In his fourth year in the league, Tyler Johnson is growing into his game.
Any NBA fan should remember the summer of 2016 well, but this becomes especially true for Miami Heat fans.
The chaos of Dwyane Wade leaving for the Chicago Bulls was enough to put everything over the edge. However, soon after that, point guard Tyler Johnson made a name for himself in the contracts. After the Brooklyn Nets had offered him $50 million over four years, the Heat had the right to match the contract, and they did exactly that.
The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Johnson is currently in his fourth year in the NBA, and has played for the Heat since he entered the league in 2014. And although he has consistently improved throughout his time in the league, he still has room to keep improving his game.
After not getting a single start in the 2017-18 season (instead making a great case for Sixth Man of the Year), Johnson has started 25 of 58 games so far this season. Lucky for Johnson, he has had veteran point guard Goran Dragic to learn from.
Despite a lot of other people not believing in him or thinking he was worth the money, the Miami Heat clearly believe him to be a key building block in the young core alongside guys like Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow, and future of this team.
Now we will take a look at what got Johnson to where he is now, how he is playing in the present and what his future potential may hold.
Then
Tyler Johnson was born May 7, 1992, in Grand Forks, North Dakota. After attending high school in California, he played basketball for four years at Fresno State and ended his collegiate career at No. 16 on their all-time scoring list.
In his senior year at Fresno State, Johnson started every game, averaging 15.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
After graduating in 2014, he was not selected in the NBA draft, but was signed as a free agent in August with the Heat. A few months later in October, the Heat waived Johnson, but four days later he entered the G-League with the Heat’s affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Then, in February 2015 he officially re-signed with the Heat and has been with them since.
Early in his career, Johnson was not a huge contributor to the Heat. In his first two seasons, he played in a total of 68 games. Year one, he averaged just 5.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists. Improving in his second year, Johnson averaged 8.7 points, 3 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
As a player just entering the league, Johnson found himself on a Heat team that was in a period of figuring out who they were after the LeBron James exit in summer 2014. In those first and second seasons, the Heat went 37-45 and 48-34.
However, it wasn’t until the 2016-17 season, after Wade’s departure, that the team dynamic began to really shift, which is when Johnson started playing almost 30 minutes a game.
And last year, Johnson began to really show some of his potential, averaging 13.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists.
Now
This year, the Heat have been on a roller coaster ride, between using over a dozen different lineups, injuries aplenty and of course, Wade’s long awaited return. Johnson has played in 58 games this season, missing 10 due to various injuries. While he is posting slightly lower numbers than last year at 12.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, Johnson has had to go back and forth between starting and coming off the bench. A task that is difficult for even the most experienced of players.
Recently, Johnson has been playing more minutes due to Wade’s injury. Obviously, it is not great to have Wade (or any player for that matter) hurt. But, it does give Johnson a little bigger of a role and ultimately, more time on the court.
This season, Johnson has proved that consistency is key. The Heat’s December 30 matchup against the Orlando Magic is just one example of this.
One area that Johnson has always found some strength in, is in his 3-point shooting.
Throughout his four years with the Heat, he has averaged about 37 percent shooting from 3-point range. And while this might not be even close to the best currently in the league, when he is hitting from behind the arc, it can really help spread the floor for his teammates.
Johnson may not always be a player who the Heat can rely on to change the entire momentum of a game, but he certainly can help give them some energy, and a little extra help on both ends of the court when they need it.
What’s To Come
For better or worse, as a young player with a huge contract in hand, Tyler Johnson is probably not leaving the Heat anytime soon. So in time, this team, along with fans, can hope for some more consistent lineups as a result of no more injuries, or at least fewer of them.
Looking at Johnson’s timeline with the Heat, there really have not been a lot of constants as owner Micky Arison, president Pat Riley, head coach Erik Spoelstra and Co. have been trying to figure out what works and what does not, for at least the past few years and one could argue even longer.
While his numbers have declined slightly this season, that should not hold much value considering the number of changes the team has gone through and the various roles and minutes Johnson has had to fill.
However, before trade deadline earlier in the season, there were talks that Johnson might be a player on the chopping block. Although no moves were made this season, the offseason could be a different story and will be something to keep an eye out for. That large contract was great for Johnson, but it will be up to the Heat’s front office as to whether he is a part of the team’s future.
Staying on this season though, fans can only continue to keep hopes high for some kind of consistency before playoff time.
Next: Are the Miami Heat's playoff hopes better off as an eighth seed?
With this, Johnson will be able to improve his game as he already has, and become an even more valuable asset to the Heat.