Teammates tell Johnson: Just be yourself
Freeing his mind spurs one of forward’s best performances of season.
WASHINGTON — James Johnson didn’t hold back Thursday when asked about his slow start. And for one of the few times this season, Johnson didn’t let anything hold him back on the court in Friday’s win over the Wizards.
Just one day after describing his performances to start the year as “terrible” and saying that it’s “killing myself every day, every night,” Johnson played with a free mind in Washington. It resulted in one of the versatile forward’s best performances of the young season.
Johnson, 30, finished with 20 points, five rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes off the Heat’s bench Friday. He will look to carry that momentum into today’s home game against the Pacers.
“It’s nice to play without thinking,” Johnson said after putting together that impressive stat line. “All these guys believe in me. My teammates, they want it and need it from me. It’s just stepping up, you know. Like I said, it wasn’t
my character these last two games. Tonight you guys got to see it.”
Aside from the obvious numbers, one of the most encouraging aspects of Johnson’s performance was his 14 shot attempts. Entering Friday’s contest, Johnson was playing too passively, averaging just 5.8 shots per game over the past four contests.
That aggressiveness needs to be part of Johnson’s on-court persona, whether it comes in the form of shot attempts, defense or leadership.
“The J.J. that makes us go is the guy that leads that locker room, and that started yesterday, by stepping in front of all of you and taking responsibility,” coach Erik Spoelstra said to reporters in Washington. “And he didn’t need to do that. We’re not putting it all on J.J. But he has that kind of emotional stability and maturity to set the tone for that locker room, that we need to get better. And you 12.4 points, 5.5 rebounds tract with Miami last season. just start with him. and 4.1 assists in 14 games “We understand that J.J. is
“He brought it yesterday, this season compared with important to our success,” brought it today, brought an last year’s 12.8 points, 4.9 said veteran forward Udonis incredible competitive disrebounds, 3.6 assists. But Haslem, who is one of the position. It’s not whether he the expectations are different three team captains along scores 20. That’s never been this season after he signed a with Goran Dragic and JohnJ.J.’s impact on this team. four-year, $60 million conson. “We need him to be in It’s all encompassing: leadtract with the Heat in July. tune mentally. Physically, ership, competitiveness and Miami doesn’t want John- your body is going to go having a force of will that the son’s new deal to change his through a lot of different guys follow. And you saw game, though. It wants him to changes over a long season, that tonight.” play like the guy who caught injuries and different things
Johnson’s numbers are everybody by surprise while like that. So you’re not going very similar to last season’s: on a one-year, $4 million con- to feel great every night. But mentally is where we need J.J. involved every night.
“I just continue to stay on him and tell him, ‘We need you to be 16. Be No. 16. Six- teen is good enough. Sixteen is actually more than good enough. You be 16, you give us the best chance we have to win.’”
Dragic said he drove to the airport with Johnson for Thursday’s flight to Washington and shared an important message with him.
“I was just giving him advice, some positivity,” Dragic said of their car ride. “I told him not to take so much negativity, because then you get in a bubble, and it’s hard to produce. He was just thinking negative things. I told him every game is different, and if you make a mistake, put it in a box and remember the good things you did like when you box out, score.”
That’s the message all of Johnson’s Heat teammates have shared with him during his inconsistent start to the season.
“The Dragon came up and talked to me. Hassan, Dion, of course Udonis,” Johnson said of the encouragement he’s received. “Just take heed, play my game and be 16 out there.”
And that’s exactly what Johnson did Friday.
“J.J. is a very instinctual player,” Haslem said. “He has good basketball instincts. He just has to trust his instinct.”