Johnson flourishes coming off bench
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — James Johnson clearly had something left in reserve. He now appears to have found the proper fit to unleash his unique talents.
In the wake of a string of stagnant games, Johnson flourished off the bench in Tuesday’s victory over the Portland Trail Blazers at the start of the Miami Heat’s five-game trip. He closed with 15 points and six rebounds. It was his highest-scoring game since Jan. 4 and matched his highest rebound total since Jan. 15.
The performance came on a night coach Erik Spoelstra opted for Kelly Olynyk as his starting power forward.
“We needed change,” said Johnson, who had started in his 33 previous appearances. “Coach Spo did his job in the aspect of shaking things up. Like we said in the beginning, our minutes are not gifted and we have to work for it. I was in a slump and he thought Kelly belonged better in that first unit, and I have to agree.”
Spoelstra had held off on the switch in hopes of Johnson pushing through his recovery from May surgery for a sports hernia and looking more like the player who sparked the Heat’s 30-11 finish to 2016-17.
“Look, we’ve had to make a few changes with the starting lineup,” Spoelstra said before turning his attention to Friday’s game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden1 Center. “That’s just the way it’s been going. We went with KO. I think he complemented that group well, and then JJ just came alive.
“That’s the James Johnson that we’ve all come to love — really impactful on both ends.”
That included a needed 3-pointer when the Blazers had trimmed a 15-point deficit to one with 6:05 to play. Johnson closed that decisive final period with a team-high nine points.
It clearly was a more aggressive Johnson, and his 11 shot attempts were as many as he had taken in the previous four games combined. He acknowledged he had deferred to the team’s emerging players while starting alongside Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow.
“That first unit got young killers that are really having great years,” he said. “As long as they’re being aggressive, making the right reads, making the right play, you got to lay in the weeds a little bit and do what’s needed for the team, like defense, rebound and things like that. And didn’t get it at first.
“I come back from injury and I’m expecting it all to just be there for me. Not the case, so I had to step up and accept the challenge.”
So instead, Johnson took the floor for practice Monday alongside veterans Dwyane Wade and Dion Waiters and found a fit.
“I wanted to be more relentless and I wanted to be obsessed with winning more,” Johnson said. “When you say something like that out loud and to the guys, men like me stand by what you say, so I felt I had to come out like that. I hope it’s the start of a great energy for me and I can keep coming out like that.”
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