Encouraging signs entering trip
Even at 15-30, 4-0 homestand provides cause for optimism.
MIAMI — Not many saw this coming.
After a 1-5 West Coast trip, the Heat returned home with t h e NBA’s s e c o n d -wor s t re c o rd a t 1 1 -3 0. Next up for Miami was a four-game homestand that included games against the Rockets and Warriors.
A split would make it a successful homestand.
But the Heat c ame out of the stretch a little better than that. Miami went 4-0 and now hits the road for two games.
Three encouraging signs for the Heat coming out of the homestand:
1. The Heat don’t have to trade Goran Dragic: There’s been this assumption by most that it’s not a matter of if the Heat will trade Goran Dragic, but when.
But with the way the point guard has played this month, specific ally over Miami’s four-game homestand, the Heat could keep Dragic as part of their long-term plan. The 30-year-old averaged 24.3 points on 56.1 percent shooting from the field and 47.4 percent shooting from 3-point range over the homestand.
I t ’s a c o n t i n u a t i o n o f an impressive January for Dragic, as he’s averaging 21.6 points on 51 percent shooting in 10 games.
Considering Dragic’s current contract, his recent play could be persuading the Heat to keep him around.
Dr a g i c i s a b a r g a i n i n t o d a y ’s N B A e c o n o m i c l a nds c a pe. He’s e a r ni ng the eighth-highest salar y in the league among point guards at $15.9 million this season, and he will slip further down the list as bigger contracts are handed out with the salary cap expected to jump again over the next few seasons. And Miami has Dragic for the next three seasons under his current contract (the last year is a player option).
“I feel really good here. I feel like I’m in the right spot,” Dragic said of the Heat organization last week.
2 . B a l l move ment i s picking up: Ball movement hasn’t been one of Miami’s strengths this season. The Heat average the ninth-fewest passes made per game with 290.8. But over the homestand, they averaged 303.5 passes per game. A lot of that has to do with Dragic and Dion Waiters’ ability to get into the paint and draw multiple defenders. The assist totals weren’t impressive, but even coach Erik Spoelstra noticed Miami’s improved ball movement after Monday’s win over the Warriors.
“Our penetrators really were committed to getting into the paint and moving the ball, and that really starts with Dion and Goran,” Spoelstra said.
One stat that does reflect Miami’s ball movement is the number of double-digit scorers during the homestand. The Heat had at least four players score in double figures in each game. In Miami’s win over the Rockets on Jan. 17 to open the homestand, six players finished with double-digit points.
3. Guys on short-term contracts still on board: It’s not easy to coach a team that’s full of players on shortterm contracts. And it’s not easy to coach a 15-30 team that’s full of players on shortterm contracts. But Spoelstra has found a way to keep this team on the same page.
Four players on the roster are on one-year contracts — James Johnson, Derrick Williams, Udonis Haslem and Luke Babbitt. Four players have either a team option or player option in their contracts for next season — Wayne Ellington (team opti on), Josh McRober t s (player option), Dion Waiters (player option) and Willie Reed (player option).
This situation could have worked against Miami coming home from the West Coast trip at 11-30. So many times, losing NBA teams full of short-term contracts spiral in the wrong direction. Wit h f re e a ge nc y a ve r y real possibility for a lot of Miami’s players this summer, it would be easy for them to start freelancing and playing for their next contract. But that hasn’t happened yet, and this winning streak should keep the Heat moving in the right direction for now.
“The most encouraging thing coming off a road trip like that is to be able to put it in the proper box and not come back depressed or come up with different agendas or come back sideways or making excuses,” Spoelstra said. “We had two great days of practice and we were able to build on that rather than take two steps back, and that’s an awesome quality.” man), and a Week 2 game at Arkansas St ate will be a s mall t as t e of road l i fe before the biggest game of the year in Week 3 at Florida State. Miami hasn’t had this kind of September tilt since 2013, when it hosted Florida. The last time the Hurricanes played FSU in September was the 2009 season-opener, a 38-34 win. This fall, breaking in a new quarterback, the prospects don’t look as promising. Florida State should be quite good this year.
“If you polled any of the guys who enrolled here in January and will sign next Wednes d ay, t h a t ’s what they’re signing up for. Those are the games they want to be a part of,” UM Athletics Director Blake James said Tuesday. “That’ll be an exciting game for whoever’s playing quarterback.”
The Hurricanes’ rebuilding secondary could be up against it again in Week 4, with Toledo’s outstanding quarterback, Logan Woodside, in town. A trip to Duke — one of two Friday games Miami plays this fall — comes in Week 4. James said Tuesday that UM requested Satu rd ay- o n l y g a mes . T h a t request wasn’t met. But away “non-traditional” games are preferable to home ones, given South Florida’s traffic problems.
