Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Johnson should have the stomach for quick return
MIAMI —Miami Heat power forward James Johnson went through a full practice and then some Tuesday as he returns from a stomach illness that caused him to miss the past 1 1⁄2 games.
After the Heat’s practice, which preceded the team’s trip to Cleveland for a Wednesday game against the Cavaliers, Johnson was seen working with center Bam Adebayo, forward Derrick Jones Jr. and guard Wayne Ellington in two-on-two action.
“Got hydrated, bounced back,” said Johnson.
He missed Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and did not play in the second half of Friday’s home win against the Cavaliers.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra offered that Johnson “looks much better.”
As for the overtime put forth in practice, Johnson said it’s nothing extraordinary.
“That’s just normal routine,” he said. “You see a lot of guys up here after practice. We do this. We’re not fake gym rats. We’re all in here.
“[We] love to work, love to put in that grind. Sick or not, I would’ve been doing this.”
Johnson documented the series of events on Friday as he attempted to get back into the game but still felt the ill effects.
“I felt like not even with that game I could’ve helped my team out,” Johnson said. “At that particular time, before I asked to get subbed out and walked to the locker room, I couldn’t get it done with that game. And it’s not fair to none of my guys, none of my teammates.
“I tried to go back out there toward the end of the second [quarter]. Halftime, it didn’t get no better. It was what it was.
“If I can’t help my team win, I’m not going to be the guy who hurts us.”
Illness had been spreading throughout the team.
While Johnson was out Sunday, Ellington and forward Udonis Haslem were available but did not play. Haslem was not with the Heat on Friday because of illness, and Ellington missed Saturday’s practice because of a stomach flu and required an IV.
New Year’s resolutions:
The Heat look to build on a positive month of December, when they went 9-5, and keep that momentum going into January.
For center Hassan Whiteside, a basketball New Year’s resolution is half about continuing what he’s doing and half about incorporating something new in his game.
“Just keep going hard,” Whiteside said. “And maybe push the ball a little more. You know, [be more of a] point center. We’ll see.”
Whether Spoelstra will allow Whiteside to play as a point center may be a different story. However, the Heat coach is more likely to be in favor of something else Whiteside wants to see at the turn of the month and calendar year.
“It starts with our defense,” Whiteside said. “I think we were the No. 1 defense in December. Let’s keep building off that. I think that’s a great formula for us.”
Josh Richardson agrees. “It starts with getting stops,” he said. “We locked down on defense this past month, and that’s where it all starts.”
Spoelstra sees the benefits of Miami’s team defense impacting the offensive end as well.
“Our defense is so important,” he said. “That’s led to some success, and our offense became a little more efficient when we got our turnovers down.
“It still needs to get better, getting into our strength zones more often. [But] both sides of the ball we’re trending in the right direction — or a better direction than in the summer.”
Dwyane Wade doesn’t have much to resolve at this point in his Hall of Fame career, but he offered a New Year’s resolution off the hardwood.
“Be a better person each year, all the way around the board — father, son, husband, friend, all those things,” he said. “And just try to continue to keep growing every year.”