Miami Heat: 5 goals for Tyler Johnson in 2017-18
By Simon Smith
1. Win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award
This is certainly within reach of Johnson this season. Not only does it seem that Johnson’s sharp rise will continue this season, but an offseason move by the Heat could result in his influence off the bench being felt even more.
This past summer the Heat brought in free-agent Kelly Olynyk to shore up their frontcourt. A seven-footer with the ability to stretch the floor and play both the 4- and 5-spots, it’s likely that Olynyk will take the place of forward James Johnson in coming off the bench and providing a spark in those spots on the floor.
Also with the departure of Luke Babbitt, who started 55 games last season as the team’s stretch-4, Johnson is expected to be given every chance to make this spot his own this season. As a key reserve, Johnson’s impact was recognized by coming fifth in voting the Sixth Man of the Year Award.
So with one Johnson now likely starting, this leaves even more room for the other Johnson to excel off the bench and demonstrate the swift progress he has made over his 141 career games. There’s no reason Johnson can’t use this extra responsibility to push his case.
Don’t think for a second Johnson is anything less than being more determined than ever. A recent post he made on Instagram highlighted a recent piece from Bleacher Report, which stated he had the third-worst contract among point guards in the league.
Johnson tied for 11th in Sixth Man of the Year voting last season. Some of the players ranked ahead of him included Zach Randolph, Vince Carter and Jamal Crawford. While these players are certainly in their twilight years, Johnson is still on the rise.
Furthermore, last year’s winner Eric Gordon, is likely to have a slightly reduced impact with the arrival of Chris Paul in Houston.
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But most of all, if Johnson’s star continues to rise, and the Heat continue on from their impressive finish to last season, the 6’4″ Fresno State product has every chance to wing the league’s leading reserve award.