National Basketball Association

Miami Heat player preview: Tyler Johnson

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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With Dwayne Wade gone and Josh Richardson hobbled to start the season, Miami Heat guard Tyler Johnson could excel this season.

Tyler Johnson has done pretty well for himself this summer.

He re-signed with the Miami Heat for $50 million over four seasons. He then celebrated his contract signing by purchasing an impressive $5 million Pinecrest mansion. Not bad for an undrafted player out of Fresno State.

Whilst Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson were terrific finds as rookies for the Heat last season, ‘Bumpy’ could almost place himself in the same category.

Johnson has played just 68 games in the NBA since his debut on January 13, 2015. His initial stint with the Heat came via the D-League, where he was playing with the Heat’s affiliate Sioux Falls Skyforce. It wasn’t until the completion of two separate 10-day contracts that the Heat fully invested in him, signing him until the end of this past season.

And despite the off-season departure of franchise legend Dwyane Wade, Johnson has his work cut for him this season. The Heat find themselves with a rather crowded backcourt. Incumbant guards Goran Dragic, Richardson and Beno Udrih feature along with newcomers Dion Waiters and Wayne Ellington.

Each player obviously brings different skills to the table, and the process of managing these players and finding the right combinations will likely determine which guards play the most minutes.

Above are some of Johnson’s highlights from his D-League journey prior to the NBA.

Let’s break down what Johnson has done, what his strengths and weaknesses are, and project what comes next for the upstart guard.

Last season/Breakout Game

Whilst Johnson made notable strides last season, his season was cut short due to injury. This resulted in him missing the last 40 games of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs. In the 36 games he played, he certainly showed glimpses of his potential.

Overall, he averaged 8.7 points per game on 48 percent shooting in 24 minutes per game. This is a clear improvement on the 5.9 points per game on 42 percent shooting in 18 minutes per game he produced as a rookie.

Whilst his numbers improved notably in his second season, Johnson’s”coming of age”or breakout game came in just the twelfth game of his career. Coming off the bench against the Phoenix Suns, Johnson posted 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting in just 26 minutes of play.

As can be seen from the highlights provided, Johnson contributed in a number of ways. Drives to the rim, backdoor cuts, mid-range jumpers and catch-and-shoot three-pointers amongst his array of scoring options.

He certainly looked comfortable both playing off the ball with Dragic for spot-up looks, whilst also demonstrating the ability to create his own shot. His 3-for-3 from three-point range is no shocker, considering he shot 37.5 percent from three-point range in his rookie season.

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Johnson’s strengths

Johnson has a number of attributes that can help any team, not just the Heat. His tenacity when playing is self-evident. Defensively, like his game overall, Johnson goes all-out. At 6-foot-4 with terrific athleticism, Johnson is equally apt at guarding both backcourt positions.

And its not just the level of intensity which he displays on a nightly basis. He has had to fight his way into the league via the D-League, having been shown little interest coming out of college.

Over his first two seasons at Fresno State, he averaged just 6.9 points per game on 42.7 percent shooting in 23.5 minutes per game. By his senior year, these numbers had leapt to 15.9 points per game on 48 percent shooting in 33.6 minutes per game.

As a lowly recruited player coming out both high school and college, Johnson has had to work for everything. He exemplifies the Pat Riley mantra. Therefore, his rapid improvement in his short time in the NBA should come as no surprise.

The Heat clearly see huge upside, as has been evident in his short time on South beach.

In his 68 appearances for the Heat, there have been 21 games in which he has attempted eight or more field goal attempts. His numbers for those games are: 14.7 points per game; 56.4 field goal percentage; 30 minutes per game; 21 usage rate.

Considering he has averaged 16.9 for usage rate overall, this doesn’t represent an enormous jump. But it certainly does represent supreme efficiency, as can be seen by the incredible shooting percentages he has produced in these games.

In order to get the most out of an attacking point guard like Goran Dragic, an efficient backcourt partner would be seen as a great fit, and Johnson certainly fits the bill there.

In the new era of analytics, attempting the most bang-for-your-buck field goals is certainly the new direction for efficiency. Or more specifically, getting to the rim and three-point shooting.

This past season, 44 percent of Johnson’s total field goal attempts were attempted at the rim, with a conversion rate of 63.4 percent. Further, 25.4 percent of his total shots were from behind the three point line, with a 39.5 percent conversion rate. These numbers alone are very impressive, and could potentially become even better.

Continuing with the analytical approach, there were a number of factors behind Dragic not reaching his potential alongside Wade. One large factor to take into account is the percentage of baskets made unassisted. This past season, where Wade ranked fifth in the league for usage rate, just 28.3 percent of Wade’s baskets were unassisted.

Compare that to Johnson at 57.6 percent and the distinction is clear. Whilst Johnson is highly apt at getting to the rim, playing off the ball and within the team structure is clearly one of his great strengths.

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Johnson’s weaknesses

Whilst Johnson has excelled to this point both at the rim and from behind the three-point line, there are some others which require improvement.

Per Basketball Reference, last season Johnson shot at just 40 percent from between three to ten feet. Also, he made just 42 percent on his shots between 16 feet and the the three-point line. There are some other causes for concern also on the offensive end.

Last season, Johnson took over the starting point guard position for a four-game stretch in place of the injured Goran Dragic. Johnson’s lack of experience and polish became evident during this stretch.

Over his 36 games last season, Johnson had an average Box Plus/Minus of +0.3 for the season, per NBA.com. During this four-game stretch, however, he posted an average of -13.8. This stat looks at how teams perform with a certain player on the court. Whilst he averaged 1.3 turnovers per game for the season, this rate jumped to 2.8 in this stretch. The Heat lost each of the four games Johnson started by an average of 19 points.

It is clear that Johnson is not a natural point guard, and that much improvement will be required to bring him up to such a level. With an increase in competition for playing time this season, this area of his game is going to be crucial.

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The 2016-17 season

For a player used to challenges, the coming season should come naturally to Johnson. Despite signing a large contract, the Heat have a number of players vying for playing time in the backcourt.

A recent injury to Josh Richardson could open the door for Johnson to establish himself to commence the season. Ironically, it was Johnson’s mid-season injury last year that helped Richardson thrive as a rookie.

The Chris Bosh scenario will also factor into Johnson’s prospects. With still no resolution to Bosh’s recurring blood clots on the horizon, a worst-case scenario is certainly something the Heat will be considering.

In that instance, the Heat would likely look to go small and feature a mix of players at the three and four spot. This could mean Justise Winslow plays more at the 4, and both Richardson Dion Waiters featuring at the 3 more regularly. As a result, this would free up time in the backcourt for Johnson to capitalize upon.

Regardless of the uncertainty, Johnson is everything the Heat look for in a player – fearless, hardworking, selfless. Furthermore, Johnson certainly appears to be a late bloomer. The rapid improvement he has made in his short time in Miami should be highly encouraging moving forward. Remember, he is still just 24.

Head coach Erik Spoelstra will be rapt in that knows what he is going to get out of Johnson. Flat-out hustle and energy every minute he’s on the court. A skill-set that can be highly complimentary to a number of different lineups.

If Johnson can further improve his strengths and iron out some deficiencies, that large contract he signed in the summer should prove a worthy investment.