Compared to last year — when Miami had a run of FSU, Virginia Tech, UNC and Notre Dame, with three games in 12 days in that span — this October is friendly. The Hurricanes have a bye to start the month, which gives them extra rest before a Thursday game at Georgia Tech. They’ll have more time to prep for Syracuse, which comes to town in Week 8. After that, road games at reloading UNC and Pittsburgh are the bread to a three-game homestand sandwich. The meat: Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and Virginia. All of those teams are relative unknowns at this point.
Even with questions at quarterback and in the secondary, the strength of UM’s front seven and skill-position players should make it a preseason favorite to win the Coastal divi sion. If it upsets Florida State in Tallahassee in September, hype will grow nationally about the Hurricanes as a playoff contender.
Mi a mi a l s o ge t s s e ve n home games for the first time since 2014. UM had six home games last year and in 2015.
Saturday, Sept. 2. Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens (64,982). 4-6, 4-4 MEAC. lost at North Texas 41-20.
lost 45-0 at UM, Sept. 5, 2015
B-CU returns several area contributors, including starting quarterback Larry Brihm (Village Academy), leading receiver and punt returner Frank Brown (Palm Beach Gardens), wideout Travares Copeland (Treasure Coast), cornerback DeAndre Bozeman (Dwyer) and defensive linemen Todney Evans (Atlantic).
Saturday, Sept. 9 8-5, 7-1 Sun Belt. Beat UCF 31-13 in Cure Bowl. lost 41-20 at UM, Sept. 13, 2014.
Arkansas State has a good quarterback in junior Justice Hansen, a former four-star Oklahoma signee.
Saturday, Sept. 16. 10-3, 5-3 ACC. Beat No. 10 Michigan 33-32 in Orange Bowl. won 20-19 at UM on Oct. 8, 2016.
Can Miami break a seven-year drought against its in-state rival? ... Earliest Canes-Noles game since 2009 (season-opener).
Saturday, Sept. 23. 9-4, 6-2 MAC. Lost 31-28 to Appalachian State in Camellia Bowl.
lost 24-14 at No. 3 Miami, Nov. 21, 1987.
First of a curious ACC-MAC home-andhome. The Rockets host the Hurricanes in 2018.
Friday, Sept. 29. 4-8, 1-7 ACC. lost 40-21 at UM, Nov. 26, 2016. Thoroughly beaten by the Hurricanes to close a disappointing, injury-riddled season. ... Veteran returnees Daniel Jones or Thomas Sirk will start at quarterback.
Thursday, Oct. 12. 10-4, 6-2 ACC. Beat Kentucky 33-18 in TaxSlayer Bowl.
lost 35-14 in Atlanta on Oct. 1, 2016.
With last year’s win, Mark Richt improved to 14-2 against the Yellow Jackets.
Saturday, Oct. 21. 4-8, 2-6 ACC. lost 17-10 at No. 14 Miami, 2003.
Second-year Orange coach Dino Babers has an intriguing offense, which put up 61 points in a loss to Pitt.
Saturday, Oct. 28. 8-5, 5-3 ACC. Lost to Stanford 25-23 in Sun Bowl.
won 20-13 at UM on Oct. 15, 2016.
Should be good enough to get back to a bowl, despite major losses on offense (quarterback Mitch Trubisky, running back Elijah Hood, receivers Ryan Switzer, Bug Howard and Mack Hollins) and turnover at nearly every position.
Saturday, Nov. 4.
10-4, 6-2 ACC. Lost to No. 3 Clemson 42-25 in ACC championship. Beat Arkansas 35-24 in Belk Bowl.
won 37-16 in Blacksburg on Oct. 20, 2016.
Stellar debut for coach Justin Fuente, who won the Coastal and handed UM its worst loss of the year.
Saturday, Nov. 11. 4-8.
won 30-27 at South Bend on Oct. 29, 2016.
Last year’s game, with its miscues and close calls, was perhaps the low point of UM’s season. The Hurricanes won their final five afterward.
Saturday, Nov. 18. 2-10, 1-7 ACC. lost 34-14 at Charlottesville, Nov. 12, 2016. Only two Power Five teams (Kansas, Rutgers) finished lower in USA Today’s postseason rankings than the Cavaliers, who lost their last seven games.
Friday, Nov. 24. 8-5, 5-3 ACC. Lost 31-24 to Northwestern in Pinstripe Bowl.
lost 51-28 at UM, Nov. 5, 2016.
Panthers must replace running back James Conner and offensive coordinator Matt Canada (who bolted for LSU).