AUCH Roundtable: Should Miami Heat give JJ & Dion more time?

Imran Ebrahim (@iebrahim81)

Well, we’ve already seen James Johnson get some run in against the Trailblazers. While it’s likely that it was a result of missing Jimmy Butler, missing Justise Winslow, and a struggling Kelly Olynyk, I think Johnson has played himself into the rotation a little bit more.

In a sweet 22 minutes against Portland, Johnson was able to bring 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and my favorite stat, 2 blocks. However, with Butler and Winslow back, it doesn’t look like there’s an opening at the forward position.

Coach Spo may keep Olynyk in the doghouse for a bit, but I don’t think it’ll result in Johnson getting any more minutes than usual (which is zero). What speaks volumes about the Heat Culture is what Johnson said after the game. He joked that he didn’t expect to get in the game, but that the culture preaches that each player on the bench has to work as hard as a starter would.

I’m sure he’s not happy about not getting any run, but you can tell he actually fits on this team. I can’t say the same about Dion though… as the only reason to play Dion would be to try to boost his trade value a few notches.

Even with some phenomenal performances, you would imagine that an opposing team would need quite the sweetener to take on his contract, and more importantly, his boisterous personality. For now, expect a few more DNPs next to James Johnson’s name and Waiters’ jersey to end up on the Everything Must Go! rack.