TNT with twist for Wade-Heat game; Dolphins, UM notes

A six pack of Heat, Dolphins and Canes on an early Sunday morning:

• TNT is serving up a twist for Thursdays’ Heat-Bulls game, Dwyane Wade’s first and only appearance in Miami as a visiting player this season.

The network will use studio analyst Charles Barkley as a game analyst for the game, alongside Kevin McHale and Marv Albert. Barkley leaves the studio to work two or three games a year, and Barkley and Turner management thought this game made sense as one of them.

• Heat guard Goran Dragic, off to a good start, said Friday this is the most comfortable he has felt as a member of the Heat: “This is my game now. This is who I am. This is me. I am happy.”

• The Dolphins want more consistent professionalism from running back Kenyan Drake, who told me last week that he “had some hiccups in punctuality” earlier this season, resulting in admonishment for being late.

But there has been improvement recently and his role should increase in the wake of Arian Foster’s retirement.

Incidentally, Drake and Titans running back and former Alabama teammate Derrick Henry spoke to Alabama coach Nick Saban, via Facetime, during the bye week: “He keeps up with everybody, welcomes back everybody with open arms,” Drake said.

Drake said he gets along with Saban and people shouldn’t read anything negative into Drake giving a “next question” when asked for a Saban story during a Dolphins offseason press conference.

• With his big game Saturday, Brad Kaaya moved into 17th on the ACC’s passing list with 8776 yards. You know who’s 16th? UM alum Jacory Harris (8826).

Kaaya has thrown for more than 300 yards in 10 of 34 career games.

• With nine receptions Saturday, Stacy Coley passed Michael Irvin, Lamar Thomas and Santana Moss on UM’s all-time reception list and is now second with 148. Reggie Wayne owns the UM record in career receptions at 173.

• UM’s Mark Walton, who entered averaging just 3.0 yards per carry against Power 5 schools, scampered for 125 yards on 8.9 per carry Saturday. He now has 20 touchdowns in 22 career games…. UM kicker Michael Badgley is an impressive 17 for 17 on field goals of between 40 and 49 yards in his career.

For a look at how the Dolphins snagged three contributors in one 40-minute stretch of the fifth round of the 2015 draft, please click here.

For a look at Justise Winslow’s shooting problems, please click here.

Twitter: @flasportsbuzz

This story was originally published November 6, 2016 at 12:02 AM with the headline "TNT with twist for Wade-Heat game; Dolphins, UM notes."