The Miami Heat made a couple of minor moves recently to maneuver around the cap and try to improve their team without giving away too much. The Heat had a major need for a shooter, and they got one in Brian Roberts from the Charlotte Hornets. The Heat's need for a shooter was magnified by the uncertainty surrounding Chris Bosh and Tyler Johnson's recent surgery. The Heat do not expect to have Johnson back at any point this season, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
Johnson had been dealing with shoulder pain for quite a while, but it got to a point where it was unbearable. Once Johnson decided he couldn't play through the pain anymore, he underwent rotator cuff surgery on Feb. 3. The initial timetable had Johnson missing two months, but the Heat expect him to be out for the remainder of the season.
Johnson believes that he will be able to return at some point this season, according to Ethan J. Skolnick of The Miami Herald, but the Heat don't share that optimism. Johnson said the doctor told him he will need about two to three months to recover from the surgery but that a return for the playoffs is a possibility. Johnson, though, did add that he wouldn't rush it and would wait and see how he feels.
The Heat, even with Johnson and Bosh, are a poor perimeter shooting team. Losing Johnson and Bosh, who are their two best three-point shooters, will only make things worse. Johnson is shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc on the season, and the Heat love more than just his shooting ability. Roberts should be able to step in and provide a perimeter threat for Miami for the rest of the season in the event that Johnson doesn't come back.
Roberts was not in the Hornets' regular rotation this season, but he made nine of his 27 three-point attempts with them on the year. For his career, Roberts is a 35 percent three-point shooter and has shown the ability to score in bunches in the past. That acquisition won't blow Miami fans away, but it is a nice addition, especially considering Johnson isn't expected back on the court until next season.
