Already up against the luxury tax line in June, the Heat had the option of guaranteeing developmental prospect Keshad Johnson’s contract for this season or leaving the roster spot open for an established veteran who would invariably fall through the cracks late in free agency.
That Heat team officials chose to exercise Johnson’s $2 million option spoke volumes about how they regard the second-year Arizona forward, even though he played just 98 minutes last season and even though he doesn’t have a clearly defined position.
“That shows they were [willing to] bet on me,” Johnson said. “If they bet on me, I’ve got to prove them right.”
What’s unclear is the best way to use him. Is Johnson, at 6-6, a power rotation player who can back up at power forward at center? Or is he better suited to be a wing, filling minutes at small forward?
Johnson said he’s equipped to do both.
He noted has guarded taller players “my whole life” and “I can bang with the big fellows. I can guard the guards as well. I try to be whatever the system needs me to be, what the team needs.”
He said he can play more of a power rotation role, if needed, this season because “I’’ve been in weight room every day. I feel I’ve got the heart of a lion. Whether I’m undersized or not, I can compete with anybody.”
After an uneven performance in summer league, Johnson said Erik Spoelstra told him to “be more forceful, take no plays off. [Maintain] my energy the whole time I’m out there. That’s one thing we talked about that he wants to see of me a lot more.”
Johnson shot 18 for 26 overall and 3 for 7 on threes during 16 appearances for the Heat last season but shot just 23.9 percent on threes in 23 games the G-League.
He said he forced himself to make 1,000 three-pointers a week during the summer and he shot better than 60 percent on those unguarded threes.
“If you make 40 percent of threes in games, you will get a lot of money,” he said. “That’s the goal.”
The decision to exercise Johnson’s option, combined with re-signing Dru Smith and signing Precious Achiuwa, essentially prevented a return by Heat free agent guard Alec Burks, whose shooting could have helped while Tyler Herro recovers from ankle surgery.
Johnson has shot 6 for 9 (0 for 1 on threes) in 47 minutes in two preseason gamess, with eight rebounds, eight assists but a team-high six turnovers.
“One of the things that we really liked about him when we worked him out after getting him immediately was his athleticism, and all of his measurables were great,” Spoelstra said Monday.
“Fast, he’s athletic, he’s got great vertical, he’s physical…. One of the things that he’s really improved is he’s able to access those physical attributes more consistently now. That speed end-to-end, the athleticism, the defensive versatility, you just notice it a whole lot more. Part of that is because he’s trained for it. He’s really put in the time. The game is slowing down for him, which has allowed him to speed up his athleticism. That leads to a spark, which I’ve been very encouraged about.”
Giannis report
The Heat has remained interested in trying to acquire Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he never seriously considered any team except the Knicks this past offseason, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday.
The report said the Knicks and Bucks spoke for a while this summer, but the Bucks ultimately did not want to trade him and the two-time MVP did not request a trade.
If Antetokounmpo had asked out, the Heat was prepared to make an offer that did not include Bam Adebayo, according to a source. But it’s unlikely any such offer would have been seriously considered.
If Antetokounmpo requests a trade at some point, it remains to be seen if the Heat would ever change its mind about offering Adebayo. But it’s unlikely that the Bucks star would want to join a Heat team without Adebayo, with whom he shares an agent. So it’s all likely moot.
Antetokounmpo has said publicly that winning is very important to him and he wants to be able to compete regularly for a championship.
Smith making mark
Dru Smith admits that he asked himself what figure skater Nancy Kerrigan famously cried when Tonya Harding’s ex-husband arranged for Kerrigan’s leg to be struck by a baton during the U.S. Figure skating championships in Detroit:
“Why me?”
His luck seemed particularly cruel, considered his torn Achilles’ last September followed a torn ACL the previous season.
But then Smith reconsidered.
“There was a why me [moment],” he said. But “I think of my family a lot and my faith. And I kind of sat back at some point and said, ‘Who am I to ask ‘why me?’ Just take it in stride and try to have a positive outlook.”
After trading Haywood Highsmith to Washington to climb below the luxury tax line, the Heat gave Smith a three-year, $7.9 million contract; only the first year is guaranteed.
“The contract meant a lot to me,” he said. “It showed me they believe in me that I can have an impact whenever I am healthy.”
Smith played well in the Heat’s first two preseason games.
“Dru’s minutes, they just continue to impact the game,” Spoelstra said. “I just think more people notice it now, but the coaching staff noticed it immediately with him years ago. He just impacts the game. He impacts winning. That’s a hard thing sometimes for people to wrap their minds around. He just helps everybody else be who they need to be, because he’s just extremely intelligent.”