As the Miami Heat prepare to begin the 2018-19 NBA season, Erik Spoelstra and company are simply hoping to begin the year at full health. One of the biggest key injuries that they are hoping to get back to full health before the season opens up is that of James Johnson, who has been recovering from sports hernia surgery.
According to a report from Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, Johnson will not play against the San Antonio Spurs in the Heat's first preseason game as he continues his recovery.
James Johnson will not play but did travel to SA for game, and Spoelstra is encouraged with the progress he’s made over the past week. Dion Waiters stayed back in Miami.
— Anthony Chiang (@Anthony_Chiang) September 30, 2018
Johnson is a key part of the Miami bench and his game has improved a lot over the past few seasons. It sounds like he is progressing well and is close to returning to the court.
Last season with the Heat, Johnson ended up averaging 10.8 points to go along with 4.9 rebounds per game. He shot 50.3 percent from the field overall and knocked down 30.8 percent of his 3-point attempts. Those numbers show just how valuable his game is to the Heat.
Miami needs Johnson's offensive ability off the bench, but even more importantly, they need his defense. He is a solid perimeter defender and is more than capable of guarding other teams' prolific scorers. Johnson is also a hard-nosed player with a lot of heart and energy. His versatility is something that has such a high value now more than ever.
Hopefully, Johnson will be able to come back at some point in preseason play. Getting him minutes and back into basketball shape would be a big step in the right direction.
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