2. The Brothers Johnson dilemma
Overall, it’s been an underwhelming season thus far for the duo known as “The Brothers Johnson.” Following a breakthrough season which saw him rewarded with a $60 million contract last summer, James Johnson has not had the impact the Heat certainly would’ve anticipated.
In 50 games, the senior Johnson has averaged 10.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 26.6 minutes per game. But unlike his performances last season, Johnson has been plagued by inconsistency. While coach Spoelstra has repeatedly stated that scoring is not Johnson’s primary source of value, his drop in this department has certainly hurt the Heat this season.
During their 30-11 finish to last season, Johnson was vital in averaging 13.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. Furthermore, he averaged 11.3 field goal attempts per game, which has dropped noticeably to 8.4 per game this season. As a result, Johnson has already had 25 games this season in which he has scored in single figures.
Recently, Johnson commented on his noted struggles this season:
"“….there’s a point in time that you have to look yourself in the mirror and no matter second group, first group, I was playing terrible…..hopefully I can start being a little bit more aggressive in our offense.”"
Coach Spoelstra also shared his thoughts on Johnson’s performances:
"“Everybody will notice if he scores points. It’s not about that. It’s about leadership, his captaincy, No. 1. No. 2, then those defensive inspiring plays. He was guarding one through four, one through five when he was on Drummond and Griffin virtually all the minutes he was out there. Doing it without fouling, playing all the pick-and-rolls, it’s inspiring for our guys. They really follow his lead when he does that. And then obviously on the other end, he just brings great versatility. It’s tough to scout for a player like that. So is he in his comfort zone off the bench? I don’t know, but we’re going to need more of that going down the stretch.”"
As Spoelstra alluded to, Johnson has now gone back to his accustomed role with the second unit, having played all but five games last season off the bench. So with a return to his accustomed role, the Heat will be hoping to see more highlights such as this earlier this season:
https://twitter.com/World_Wide_Wob/status/921894461835239424
As for Tyler Johnson, he has also regressed after a career-season last year. In fact, Johnson’s shooting percentages have regressed over the past three seasons, from 48.6 percent from the field to 43.3 percent to this season’s return of 41.7 percent. Like James Johnson, his field goal attempts have dropped this season from 11.3 per game last season to 9.9 this season.
In essence, Johnson’s confidence has dipped this season, and the numbers have shown. Considering he is owed $38.5 million over the final two years of his contract, this certainly represents a concern. Among Johnson’s shortcomings this season is the fact that he already has 10 games of scoring four points or less. Contrast this to last season, when this occurred on just five occasions over the course of the entire season.
Given the Heat’s consistent injury rate, Johnson’s role as a starter and a reserve has fluctuated, starting 19 times, and coming off the bench for the remaining 31 games. Whatever his role, Johnson’s production has been a key indicator for the Heat. In the 15 games this season when Johnson has scored 16 points or more, the Heat have posted an 11-4 record. In contrast, the Heat have been 3-7 this season when he has posted four points or less.
So while the Brothers Johnson have had an unsettling season thus far, the Heat will be hoping for results like the final game prior to the All-Star break. Despite the Heat coming up short, James Johnson posted 22 points, five rebounds and four assists while shooting 8-of-10 overall from the field. For his part, Tyler Johnson posted 12 points and six assists while hitting 2-of-3 from long range. As Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel tweeted during the game:
The Tyler Johnson-James Johnson thing is back. The Bros.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) February 15, 2018
Only time will tell if this can continue moving forward.