Former Miami Heatle James Johnson stopped by for his turn on The OGs podcast. Between him and Udonis Haslem, there hasn’t been so much muscle in a space since Peter Clemenza and Rocco Lampone schemed to take out Pauli Gatto in The Godfather.    

 

JJ’s combination of stature and weight- 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds- plus black belt status was rare and perhaps the perfect archetype for an ancient NBA enforcer. Opponents who got in his face didn’t know how much danger they were in. Remember, he’s undefeated in three mixed martial arts fights and started training at age five.

 

Serge Ibaka once had the temerity to get physical with JJ. He caught a two-piece in the face and instantly realized his heart wasn’t in it. Johnson served a one-game suspension. 

 

He was the teammate you wanted if things got hot on the court with a rival or when you wanted to go out for a good time. 

 

Who can forget when he backed up Goran Dragić after Robert Covington’s shove?

 

And he was the first to defend Hassan Whiteside when Taurean Prince slammed him.

 

Johnson was drafted 16th by the Chicago Bulls in 2009. He didn’t play that many minutes that year but was satisfied because he got to watch Derrick Rose’s ascension.

 

Then, seven years later, he landed in Miami with the Heat after two stops with Toronto, one with Sacramento and Memphis, and with G-League squads Rio Grande Valley and Iowa.

 

Johnson said the Heat’s never-settle mentality was encouraging and required the best version of oneself. He lost “35-to-40 pounds” transitioning with the group and still keeps the same personal chef from that time, whom Haslem recommended.

 

He spoke highly of coach Erik Spoelstra. “[He is] another person that won’t let you settle… meets you halfway. We can be in [the film room], and he’ll be like, ‘Do you guys want me to figure it out, or are you guys going to figure it out?’”

 

On top of that, Spoelstra has some of Heat president Pat Riley’s blunt delivery, based on JJ’s revelations. Spoelstra said once, “I feel weakness in this group.” So practice included teammates discussing their shortcomings and those of their peers. JJ remarked, “Everybody was sitting in that joint tensed up.”

 

In the 2016-17 season, the team’s first after Dwyane Wade left, Johnson was one of the pivotal pieces of the Heat’s 30-11 second-half season spurt. “We [were] the hottest team on the planet… when we [were] done with that year, I dropped tears,” he said. They infamously went 11-30 to start. 

 

He performed so well that the Heat rewarded him with a four-year, $60 million contract.

 

The spiders say Riley was not thrilled with his weight for the training camp before he was moved. The Heat’s president argued with Johnson’s agent about it. The squad then traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves in February 2020 as part of a three-team deal that brought back Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill to Miami from the Memphis Grizzlies. The Heat sent Dion Waiters and Justise Winslow to Memphis. 

 

Of note: Johnson was a natural guest in his first-ever podcast appearance.

 

 If the kickboxing world were what it is today years ago, he would’ve stuck with fighting, he said on the show.

 

Haslem asked what he could do if he started training seriously for a fight with UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Johnson thinks he’d beat the man. 

 

Johnson is like former Heat assistant coach and 1975 NBA MVP Bob McAdoo in that he quickly develops skills for any hobby. He’s got a decent golf swing and can breakdance. 

 

His introduction to basketball was agreeing to play a three-on-three tournament with his best friend.

 

Haslem was a witness to Johnson’s wedding. 

 

Johnson is now a reserve with the Pacers and a respected locker room voice. He has become his group’s Haslem, unofficially spreading Heat culture. “Same thing I tell all the other guys- [Obi Toppin], [Tyrese Haliburton]- a lot of the things that [Haslem] preached to me, got me through dark days and stuff like that, I definitely share all that with them.”

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The Denver Nuggets extended Jamal Murray’s contract. It’s a hefty four-year, $208 million deal at age 27. While never receiving All-Star honors, he may be the no.1 veteran player in the NBA without it on his résumé because of his Playoff work.

 

He has been one of the most accurate snipers over the past five seasons. Considering Murray’s status as the team’s second-best player and how key pieces have left in the past two summers (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown, Jeff Green), the group will need his highest attendance since 2018-19 and the top efficiency of his career. 

 

This deal needed to get done, despite Murray not looking like himself while playing for Team Canada in the Olympics and laboring through a calf injury in the postseason. When he is healthy, the Blue Arrow is one of the top guards in the league because of his elusiveness, post-game, ball protection, strength and deep jumper. 

 

Last season, 66.3% of Murray’s two-pointers were logged without the help of a teammate. The other Nuggets assisted on 60% of his trifectas. This is a premium because it takes pressure off the reigning MVP, Nikola Jokić, from creating something through a handoff or absorbing a double team.

