Joe Johnson has been in the NBA for 15 years. Over that period of time, he’s played in five different places: Boston, Phoenix, Atlanta, Brooklyn, and now Miami. He has played with some of the best basketball players on Earth under some really outstanding coaches. Basically, for Johnson to learn something new at this stage of his career, it would take something really special.
However, as Johnson told the Miami Herald, his short time in Miami has led to him seeing things that he has never seen in his NBA career. Johnson joined the Heat on Saturday after he was bought out by the Nets, and so far, it’s been an eye-opening experience.
Even in his first two days with the Heat, Johnson said he has “seen a lot of things I haven’t seen in my 15-year career. I’ve been impressed.”
Such as?
“The weight training program, how guys are so together and down for one another. That’s a great bond and that’s how you become a winning team.”
Johnson has appeared in two games so far with the Heat, and through those he’s looked great. The sample size can’t be much smaller, but Johnson is averaging 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in those games. It remains to be seen if the 34-year-old can play like this consistently, but if he does, maybe the new things he’s learning with the Heat deserve some credit.
