Johnson prefers role as reserve
Heat power forward hasn’t looked sharp in his 2 preseason starts.
Heat power forward
MIAMI — James Johnson admitted Monday he’s more comfortable coming off the bench.
Johnson struggled in Miami’s first two preseason games, both of which he started, and showed more life in his two games as a reserve, including Monday’s win
over the Charlotte Hornets. In both games, Kelly Olynyk got the start at power forward alongside center Hassan Whiteside.
“I think it was my comfort zone,” said Johnson, who came off the bench for all but five of his 76 games last season. “Just being comfortable in what we did last year and playing with those guys. It’s something I’ve got to work on. I’ve got a new role when I start, and I’ve just got to figure it out
and figure out how to be better.” With coach Erik Spoelstra not committed yet to either lineup, Johnson, one of the team’s most versatile players, said he’s got to do even more if he winds up in the starting lineup.
“More rebounding,” he said. “I’ve got to do more different things to contribute to that first unit. That’s what I’m talking about working on. I need to help Hassan rebound. That also allows my bust-outs and lets (Goran Dragic
and Dion Waiters) run the floor. Then I can get us into sets from
there. Other than that, let them
there. Other than that, let them handle the ball and be who they are.”
Johnson scored four points on 2-of-9 shooting in the first two games. He played 39 minutes, missed all four of his 3-point shots and had three assists and three turnovers. His minus19 was the worst on the team.
Spoelstra said he saw a big improvement the past two games, as Johnson played 51 minutes, scor- ing 21 points, with eight rebounds and eight assists with just one turnover.
“He came in with a tremendous amount of energy and showed his dynamic versatility,” Spoelstra said following Saturday’s game in Orlando. “He was mak- ing plays off the dribble. He was setting other guys up. He was guarding one through four.
“J.J., at his best, does so many different things that help your team. Some of them show up on box scores, some of them ond unit, or he can play don’t. He was much more alongside Hassan.” comfortable last game. Saturday marked the
“I’m not concerned first time this preseason about J.J. He’s so selfless they were on the floor right now. He’s trying to together. make sure everybody else “It’s not like we went feels comfortable.” with two power centers
Although the position is and are trying to beat a work in progress, John- somebody up down low son sounded as if his vote circa-1995,” Spoelstra said. is for Olynyk to start. “That wasn’t the lineup
“I love it,” he said about at all. The more importa lineup with 7-footers ant thing was I thought Olynyk and Whiteside. “I their skill set complements love the way Kelly plays each other, and having and I think he’s a good Kelly out there regardless attribute to Hassan out of the lineup helps your there. He rebounds, plays flow because of his IQ and hard, he’s physical. I think his unique skill set.” that’s the main reason why The starters were on the Hassan was able to get a floor together for about lot more rebounds. Guys 15 minutes Saturday. The are trying to keep Kelly result was much better off the boards.” in the second half, as the
Spoelstra was asked unit went on an 11-0 run what he thought about early in the third quarter the two big men playing and outscored the Magic side-by-side. 17-8 before Spoelstra went
“I don’t really look at it to his bench. On Monday, that way,” he said. “Kelly that group outscored the has a different skill set and Hornets by seven points his ability to shoot and combined at the start of make plays off the drib- the game and second half. ble. We like that. We feel that’s a great fit and can be a good fit with our sec- MIAMI — Need a reminder that Bam Adebayo is a 20-yearold rookie?
Take a look at Adebayo’s performance in Monday’s 109106 preseason win over the Charlotte Hornets. Coach Erik Spoelstra turned to Adebayo in the first half for the first time this preseason, and he wasn’t ready to enter the game.
“I was, honestly,” Adebayo said when asked if he was surprised to get in the game in the first half. “Because I was in the back of the huddle talking to UD (Udonis Haslem) about something that happened. He was like ‘Bam, coach Spo wants you up.’”
Adebayo’s first-half stint lasted just three minutes and eight seconds. Matched up against Hornets center Dwight Howard — a player he’s been compared to — Adebayo committed three quick fouls and the Heat were outscored by 10 points during this quick first-half stretch.
“The biggest lesson right there is you always have to be ready,” Spoelstra said of Adebayo’s first-half play. “I don’t think he thought he was going to go in in the first half. Just the flow of these preseason games when those guys have gotten in, it’s been the last six minutes of the fourth quar- ter when I just make wholesale changes.
“But that’s the life of a young player trying to break in. And the Tyler Johnsons, the Josh Richardsons, and the Rodney McGruders know that world very well. You don’t play for a couple weeks — two or three weeks, if not more — then all of a sudden, boom, coach throws you in there in the sec- ond quarter. And yes, you’re expected to know what’s going on and be productive in those minutes.”
Adebayo, whowas selected by the Heat with the 14th overall pick, finished Monday’s game with zero points on 0-of-4 shooting, two rebounds, one steal and one block in a preseason-high eight minutes.
As expected, Adebayo has shown flashes of potential while proving there’s still plenty of room for improve- ment this preseason. In four games, he’s averaging 2.3 points and 1.5 rebounds in 6.6 minutes.
“It’s a learning experience, you know,” Adebayo said of Monday’s performance. “This is what our fourth game? I’m just going to keep building, keep getting better.”
Heat add Liggins: Miami reached the 20-player presea- son roster limit Tuesday after signing DeAndre Liggins. The 29-year-old out of Kentucky is a familiar face, as he signed two 10-day contracts with the Heat in 2014 and spent two seasons with the organiza- tion’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
“Another player we feel very familiar with, has a lot of the qualities we tend to like and it’s good to bring him back,” Spoelstra said. “We always rooted for him . ... We’re glad to have him back in the Heat family.”
Liggins also has some NBA experience. The 6-foot-6 wing, who can play as a shooting guard and small forward, split last season between the Mavericks and Cavaliers to average 2.5 points and 1.7 rebounds in 12.5 minutes of action in 62 games (19 starts).
Since then, Liggins has had an eventful offseason. He was traded by the Mavericks to the Rockets in June, and the Rockets flipped him to the Clippers as part of the Chris Paul deal. The Clippers traded Liggins to the Hawks in September and Atlanta immediately waived him to make him a free agent, which Miami eventually scooped up.
In total, Liggins has appeared in 119 career NBA games (20 starts) averaging 2.1 points, 1.5 rebounds and 9.9 minutes while shooting 41.4 percent from the field.
“A lot of things went on with me throughout the summer,” Liggins said after practicing with the Heat on Tuesday. “Nothing changed for me. It’s the same formula (with the Heat). We’ve got a great foundation here. Played with the (developmental) league twice and won a championship. It’s the same thing. I’m used to that system.”
Liggins’ deal with the Heat is not a two-way contract, according to a league source.
But the deal is set up to send him to Sioux Falls as a returning player since the last G League action he saw was in 2015-16 with the Skyforce. With Liggins classified as a returning player, he would not count toward the Heat’s four affiliate players.
There are five players on the Heat preseason roster eligible to be moved to Sioux Falls if released — Erik McCree, Derrick Walton Jr., Matt Williams Jr., Larry Drew II and Liggins. With Spoelstra calling this “a no-cut camp,” the 15-man roster is pretty much set with these five players on track to end up with the Skyforce.