 

Additionally, he spent 63.8% of his time checking guards on defense, holding them 41.8% shooting, per the NBA’s matchup data. 

 

His connection with Jokić makes them the best duo in the league, too. Losing half of that down the line would have been devastating. In Nuggets all-time Playoff history, Murray is fifth in rebounding (318), fourth in steals (72), second in minutes (2,522), second in points (1,571), second in assists (401) and first in 3-point makes (172). Don’t forget the countless big-time moments, either. 

 

Another reason the deal was important: Jokić is at his apex and shouldn’t have to carry the group through another season without a no.2 option. He had to in 2021-22, resulting in his second MVP crown. But the Nuggets tasted champagne in June 2023—strong regular seasons won’t cut it anymore as long as the generational center is on board.

 

Furthermore, the Nuggets need elevated accuracy from Murray at the rim. Only 16.6% of his attempts came there last season, but he made 65.2%, which is slightly below average. 

 

And when Jokić sits, he needs to get more out of his teammates. Twenty-and-a-half of his passes went to the Serbian, but next on the list was Aaron Gordon at 5.8 and Michael Porter Jr. at 4.8 feeds per game. Keep in mind, AG converted 52.6% of his two-pointers on Murray’s passes, and MPJ made 43% of his trays. Yet, these dishes aren’t resulting in enough field goal attempts. The Nuggets’ offense- 11th in total feeds and third in assists- could be a factor, but he needs a secondary go-to partner. 

 

Christian Braun needs a third-year leap:

 

Murray said Braun was his project in April because the vet has high expectations for his teammate who is likely the starting shooting guard. The latter is entering his third season, a pivotal one for himself and the Nuggets.

 

At this point, he is a durable release valve. Braun made 37.7% of his catch-and-shoot triples in 2023-24 and over two-thirds of his twos were assisted. 

 

Adding to his offensive arsenal and emerging as the point-of-attack pest is essential. His accuracy drops significantly on attempts with at least two dribbles or more. This needs to improve because the Nuggets need another dribble threat to get to the rim so Murray and Jokić don’t get burnt out.  

 

On defense, he will likely get put on the other team’s best perimeter player since KCP left for the Orlando Magic. This role will require constant communication plus will use lots of his energy. It’s one of the most consequential jobs on the squad.

 

What can Russell Westbrook bring?:

 

The backup point guard role is locked up by a former MVP (2016-17) with plenty of juice left. He’s not as fast as he used to be, but still quicker than most. He’ll be a transition weapon after grabbing a defensive rebound or when catching a pass from Jokić while running a vertical route. 

 

In 2023-24, Westbrook was still creating separation,  generating 6.9 paint points, which was a higher average than All-Stars (Damian Lillard), Tyrese Haliburton (6.5), Stephen Curry (5.9) and Paul George (5.6).  Also 1.7 of his digits came on the break.

 

Presumably, Westbrook and Murray’s minutes will be staggered since the former’s deep and mid-range jumper is not dependable. Opponents can sag off Westbrook and trap the pass. 

 

Westbrook is capable of playing well on defense but has gambling habits. If they persist, he won’t be a consistent option late in matches. 

 

Yet, his experience, work ethic, and leadership qualities make him a positive influence on the Nuggets’ young, developing players, Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther. 

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The WNBA is in the final phase of the regular season as teams have seven or eight games left. The MVP race is likely over, courtesy of A’j Wilson’s historical campaign. Rookie of the Year was decided months ago- Caitlin Clark is one of the best in the league and better than any perimeter player on America’s Olympic team.

But there are others who deserve praise, too. Let’s review.

Connecticut Sun peaking 

 

In August, the Sun went 5-2 and registered 15.1 fastbreak points and 21 off turnovers, first in the W in both categories. The record is 24-8 overall.

 

DiJonai Carrington is a game-changing defender. Her work guarding the point of attack slows down the other squad’s offense and generates transition for the Sun.

 

Marina Mabrey supplies shot creation off the bench, taking pressure off Alyssa Thomas to organize everything. Mabrey’s integration has helped the Sun rise from a good to a great team. She was the difference maker in the Sun’s trip to New York on Aug. 24, registering 15 points, six rebounds and four dimes. Mabrey and a 2025 second-round pick were traded by the Chicago Sky to the Connecticut Sun on July 17th for Rachel Banham, Moriah Jefferson, two first-round picks, and one pick swap. 

 

Thomas impacts the game as a playmaker, rebounder and high-impact defender. 

 

DeWanna Bonner is still a top-notch scorer, functional as a pick-and-pop sniper and eats at the rim. 

 

And Brionna Jones is an efficient paint scorer and disruptor at an All-Star level. Last year, Jones played in 13 of 40 games because she tore her right Achilles tendon.

