Few players over the course of the history of the Miami Heat truly embody the culture that has propelled the organization to three NBA titles in its 29-year existence. Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem may be the most well known, along with Alonzo Mourning, PJ Brown, Tim Hardaway and the classic Heat teams of the 90s.
But the newest addition is James Johnson, the 30-year old journeyman who arrived in the wreckage of Wade’s sudden departure to Chicago. Johnson was signed as a part of an eleventh hour signing spree by the Heat in order to piece together anything resembling a competitive team.
Johnson arrived and immediately bought in, shedding an incredible 37 pounds and nearly 8 percent body fat to get in the best shape of his NBA career. The work off the court proved to be beneficial on the court as Johnson turned into a do-it-all man for the Heat on their way to a 30-11 finish, as they fell just one game short of the playoffs.
Johnson led one of the league’s best bench units (eighth in the NBA in scoring) while expanding his game to another dimension, notching career-highs in points, 3-point percentage, rebounds and assists. He also tallied a career-high with four double-doubles and turned into the go-to option for Erik Spoelstra in close games down the stretch.
But more important than any stat was Johnson’s commitment to the Miami Heat way, something that made him invaluable to the team late in the season and something that just might make him a major part of the Heat’s future as they look to build a contender in the Eastern Conference.
“If people thought it was going to be one of those seasons where a bunch of journeymen came in and the season wasn’t going to be what it has, that’s fine for people to think,” Johnson told Sports Illustrated. “The culture here don’t allow that.”
Best Performance: April 5, 2017 at Charlotte: 26 pts (6-7 3pt), 4 rebs, 3 asts, 2 stls
Johnson’s first start of the season came in game 78 as he got the nod on an important night in Charlotte with the Heat looking to climb back into the playoff race.
In a dominating 13-point win where the Hornets never threatened the Heat’s lead, Johnson paced the team with his third 26-point game of the season including a season-high six 3-pointers on a night where the team set a new franchise record with 21 3-pointers.
It was the culmination of Johnson’s season of development as he, at times, appeared to be the Heat’s best player at any given moment. Johnson would start the final five games of the season for Miami, a stretch where they’d go 4-1 defeating Washington twice and Cleveland.
Interesting Stat: 40.4
While Johnson’s offensive game saw a considerable overhaul, he also graded out as one of the most tenacious defenders in the NBA, with opponents shooting 40.4 percent when guarded by Johnson, a nearly five percent drop off from their usual average.
These types of defensive numbers are comparable to defensive stalwarts like Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green and emerging DPOY candidate in Utah’s Rudy Gobert.
Among players who appeared in more than 70 games this season, Johnson’s defensive differential (-4.8) ranks better than LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Klay Thompson, among others.
Johnson’s defense was his calling card throughout the year even as his offense developed. Among the Heat’s best two-man combinations, Johnson finds himself in five of the top-11 in terms of Defensive Rating.
What We Learned
Out of all the Heat’s reclamation projects over the years (Eddy Curry, Michael Beasley, etc.), James Johnson ranks as the most successful.
It’s rare in the NBA that players have this type of career renaissance but Johnson’s commitment to his fitness and willingness to do whatever necessary on the floor to help the Heat win has endeared him to the coaching staff, organization and its fans.
Ultimately, Johnson became an incredibly reliable option on both ends of the floor, often defending the opponent’s best player and then initiating offense on the other end. The term “point-center” is not an inaccurate description of Johnson’s duties on the floor, as in some lineups he was tasked with guarding the center and bringing the ball up the floor.
His versatility allowed Spoelstra to move him around offensively as well, creating mismatches that twice put the ball in Johnson’s hand at the end of games, first missing a jumper in Detroit to win (Hassan Whiteside tipped it in at the buzzer) and getting called for an offensive foul on a potentially game-winning drive against Cleveland.
Regardless of the lack of direct success, Johnson was the top option offensively late in the season when the Heat absolutely had to have wins.
Where Do We Go From Here?
James Johnson will undoubtedly figure into the Heat’s offseason plans as the unrestricted free agent appears, initially, to be a priority for the team.
In his end of season press conference, team president Pat Riley expressed his admiration for Johnson (as well as other standout Dion Waiters), saying, “I hope that Dion and James and the rest of our free agents like it here enough that we’re going to be fair with them and they’re going to be fair with us.”
For his part, Johnson seems to want to stay with the Heat. “I’m home,” he said after the season. “That’s what it feels like. I love it here. We had a great season. I love the culture here. I’m very passionate about this place.”
Johnson even expressed a desire to sit down with Riley and Waiters to find ways under the salary cap to bring both players back and add a top-tier free agent like Gordon Hayward, Blake Griffin or Chris Paul.
The reality is that no one could’ve predicted career years from players signed simply out of the need to fill out the roster in the wake of a retooling gone horribly wrong. But the Heat now have some tough decisions to make and James Johnson is at the top of that list.
And there is also the wildcard that is the other 29 teams in the league, some of which will surely gauge Johnson’s interest on a long term deal. Much like Luol Deng and Joe Johnson last year, it’s certainly possible that James is offered a lucrative deal elsewhere.
Next: Free agent replacements in case James Johnson leaves
But if he’s serious about working with the Heat within their cap space to stay in Miami while also making room for another potential star, James Johnson will be a fixture of the next era of Miami Heat basketball.