, holds a $7.4 million participant choice in his contract for subsequent season that he should determine on by June 29.
Whether or not Tucker opts out of his contract at this late stage of his taking part in profession and negotiates with the Warmth for more cash and years and even considers outdoors gives remains to be to be decided. But when Tucker does select to grow to be a free agent, considered one of Miami’s prime offseason priorities will probably be to re-sign him.
“He was so vital all throughout the board,” Spoelstra mentioned when requested about Tucker’s first season with the Warmth. “That aggressive spirit, his aggressive will, his constant toughness that you would be able to simply rely on each single day. And he has a means of speaking that and provoking everyone within the locker room that’s so real. In case you’re simply observing it from the skin, you’re like: ‘Wow, that’s intense.’ However to everyone within the locker room, it’s a very particular real feeling when you’ve gotten anyone that’s that dedicated to successful and serving to different guys.
“He’s so unselfish as a participant, all the time taking over the largest challenges. Defensively, he’ll do all of the little issues, the soiled work, the powerful issues and by no means complain about it. He by no means complains or talks about his photographs. He’s simply fully selfless.”
Tucker thrived because the Warmth’s beginning energy ahead alongside beginning heart Bam Adebayo, with Tucker’s mixture of elite three-point taking pictures from the corners and defensive versatility at 6-5 and 245-pounds offering a ability set that complemented Adebayo’s sport.
Tucker averaged 7.6 factors on 41.5 p.c taking pictures from three-point vary, 5.5 rebounds and a couple of.1 assists in 71 regular-season video games (70 begins) in his first yr with the Warmth.
It represented considerably of an offensive renaissance for Tucker. He averaged his most factors per sport since 2015-16, shot his highest share from the sphere since his rookie season when he performed in simply 17 video games in 2006-07 and shot a career-best share from three-point vary this season.
Tucker even shocked together with his ball-handling and passing, because the Warmth used him as a playmaker on the brief roll and an offensive hub particularly through the seven weeks that Adebayo missed due to a thumb damage. Tucker averaged his most assists and posted his highest utilization charge (an estimate of the proportion of group performs utilized by a participant whereas on the court docket) since 2015-16.
“If I needed to decide one thing that shocked me, it could be definitely the ability stage offensively,” Spoelstra mentioned of Tucker. “That wasn’t essentially one thing that we have been planning on. The adversity type of introduced it out. However we needed to discover completely different options offensively once we went by way of the accidents and Jimmy [Butler] and Bam have been out, and we had a bunch of different guys out, as effectively. We wanted to place the ball someplace and he had talked about to me once we went out to dinner in L.A. that he had performed level guard earlier than when he performed in Germany. I laughed.
“Certain sufficient about two weeks later, we began to undergo our accidents. We’re like, ‘We’re about discover out proper now.’ We’re going to start out utilizing him as a set off, have him deal with extra, play out of the put up with him or on the elbows and he was simply sensational in these moments. It shouldn’t have been a shock to me. In case you’re that a lot of a excessive IQ participant defensively and also you see issues occur earlier than they occur.”
The Warmth isn’t on observe to have cap area and doesn’t maintain Tucker’s Fowl rights, so there’s a restrict to what it will probably supply him if he decides to grow to be a free agent this offseason.
▪ One choice is to make use of the non-Fowl exception to supply Tucker a contract with a beginning wage of as much as $8.4 million (a $1 million elevate on the participant choice) that may be from one to 4 seasons lengthy.
▪ The Warmth may additionally supply Tucker as much as the the complete $10.3 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception to re-sign him to a contract that could possibly be from one to 4 seasons lengthy, however utilizing that exception would laborious cap the Warmth on the apron that’s anticipated to be at round $155 million.
Based on ESPN analyst and former Nets government Bobby Marks, the market outdoors of Miami for Tucker is within the $6 million to $8 million vary.
“Tuck is the type of participant that doesn’t need to do so much from a scoring standpoint, however he makes so many nice performs for you,” Riley mentioned. “He is sort of a cornerstone for us. Toughness, rebounding, protection, no nonsense man. I’d like to have Tuck again subsequent yr. He’s a part of our core and we’ll see what occurs.”
In only one season, it’s clear that Tucker already left his mark in Miami. And the Warmth hopes he’s again for a second season.
