Tyler Johnson finished up a decent four-year run at Fresno State with the hopes of playing in the NBA. Unfortunately, he was never drafted and find a job, despite impressing the Heat’s staff and front office during the summer league.
More from All U Can Heat
- Grade the Trade: Heat grab Trae Young in shocking proposal
- NBA 2K24 Ratings: Takeaways and reactions to Miami Heat player ratings
- 4 Teams that should trade for Tyler Herro
- Miami Heat’s Nikola Jovic gives entire world reason to love him
- 1 Advantage the Heat have over every Southeast Division team
He kept working on his game in the D-League with the Sioux Falls Skyforce and earned a 10-day contract with the Heat on January 12th. Johnson did not get a ton of minutes with the Heat and his contract was not picked up after his first 10-day contract was up. His Heat career was over, right?
Nope, Johnson went back down with the Skyforce and played well enough to sign his second 10-day contract with the Heat on January 29th. After that 10-day stint ended, the Heat signed him to a 2-year contract, to retain his services for the future.
What Went Right
Tyler Johnson was a spark off the Heat bench, playing decent defense and providing small spurts of offense that helped the Heat when they struggled the most to score. Johnson provided strong minutes both at the 1 and 2 guard positions for the Heat.
Johnson’s biggest strength had to be his 3-point shooting, coming in at ~38% for the season. If he can continue to that do moving forward, he has a chance to carve out a decent career.
What Went Wrong
While Johnson provided the Heat with sparks, he at times seemed to be out of control with his game. He took too many bad shots, which led to his 41% shooting from the field. He averaged just 1.3 assists per game and 0.9 turnovers. He needs to correct that ratio.
All in all, Johnson was a below average player, posting a 12.0 PER for the season.
Best Game
When you get a 10-of-13 shooting night for 26 points in just 25 minutes of play on a given night, you don’t expect it to be from a player that was signed off the scrap on a 10-day contract. That’s the kind of offense Johnson was capable of offering at times.
Where He can Improve
Johnson’s decision-making could be the difference between him being a role player and a guy stuck on the end of the bench. He at times became a black hole, shooting the ball too often instead of looking for the extra pass.
Tyler’s defensive game could use a little polishing as well.
Looking Ahead
Tyler Johnson is under contract with the Miami Heat for the next two seasons, with his salary next year sitting at $845,059. With an extremely team friendly contract and the progression he showed this season, Johnson is a great bet to return to the Heat next season.
Johnson has all the ability to be a role player for the Heat, one that can score at ease in stretches to give the Heat a boost. He, James Ennis, Hassan Whiteside, and the Heat’s first round selection this year should all be apart of the Heat’s next core team, as Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh continue to age.
Next: Heat Check Podcast: Who is Most Likely to Take a Leap Next Season?