Joe Johnson: Lakers drama wouldn't happen with Heat

Shortly after Joe Johnson joined the Miami Heat, reporters were a bit flummoxed as to how this former All-Star seamlessly helped a team that had just lost Chris Bosh win basketball games.

"I think the great veteran group that we have, it definitely helps," Johnson said March 7.

This maturity level Johnson has seen in the Heat locker-room extends from welcoming a newcomer to preventing unnecessary drama from infecting the team.

The big news story ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers' meeting with the Miami Heat Wednesday is a video D'Angelo Russell surreptitiously took of Nick Young. In the video, Young discusses his affairs with other women, despite being engaged to the oft-criticized pop artist Iggy Azalea. The video hit the celebrity gossip sites, and what may have been intended to be a private video conversation between two friends has turned into a maelstrom.

A reporter for TMZ found Johnson walking in Beverley Hills before Wednesday night's game. Johnson replied that something like this wouldn't happen on the Heat. I guess that's what part of being a professional team is all about. Even when the Heat suspended Gerald Green for two games early this season, Pat Riley handled the situation well -- by keeping it private.

The Heat score 115.9 points per 100 possessions when Johnson is on the court. Here's to hoping that continues against the Lakers.