“I used to be simply grateful to have a man like P.J. on our group,” Haslem mentioned. “I’m watching this man exit each night time and burn the candle at each ends to offer you every little thing he bought. He ain’t leaving nothing when the clock hits zero and that’s admirable. Via rain, sleet, snow, bumped up, bruised, P.J. was going to offer you every little thing he had seven days per week and twice on Sunday.
“Guys like P.J. are neglected. He’s a warrior and we recognize a man like P.J. Nice group participant, all the time constructive, holds guys accountable, defensive first sort man and he’s bought just a little sport to him offensively together with his trickery and his pretend handoffs, his floater, various things like that.”
Slowly but surely, Michigan basketball’s identity appears to be taking shape, both for better and worse.
The good news: The Wolverines remain efficient shooting the ball. Michigan generated a number of clean looks as it made 58.3% of its attempts from the floor (35 of 60), including 48.3% (14-for-29) on 3-pointers, and all but four of its points came in the paint, beyond the arc or at the free throw line.
The bad news: The Wolverines’ general sloppiness doesn’t, at this point, seem like a one-off occurrence. U-M once again had double-digit turnovers less than 15 minutes in, turned it over a dozen times by the break and finished with 18.
That may matter some day but it didn’t against the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks, as Dusty May’s Wolverines ran away with a 94-67 win.
Though the game finished as a double-digit affair, it was far from it for some time. The Wolverines trailed by three with less than five minutes left in the first half before they made their final five shots — two dunks, two layups and a 3-pointer — before the intermission, as part of a closing 17-6 spurt.
Out of the break, the Wolverines poured it on. In the first two minutes, Roddy Gayle Jr. found Nimari Burnett for a transition basket, followed by, on the next possession, Burnett finding Gayle on the run for a corner 3; U-M started on an 8-0 run to go up by 16.
Four Wolverines scored in double figures, led by Burnett with 18, Tre Donaldson with 16, L.J. Cason with 11 and Gayle with 10, while Danny Wolf just missed a double double, with nine points and nine rebounds.
The Wolverines are back in action on Thursday at home against Tarleton State.
Hockey-style change creates spark
Michigan’s start was about as sloppy as can be.
After Vlad Goldin missed an opening layup, U-M allowed an offensive rebound and 3-pointer before Wolf then committed a turnover on the other end. After yet another Wolf turnover, Goldin and Burnett had back-to-back turnovers. Each led to runouts and layups, as Miami took a quick 7-5 lead.
May, upset by the sloppy start, opted for a hockey-style line change, pulling all five starters at once. U-M responded with a Will Tschetter turnover on its first possession, the team’s fifth in less than four minutes.
Every time Michigan looked like it was going to start pulling away, such as after its 7-0 run after Cason hit a layup and pair of free throws and Sam Walters hit a transition 3, the RedHawks responded and remained within a possession.
U-M led 15-9 and held Miami to a 4-for-14 start from the floor (1-for-6 from 3) shortly before the RedHawks got hot. Michigan’s lead got up to 20-14 before Miami hit seven of its next nine attempts from the floor, which included making five of seven 3s.
Kam Craft and Eian Elmer hit back-to-back long balls before a Craft bucket gave the Redhawks the lead, and then a Walters handoff to Wolf was stripped to make it 27-24. But U-M closed the half with five straight field goals and ended the first 20 minutes shooting 59.3% (16-for-27) from the floor and 42.9% (6-for-14) on 3s.
Pick up where they left off
While Michigan opened the second with eight points, its defense tightened and forced Miami to miss its first eight shots of the half.
When Travis Steele’s group scored its first second-half point — hitting one of three free throws 4:09 into the frame — it did little to slow U-M’s momentum, with Donaldson adding a pair of transition layups. The Redhawks finally broke through from the floor with a Peter Suder three-point play and 3-pointer sandwiched around a Cason 3, but it was too much Michigan.
In all, Michigan went on a 43-18 run in 13:29 of action after falling behind by three in the first half.
Michigan dominated the boards 44-23, boosting the rout. Likewise, U-M won the second-chance points battle (11-8), was tops in fastbreak points (18-11), had more bench points (33-24) and even tied on points off turnovers (14-all) despite committing five more turnovers than the RedHawks.
Miami, FL
Northern Illinois vs. Miami (Ohio) Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for College Football Week 13
Northern Illinois wasn’t able to follow up on its upset of Notre Dame early in the season, falling behind in the MAC conference race, but has a chance to play spoiler in the league.
