Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Playing with fearlessness
Tyler Johnson is ‘relentless’ on defense
OAKLAND, Calif. — When the Miami Heat lost Dwyane Wade they did not lose the undersized, dealwith-potential-humiliation, chase-down blocked shot. Because in stepped Tyler Johnson.
Going into Tuesday’s game against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena, Johnson, at 6 feet 4, stood second among NBA guards in blocked shots, despite playing as a reserve. An argument could be made that Johnson actually leads that metric, considering he trails only 6-11 Giannis Antetokounmpo in the NBA listings, which have the Milwaukee Bucks ballhandler listed as a guard.
“I got better with the anticipation since I’ve been in the league,” Johnson said after Tuesday’s shootaround at the University of San Francisco. “But I’ve always been able to go chase people down. I think I’ve gotten a lot better at blocking shots that aren’t in transition.”
Coach Erik Spoelstra said it is fearlessness, similar to Wade’s approach, that has positioned Johnson to meet the opposition at the rim.
“He’s relentless to the end of the possession,” Spoelstra said. “A lot of players, particularly shotblockers, won’t put themselves out there, because they’re afraid of getting scored on or dunked on or a highlight play against ’em.
“If you’re not thinking about any of that and putting yourself out there, not giving in to the competition, you’ll make a lot of plays. You’ll also get scored on. And he doesn’t care about that.”
Johnson said his two seasons alongside Wade was a learning experience, with Wade leaving in free agency in July for the Chicago Bulls.
“I definitely watched how he did it,” Johnson said. “I didn’t necessarily take it from him. But I took the mindset of being able to block other players.”
That fearlessness, Spoelstra said, rubbed off on young Heat teammates Wade left behind, such as Johnson and Josh Richardson.
“Most perimeter players wouldn’t have the guts or courage to go up there and make a play, knowing they could be on SportsCenter,” Spoelstra said. “They would bail out and make a halfhearted swipe at the ball and say, ‘I couldn’t get there in time.’
“Dwyane and Tyler and J-Rich, they’re not wired that way. If they’re down there and something happens and there’s a play to be made, they go up there and put themselves out there.”
Not biting
Spoelstra said he finds amusing the talk of
Stephen Curry struggling to find continuity with the Warriors’ offseason addition of Kevin Durant.
“I don’t get into any of that,” he said. “That’s the ebb and flow of the season. Different guys are going to have different nights. What I see is a team that shares the ball exceptionally well. When you share it that well and move it to the open guy, different guys are going to have great nights. You’ve seen that already.
[Klay] Thompson had an historic night, Durant has had his nights.
“Curry, for the people who say this is a down year scoring 25 a game, shooting 41 from three? There are a lot of players that would love to have a year like that.”
Waiters interviewed
Dion Waiters said he has had his interview with NBA security and is not expecting additional sanction from the NBA for his Sunday Flagrant 2 elbow to the head of Los Angeles Clippers guard J.J. Redick.
“It was nothing,” Waiters said. “J.J. said it was nothing. We never had a problem or anything before. It was an accident.” . . . Forward Udonis
Haslem was back with the Heat on Tuesday after missing Monday’s practice with an illness.