On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
After two consecutive postseasons where a superior team blew the Miami Heat out of the first round, nobody should be labeled as untouchable when attempting to acquire another star player.
However, the Heat’s assets may not be enough to get another star. If this becomes a reality, they should prioritize bringing back Davion Mitchell. He was one of the best players since joining the team at the trade deadline. His play only improved during the Play-In Tournament and the postseason.
During exit interviews, Mitchell shared his thoughts on his future.
“I don’t know what the future holds,” Mitchell said. “I’m not going to try and get into that, but I had an amazing time here. I love my teammates, love the coaching staff, and love the adversity we went through. We accomplished something no one has ever done before, being the tenth seed getting in the playoffs.”
Mitchell explained the factors leading to his short stint with the Heat being the best of his career, as well as the freedom coach Erik Spoelstra allowed.
“I think Coach Spo told me the first day to be yourself,” Mitchell said. “I want you to be yourself. Go out there offensively and defensively and play your game. Get your teammates involved. Things that I have been doing since I started playing basketball, and I had the opportunity to do it here. The past places I've been to, I didn’t really have the opportunity.”
PAUL PIERCE CLAIMS PAT RILEY IS “SINGLE-HANDEDLY” RUINING HEAT CULTURE
Despite being one of the primary figures who built the Miami Heat into a successful organization, Pat Riley is facing considerable criticism following two consecutive first-round exits.
On the Speak show for Fox Sports, Paul Pierce explains why Riley deserved most of the blame for the Heat’s recent shortcomings.
“Pat Riley is single handily tearing down Heat Culture… guys don’t want to have their lives off the court monitored as grown men and be yelled at like little kids.. something has to change for Heat Culture to get back where needs to be”
— Heat Culture (@HeatCulture13) April 30, 2025
— Paul Pierce on what’s next for MIA… pic.twitter.com/nRihPb7VsS
“I feel like Pat Riley is kind of like single-handedly tearing down Heat Culture,” Pierce said. “You run the face of the culture in Jimmy Butler out, and you see him in Golden State thriving and having an opportunity to push Golden State to the next round. You have got to understand that other superstar players watch this. They’re talking in locker rooms. They talk on All-Star weekend. They talk in the summer when they’re working out like ‘man, do we want to go down there and really play under the Heat Culture with these types of things going on?’ I really believe some things have to change within the Heat Culture. They have to revamp it, realign the rules, get a new memo, or something.”
Pierce was one of the first people to publicly call out the Butler and Heat tenure, which faced more tension behind the scenes than most expected. As of now, the Heat’s success since 2020 appears to be attributed mainly to Butler.
JEFF TEAGUE ADAMANTLY SAYS PAT RILEY NEEDS TO RETIRE AFTER DISGRACEFUL PERFORMANCE
Losing to a superior team is one thing, but getting blown out at home in a must-win elimination game by 55 points is another thing entirely.
On the Club 520 Podcast show, Jeff Teague reacted to the Miami Heat’s beatdown at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“They should retire Pat Riley right there,” Teague explained. “It’s time to go, Pat. I feel them, though. This is my theory. You know y’all not about to win, so why the (expletive) we got to travel back to Cleveland? Yeah, let’s just look like we can’t compete. Like, let’s not make it close. I mean, we were trying the first three games. We lost. But the last game, let that (expletive) cook bro. I legit would have walked into the locker room and said, ‘(expletive), I know y’all are not trying to fly back to Cleveland for one more night.’ If we’re playing good that first quarter, let’s go to work. We're hoopers now. We like to play. But if they start beating our (expletive), take me out.”
The most significant offseason move the Heat made last year was signing Alec Burks. All things considered, he was solid throughout the year. But it was clearly not enough, even if the Heat had kept Jimmy Butler. With more clarity regarding Butler's future absence, the Heat will need to make several moves to compensate for his departure.
Bryan Townes is a contributor to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at btownesjr@gmail.com or on X @bryantownesjr11. Follow our coverage on Facebook
More must-reads:
- Celtics' ownership move should concern Lakers governor Jeanie Buss
- Four-time All-Star's contract status puts pressure on Hawks in 2025-26
- The 'NBA minutes leaders by season' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
TODAY'S BEST
Ex-NBA player Sebastian Telfair hoping for pardon from Donald Trump
Sebastian Telfair is preparing to serve six months in prison but is hoping for some help from President Donald Trump. Telfair was among the former NBA players who were charged in 2021 with defrauding the NBA’s Health and Welfare Benefit Plan of approximately $358,000 in fake medical and dental claims. The former first-round pick was initially given a three-year suspended sentence that involved supervised release. But he violated the terms of his suspended sentence, which led to him being sentenced in June to six months in prison. Telfair was getting ready to report to prison and pleaded for the president to step in and pardon him. “Trump, go check in on my story and you’re definitely going to want to pardon me. You’ll hold me accountable and want me to continue to go do good. But I did too good to being sending anybody to jail,” Telfair argued in comments to a reporter from TMZ. Telfair contends that his recent issue is due to a paperwork problem. He feels the resulting sentence he’s received is “super unfair.” Whether President Trump is able to hear his case and pardon him remains to be seen, but Telfair is definitely trying. Telfair, 40, is from Brooklyn, N.Y., and developed a big following as a teenager due to his strong basketball play. He was the No. 13 overall pick in 2004 by Portland and began his career with them as a 19-year-old straight out of high school. Telfair played 10 seasons in the NBA and spent time with eight different teams. He averaged 7.4 points and 3.5 assists per game during his career.