The Huskies will take on Miami (Ohio) in Tuesday night MACtion with the RedHawks looking to make a bid at a second straight league title. However, NIU has been elite on the defensive side of the ball all season and winners of two in a row. Can the Huskies snap Miami’s five-game winning streak and soil its hopes of a repeat?
Here’s how to bet the marquee matchup of the Week 13 opening slate.
Spread
Moneyline
Total: 41.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Northern Illinois
Telly Johnson Jr.: With Antario Brown out last week, Johnson was the leadback for the Huskies in the team’s win against Arkon. Brown is not on the depth chart this week, so it appears he won’t go, meaning Johnson will likely be called on to lead the run-first Huskies offense against Miami’s stingy defense.
Miami (Ohio)
Brett Gabbert: The senior quarterback continues to show out as MAC play continues, tallying 15 passing touchdowns with only one interception in league games. Since the loss to Toledo, the RedHawks have won all but one game by double digits and are starting to look like the MAC Champion from a year ago.
This game is likely going to be dictated by both team’s defense, among the best in the MAC.
Both units are top 40 nationally in EPA/Play, but there are some stylistic differences that make for an advantageous matchup for the road underdog.
NIU is focused on keeping the ball on the ground with its stable of running backs in addition to quarterback Ethan Hampton. While the RedHawks have an elite defense, it’s far better against the pass than the run, ranking outside the top half of the country in EPA/Rush this season. The defensive line isn’t getting a similar push to last season, outside the top 90 in defensive line yards, and may struggle to keep Northern Illinois out of favorable down and distances.
Meanwhile, Miami does lean on its passing game. Despite the emergence of running back Keyon Mozee, who is averaging nearly seven yards per carry, the RedHawks throw at a top-40 rate nationally.
However, the Huskies defense is elite against the pass, top 20 in the country in EPA/Pass, and among the best down-to-down defenses, ranking top 25 in success rate.
NIU has lost three MAC games by a total of 12 points, one of which in overtime and the other on a last season field goal, which stunted its ability to contend for a MAC title, but not from having betting value.
I’ll take the underdog to throw some chaos into the title race.
PICK: Northern Illinois ML +116
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Follow Reed on Twitter @ReedWallach and get all his college football bets on betstamp @rw33
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For the first time this season, the Miami Dolphins have a two game win streak after defeating the Las Vegas Raiders yesterday afternoon. The Dolphins offense was methodical as they did not have to punt at all yesterday. Tight end Jonnu Smith has become a weapon over the past few weeks as he went for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns on 6 receptions. It could have been a bit cleaner on defense, but the Dolphins will take a win any way they can get it right now. Next weekend, the Dolphins will host the New England Patriots for an AFC East showdown.
You can check out that story here, and the rest of the day’s round-up below.
Big Day for the Offense Sparks Victory Against Raiders
The Miami Dolphins scored on all but one of their possessions in their victory against the Las Vegas Raiders
Raiders at Dolphins
Miami Dolphins prove they can handle major shakeup teams have thrown at them in 2024
The Dolphins’ offense was a machine on Sunday against the Raiders
Dolphins Offense
Miami Dolphins morphing into ball control, long-drive offense. And it’s working. | Schad – Yahoo Sports
The Miami Dolphins have a new identity. At least for 2024. It’s all about ball control and sustained scoring drives. Tua Tagovailoa is playing well.
Dolphins Quarterbacks
‘Best in the World’ – Highest of Praise for Tua Tagovailoa After Dolphins’ Win Over Raiders
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is completing nearly every pass he throws, and he was as good as ever in Sunday’s win over the Raiders.
Dolphins Running Backs
De’Von Achane, with or without Guardian Cap, certainly looks like Dolphins’ No. 1 running back – Yahoo Sports
Second-year Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane carried the bulk of the backfield load vs. the Raiders with 17 carries for 73 yards and a score.
Dolphins Tight Ends
Miami Dolphins’ TE Jonnu Smith making defenses pay for focusing on Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle – Yahoo Sports
Jonnu Smith has 39 catches for 448 yards and three TDs this season. And his two scores Sunday against the Raiders were as different as they could be.
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What are the odds for Week 12 Patriots vs Dolphins? FanDuel sportsbook opening line – The Phinsider
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Raiders vs. Dolphins reactions: Stock up, stock down from Miami’s win in Week 11 – The Phinsider
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