What the Dolphins Can Learn from the Finals-Bound Heat and Panthers

If South Florida's hot steak continues, the Miami Dolphins will become the next professional team playing in its sport's final game

South Florida sports teams have taken on a Cinderella role during 2023.

First, Nova Southeastern wins the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship, then the Miami Hurricanes and Florida Atlantic reach the Final Four.

Now two professional sports teams have found their slipper and are dressing up for the ball.

The Florida Panthers have reached the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in franchise history, and the Miami Heat have advanced to the NBA Finals yet again.

Could the Miami Dolphins, who followed up the franchise’s first playoff appearance since 2016 by having an impressive offseason — luring defensive mastermind Vic Fangio and trading for elite cornerback Jalen Ramsey — be next?

“The Heat and the Panthers (are) doing a lot of things that people said they couldn’t do, which I very much appreciate,” Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said last week. “We are definitely taking note.”

Here are 10 things the Dolphins can learn from the Miami Heat and Florida Panthers to replicate their success, potentially bringing South Florida the Lombardi Trophy this season.

Culture matters

The Heat have taken the word "culture" to another level since Pat Riley took over the franchise in 1995, consistently rebuilding teams that have a signature tone — an unquestionable pursuit of winning—- to it. Plenty of coaches and executives have talked about creating a culture with the Dolphins, but it’s usually a word with a hollow meaning behind it. 

The Dolphins need time and wins to create a lasting culture, but having players buy in is the first step. It seems as if players are buying into what McDaniel is building.

Your stars have to shine on the biggest stage

Jimmy Butler has been a force in the postseason, especially when healthy, and Bam Adebayo has stopped his disappearing act routine this season and become a reliable offensive player. Matthew Tkachuk, Sergei Bobrovsky and Aleksander Barkov have been forces in the NHL playoffs.

The Dolphins need their former Pro Bowlers — Tyreek Hill, Terron Armstead, Jalen Ramsey, Xavien Howard and Bradley Chubb — to consistently perform like the stars they are, producing dominant performances each week.

Star players set the tone for entire team

Tkachuk, who is one of the three finalists for the NHL regular season MVP award (the Hart Trophy), is a gritty, in-your-face-player who won’t back down from anyone. The Panthers have taken on the same persona in the postseason. Butler is cut from a different cloth, becoming a ferocious dog during the playoffs, and his teammates have begun to bark too. Butler consistently said the Heat “have enough” during the regular season, and the postseason, and he turned out to be right. 

Tyreek Hill is the Dolphins’ biggest star, and his drive, work ethic and effort set the tone for last year’s playoff team. Could Hill be doing more to elevate his teammates further?

Don’t be afraid to shake up the roster

The Panthers traded star forward Jonathan Huberdeau for Tkachuk last summer and it made them a better team. 

Florida went from a high-flying offensive team to a gritty style of play that's necessary in the playoffs. While there might have been struggles during the season, the team has reaped the benefits in the postseason.

Everyone said the Heat was dead in the water when P.J. Tucker left for the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami stayed pat. But the Heat believed in the roster construction, and player development, and the squad took off in the postseason. That’s what competent leadership and culture can do.

Closers come through in the culture

The fourth quarter is when Butler is usually at his best, closing out games.

Where it manifested itself with the Panthers is the team’s 6-0 record in overtime games this postseason, including the Game 7 victory against the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference First Round to produce one of the biggest upsets in NHL playoff history.

The Dolphins let a couple of fourth-quarter games slip away last year, and finding a way to finish strong when the game is on the line would be beneficial to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who needs to become his franchise's closer.

Player development is critical

The Heat have been one of the best franchises when it comes to player development, annually taking undrafted players and transforming them into NBA contributors.

Before this season Caleb Martin was an NBA journeyman after he was waived by the Charlotte Hornets back in 2021. Now he's one of the postseason's best two-way players, and another player in a long list of prospects the Heat have developed over the years.

The Dolphins need youngsters like offensive linemen Austin Jackson and Liam Eichenberg, defensive linemen Raekwon Davis and linebacker Channing Tindall to become reliable contributors, and Jaelan Phillips, Jaylen Waddle, Jevon Holland and Tagovailoa to become superstars for South Florida's NFL franchise to become a title contender this upcoming season.

Elite coaching provides an edge

With Erik Spoelstra at the helm, the Heat have been a steady force in the NBA throughout the 21st Century. The franchise has now made the NBA Finals in seven of the last 18 seasons. 

Panthers coach Paul Maurice is sixth in all-time career wins in the NHL. He’s been around a long time, and is well respected. Their adjustments and motivational strategies give both franchises an advantage against most opponents. McDaniel’s body of work isn’t extensive enough to prove he’s a difference maker, but based on what he did in the first half of 2022, it’s safe to conclude he’s off to a good start.

It can’t always be your stars

Martin easily could have been the Eastern Conference Finals MVP for the way he played in the series against the Boston Celtics (the award went to Butler).

The Panthers have gotten contributions from unlikely places, like Alex Lyon, who started at goalie for them down the stretch and helped them get in the playoffs. In the first round against Boston, Florida got a huge goal from Zac Dalpe in the third period of Game 6 to help the Panthers rally for a 7-5 victory. He didn’t play at all in the Eastern Conference Final and likely won’t play at all in the Stanley Cup Final barring injury. 

The Dolphins are going to need the supporting cast to step up from time to time and play big in a couple of the 17 regular season games.

One injury doesn’t stop the show

Butler has been playing on a troublesome ankle since the New York Knicks series and hasn’t complained while he’s paced himself, still delivering cult performances. 

Tyler Herro went down and the Heat arguably started playing better. 

The Dolphins need to take the same mind-set when they lose a starting offensive linemen (Jackson), defensive lineman (Emmanuel Ogbah) or secondary player, or three (Byron Jones, Brandon Jones and Nik Needham) like they did last season.

Injuries in the NFL are going to happen. How teams and players respond to them often dictates the success of the season.

Tune out the national media

The national media pays attention to the entire landscape of the sports they cover, and focus too heavily on teams from major markets. 

That means South Florida’s sports teams generally don’t get the attention, or respect they deserve without the presence of one of the game's biggest stars. 

Like the Heat, the Panthers weren’t talked about in the NHL world because they are a completely under-the-radar team. Panthers started to create waves after rallying from a 3-1 series deficit to beating Boston in the first round, shocking the team that set the record for the most wins and most points in an NHL regular season.

The Dolphins consistently are overshadowed in the AFC East by the Buffalo Bills, and New York Jets, especially now that Aaron Rodgers is in the division. But like the Heat and Panthers, they probably like taking teams by surprise and showing up doubters.