Perhaps Superman Paul Skenes has found his kryptonite
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes may continue to be one of the top contenders for the National League Cy Young Award, but there is one place where he has appeared mortal this season. On Tuesday night, the Milwaukee Brewers did to Skenes what they have done to plenty of MLB pitchers in 2025 ... put up big offensive numbers. For the second time this season, Skenes also pitched in Milwaukee on June 25, the Brewers forced him from the game after just 4.0 innings on Tuesday night, logging six hits and four runs during his time on the mound. Both of those performances came at Milwaukee's home stadium (American Family Field) and both are now Skenes' shortest outings of the season. While another NL Central team has put up more runs against Skenes this season (the St. Louis Cardinals nicked him for five runs in 6.0 innings on April 8), no other team has had the same kind of success over multiple starts by Skenes in 2025 as have the Brewers inside their home stadium. In all this season, Skenes has given up 10 hits and eight runs in 8.0 innings in Milwaukee. It was his third career outing on the road against the Brewers, with his lone 2024 start representing arguably the best outing of his rookie season. On July 11, 2024, Skenes struck out 11 and didn't allow a hit over 7.0 innings as the Pirates would eventually post a 1-0 victory. Tuesday's short outing was highlighted by a pair of Milwaukee home runs, including a leadoff solo shot by Sal Frelick that quickly set the tone for the Brewers. While Milwaukee's hit parade helped raise Skenes' ERA on the season to 2.13, it's hardly any reason for concern in a season where the 23-year-old right-hander is still a heavy favorite (-600) to win the NL Cy Young Award, per BetMGM. Skenes struggling in Milwaukee is likely more yet another stamp of approval on the Brewers' potential to be a threat once the postseason arrives. With an 18-4 record since the All-Star break entering Tuesday, Milwaukee has taken over the NL Central race from the Chicago Cubs. So what's the good news for Skenes? This is Pittsburgh's last trip to Milwaukee this season and the next-to-last series for the Pirates against the red-hot Brewers. Milwaukee will visit PNC Park for a three-game series on Sept. 5-7 and, if Skenes gets a chance for revenge against Milwaukee, there couldn't be a better place for him to take the mound. This season, in 11 starts covering 68.2 innings, Skenes has a 1.70 ERA in the Steel City.
Jets QB Justin Fields had 'alarming' practice against Giants
New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields found out he has a long way to go following his performance at Tuesday's joint practice with the New York Giants. Per Connor Hughes of SNY TV, Fields started hot at the practice before struggling during the move-the-ball period. "Very interesting practice for #Jets QB Justin Fields," Hughes posted on X. "He finished 7 of 12 with a TD. 5 of 5 to start practice. Then 0 for 4. Finished 2 of 3 with the really impressive TD to Jeremy Ruckert in red zone (starter 18 yard line). "The offensive performance was a bit alarming in move-the-ball period of practice. Fields Co. had three attempts to get down field. They didn’t gain a first down. Only gained yards twice (two short Breece Hall runs). Three sacks. That needs to be fixed. #Giants defense toyed with NYJ during that period." Some Jets fans online thought Hughes was using hyperbole to characterize the practice, but he doubled down on his judgment of the offense. Fields looked strong on his first and only drive in the Jets' 30-10 win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. He went 3-of-4 passing for 42 yards and rushed two times for 14 yards and a touchdown. However, the Giants defense at the joint practice is a much better unit than the short-handed one the Packers trotted out for the first preseason game. Fields' issues seen with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers, with holding the ball too long and not being able to pass consistently downfield, were a factor against the Giants. Following Saturday's game, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said Fields was getting better but had a lot to improve on. Tuesday's practice was a humbling reminder that Fields needs to become a consistent passer if the Jets are going to move the ball on good defenses in the regular season.
Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Makes Direct Statement About Mason Rudolph's Spot On QB Depth Chart
Oregon suspends former five-star WR recruit indefinitely
Former crew chief frustrated by the 'ridiculous' racing at Watkins Glen
It is no secret that NASCAR's current road-course package has not been very good. Aside from the mile-and-a-half tracks that were once the least competitive and exciting in the series, those races are the rare bright spot for the Next Gen Car since its inception in 2022. Shane van Gisbergen drove away to an 11.1-second win over Christopher Bell in Sunday's race at Watkins Glen and set multiple records in the process. While the racing was not particularly exciting, that was not what left former crew chief and current analyst Steve Letarte frustrated the most following the weekend. A recurring issue in each race over the weekend was drivers utilizing the runoff areas around the track and not staying on the traditional racing surface, which ultimately led to some crashes in Saturday's Xfinity race. "So, I hate track limits that have to be officiated," Letarte said on "Inside the Race." "Because I like tracks that you should just stay on the track. I didn't think it mattered. Now, I am team get-them-back-on-the-race-track-at-Watkins-Glen. I don't love the Watkins Glen that I see. ... I think Turn 1 is not as great of a corner with no exit respect or responsibility. You just blow the exit. I think the carousel is a much easier corner, being able to just go driver's left. "I also think Turn 6 is going — let me add, that I think the (Connor) Zilisch, SVG wreck between the last two corners (in the Xfinity Series race) happened because they left the track, and the Austin Hill wreck with Michael McDowell happened off the race track. Now, both could have been avoided, we can talk about who's at fault. What I'm saying is, I've never driven a lap at Watkins Glen. I can analyze what happens between the white lines." This comes one year after rumble strips were placed in Turn 1 to keep drivers from using the runoff area, and that clearly has not worked. As the field has got closer together, using up all the track has become a common way for drivers to establish momentum, especially as they prepare for the right-hander going into The Esses at Watkins Glen. The bottom line is NASCAR's road-racing product needs to get better and Letarte wants to see race cars "stay on the race track because I think it will be a better race." Van Gisbergen's historic dominance certainly does not help, but the overall road course product is not great. Whether NASCAR makes some changes to the runoff areas and enforces track limits remains to be seen, but that still may not be the biggest issue if the racing does not improve.
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