 

On top of that, the Sun get to the line and convert more than any other squad (22.3, 16.8) and are tied with the New York Liberty for the strictest defensive rating (94.9). 

 

The Sun, Lynx and Liberty are the top teams in 2024. 

 

Buy stock on Angel Reese

 

Angel Reese is having a record-setting season and, with some polishing, will become an elite player. 

 

Her screening and rebounding prowess are winning assets. Others want to play with someone that extends or denies possessions and gets them open. Reese’s defense is potent and so is her one-on-one coverage plus helping. And she’s powered by an unrelenting motor.

 

But she’s not a scoring threat. Over three-quarters of her tries come within five feet of the cup, yet she converts  43.6% at close range. 

 

Her offseason focus should be fixing her moves near the basket. She must raise that mark to at least 68%. In time, she and Kamilla Cardoso could be one of the top tandems in the W.

 

As a rookie, she’s set the new standard for rebounding and has 10 outings with at least 15 boards. A’ja Wilson was on pace to break Sylvia Fowles’ rebounding record, but Reese passed her, claiming it herself. 

 

Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman recently gave her thoughts on Reese on the Stephen A. Smith Show.  Lieberman said, “She’s not the biggest player on the court. She’s not the fastest player on the court. She is tenacious.”

 

Wilson’s season for the ages

 

Wilson is a combo of strength and finesse. She’s a post and face-up monster. Without a double team, the opponent doesn’t have a chance. Barring some apocalyptic-level collapse for the Las Vegas Aces, she should secure her third MVP crown.

 

Some of her efficiency has dropped, but it’s from the increased usage (second in the WNBA) and putting the team on her team shoulders. 

 

Most of her attempts come in the paint non-restricted area (37.1), and she’s still taking 7.5 freebies nightly, the most in the league, and making 85.8%. Keep in mind that she takes more mid-range shots than at 0-3 feet, too. Her work at the line is outstanding and leads to wins- when a player gets to the stipe at high volume, they are punishing the opponent with foul trouble. Plus players like Wilson give their team a breather and if the last charity shot goes in, it usually prevents the now retreating squad from getting taken on the break. 

 

While some teammates performed below standard, Wilson took her game to Mt. Olympus. She is recording 4.8 points per contest more than the second-leading scorer in the league, Arike Ogunbowale. She is also tied with Cynthia Cooper for the highest points-per-game average of all time (21). Notably, Wilson’s done it, shooting 3.9% higher for her career. 

 

Kelsey Mitchell’s productive August 

 

Mitchell was the W’s second-leading scorer (25.2) and the Fever’s second-most important player in August as her team went 5-1. She’s one of the top open-court players because of her speed and shot making ability plus is the perfect partner for Caitlin Clark. Mitchell recorded 25 fastbreak digits over that span, 44% of the Fever’s production in that set.  Additionally, she was tied for second in fastbreak points in August with Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream) and Kahleah Copper (Phoenix Mercury) behind DiJonai Carrington (Connecticut Sun, 34).

 

Furthermore, Mitchell had excellent 3-point accuracy on a  large monthly volume- 43.4% on 8.8 attempts. It was the second-leading mark on the team behind Lexie Hull’s grand sharpshooting- 70.8% on four hoisted deep looks per game. 

 

She is effective because she moves well without the ball and is elusive. When Clark is up top, Mitchell can easily slice up the baseline with a catch-and-score.  She’s a blur in the half-court and tough to track if she runs her opponents through stagger and flare screens.

NBA legends and pioneers caught an undeserved stray from Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards when interviewed by the Wall Street Journal:

 

“I didn’t watch it back in the day so I can’t speak on it. They say it was tougher back then than it is now, but I don’t think anybody had skill back then. [Michael Jordan] was the only one that really had skill, you know what I mean? So that’s why when they saw Kobe [Bryant], they were like, ‘Oh, my God.’ But now everybody has skill.”

 

It’s a shame he didn’t know better. 

 

Wilt Chamberlain, on top of being the greatest athlete the league ever saw, possibly all sports, erased opponents’ shots and had a mean fadeaway jumper. 

 

Hakeem Olajuwon humiliated his matchups with footwork and finesse. 

 

Larry Bird could score from anywhere and with either hand.

 

Magic Johnson could bend defenses without scoring, flinging bullet passes and outrunning them.

 

I could go on forever.

 

Edwards should get a bit of a pass for being uninformed before he was drafted. Old full-game tapes are hard to find and can be expensive. Additionally, the NBA does a wack job of promoting its old difference-makers. Many in the media don’t care to learn about them, as is evident by all the “post-merger” stats on broadcasts or think pieces that fail to include forgotten titans. 

