Erik Spoelstra says James Johnson’s role isn’t “dramatically different.”
He still wants the 6-9, 250-pound power forward to have the ball in his hands, to create offense for his teammates, to attack the basket at the right moments. That’s a lot of what Johnson did when he helped spearhead the Heat’s 30-11 finish last season before signing a four-year, $60 million deal to stay in Miami last summer.
Spoelstra has simply asked Johnson to do what he does in a different way – in an offense with several new wrinkles in it (mainly dribble handoffs) – and in fewer minutes because the roster now includes Kelly Olynyk and rookie Bam Adebayo.