James Johnson on playing small-ball center: ‘I think it helps our team’
By Wes Goldberg
The Miami Heat have been able to leverage James Johnson’s unique talents to give the team a different look this season.
James Johnson has emerged as one of the more versatile players on the Miami Heat this season, routinely playing the role of facilitator and rim protector and everything in between.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has had to tinker with a lot of lineups this season, and one lineup he likes to go to for a few minutes a game is with Johnson playing center. Johnson has spent 9 percent of his time at center (the 5) this season, according to basketball-reference.com.
He doesn’t switch to the 5 as much as say, Golden State’s Draymond Green, but the idea is similar. In these bouts of playing the middle, Johnson is asked by Spoelstra to protect the rim on the defensive end while setting up teammates on offense.
He’s one of Miami’s best play makers, averaging 2.6 assists per game to go along with 11.7 points and 5.1 rebounds. The seven-year veteran has developed a three-point shot and has already made more three’s this season (116) than he has in any single season of his career. It’s made him one of the more valuable players on the team.
After the team’s win against the Sacramento Kings last week, All U Can Heat recently had a chance to ask Johnson about the adjustment.
Around the fifth minute, Coach put you in at the 5. That’s something you’ve been doing a little bit of this season. Is that something you did in your previous stops around the league?
No.
No?
No not at all. First time.
This season?
Yeah.
And how has that transition been for you?
Easy if I had to say. I’m not saying it’s the easiest job in the world to try to do, but I got UD over here helping me with play calling, and I know that at the end of the day I just got to play hard for my team.
Did you have to change your approach, your conditioning, anything like that? Did you know going into this season that you would be playing a little bit of center or is that more because of the injuries?
No. I don’t know, that’s a question for Coach Spo. I know I wasn’t getting ready for anything besides being in the best shape of my life. That was it. That’s what it takes to play on this Heat team and I just dedicated it to that. I had no idea I would get any minutes, I had no idea what my role would be. I just worked out and it worked out for the best.
When you’re in there at the 5 obviously that’s different than when [Hassan] Whiteside, [Willie] Reed or anyone else is in there. A little more play making and little more space. How do you think that helps the team?
I think it helps our team in different aspects. It helps us get to second side, it helps us get to different options. Dribble hand offs, chases and things like that. At the end of the day, I’m passing it and setting a screen. These guys are coming off and hitting the shots.
Do you like playing it?
I like play making. It’s one of my favorite things to do in the whole basketball game.
Note: Minor edits were made to this interview for clarity. For the unedited version, you can listen here.