 

Yet, plenty of good highlights are available for free on YouTube. Now, it’s inexcusable- the league’s footage and licensing department is available and would likely expedite any request for NBA players.

 

His comments were unkind, and the former ballers, who made the league a billion-dollar empire, didn’t deserve it. 

 

If they were scrubs, teams wouldn’t have invested in charters in the ‘80s or the NBA wouldn’t have exploded in popularity during Johnson and Bird’s rivalry, then gone on to new peaks the following decade. Or grown men competing against them wouldn’t have fawned over Team USA in Barcelona in 1992. 

 

The ‘90s weren’t just Jordan. Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Olajuwon were top-shelf ballers, too.

 

Minnesota’s two-time All-Star and All-NBA Second Teamer in 2024 works on his game by studying in the film room. He is already a high-impact defender, but imagine how much more he could be if he stole some tricks from Kevin Garnett, the Wolves’ former big man who could check all positions. Anyone would benefit from KG teaching them moves on guarding up or down.

 

The most irritating aspect of Edwards’ prattle is that an innumerable amount of young fans might believe him. Those that do will only poison any basketball discussion they participate in. 

 

Edwards was also quoted in the WSJ as saying he didn’t know which NBA players won a championship young aside from Kobe Bryant. Well, Magic Johnson was Finals MVP as a rookie at age 20. Dwyane Wade was a champion at 24, his third season—only a year older than Edwards now. Bill Walton led the youngest starting five ever at 24 to a title in 1977. Bill Russell won his first of 11 at 22 as a rookie in 1957. 

 

Someone tell him. 

 

And the NBA should take notice. Eventually, today’s hoopers will move on and their legacies will fade to memories for those who witnessed, and they’ll just be stats for the ones that came too late. If Tiny Archibald, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West can be forgotten this way, the public will forget about LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Edwards next. 

 

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The Chicago Sky desperately needs shot creation after trading its second-best offensive option, Marina Mabrey, to the Connecticut Sun for Rachel Banham, Moriah Jefferson and two first-round picks. The former squad’s first game post-exchange was a disaster the personnel weren’t prepared for. It ended with the Phoenix Mercury cutting open the Sky 85-65. Notably, Chennedy Carter was absent from the hosts with a non-COVID illness.

 

Brittney Griner physically overpowered and schooled her matchup on both sides. Kahleah Copper ate on the break and half-court. And the Sky starters converted 15 of 44 baskets in front of supporters while conceding 56% of attempts to their counterparts.

 

Going forward, the Sky needs more production from Kamilla Cardoso. As is, Reese is depended on for shots (second on the team post-trade) and is no. 2 in minutes. But she needs more help from Cardoso, who can alleviate the burden by becoming a close-range hub.

 

In her 19 outings, Cardoso has averaged 26.1 minutes per game. This should rapidly increase because her screening is an alternative to open avenues for her teammates and herself, turning into a massive wideout on rim rolls. The Sky should give her extra chances to run dribble handoff actions to grow her confidence as a playmaker, too.

 

Currently, one of Cardoso’s weaknesses is ball security, as she’s picked up seven more turnovers than assists. Of her 29 lapses, three were traveling violations, six were offensive fouls, 10 got ripped from her grasp, nine were poor passes and a defensive three second infraction.

 

The two-time NCAA champ (Cardoso) has a size advantage over most of the league and a useful post-game.  This combination allows her to create double teams. Since the Sky is a poor deep-shooting unit, her teammates will have to attack the space created with cuts until long-range accuracy is fixed.

 

Yet, most of her attempts come at the rim and she’s not converting enough (52%) because she lacks a bit of strength.  Although, at 6-foot-7, she can turn the match into a grindhouse affair- she is a top five offensive rebounder and capable of scoring on the second try.

 

Defensively, Cardoso does well covering the back line and can work in a zone as the baseline and corner protector. Her length is difficult for opponents to gauge, as it causes rushed jumpers and low-percentage layups. Her top moment versus the Mercury was denying Copper at the rim while covering pick and roll in drop coverage.

 

But she must stop biting on fakes in her pursuit to deny shots because A- she’s bigger than almost everybody, and B.- no one recovers fast enough when leaving their feet.

 

One of Cardoso’s issues against the Mercury on Thursday was staying grounded against Griner and Copper. Both got past the rook for baskets.

 

With 15 games left in the 2024 season, the Sky are still capable of keeping the eighth seed as the ninth-place Atlanta Dream are two-and-a-half outings behind but, more importantly, folding and on an eight-match freefall. The seventh spot, held by the Indiana Fever, is ahead by a half-game, too.

 

Playing for something meaningful is a bonus for a rookie’s progress. Cardoso has an opportunity to make the last chunk of the year an accelerated course for her development.

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