Heat's James Johnson sidelined for Thursday's game in Charlotte: Expect a short-handed Miami Heat team when it plays the second-to-last preseason game. Coach Erik Spoelstra ruled out forward James Johnson for Thursday's game at the Charlotte Hornets while listing forward Justise Winslow and Luke Babbitt as day-to-day. None of the players participated fully in Wednesday's non-contact practice. -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Heat's Derrick Williams providing consistency at power forward: Heat forward Derrick Williams has never been comfortable enough to think about the idea of buying a place to live. When a player has moved around the NBA much as he has, it's best just to stick to renting. Still, Williams is growing a bit more comfortable in South Florida, taking a break from being the professional new kid at school. -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Rodney McGruder in the mix for the Heat’s final roster spot: When coach Erik Spoelstra said earlier this week the competition to earn the Heat’s final roster spot wasn’t only a battle between Beno Udrih and Briante Weber, he apparently meant it. Rodney McGruder, 25, the starting shooting guard on the Heat’s D-League championship team last season, is very much in the mix, Spoelstra said Wednesday. A couple of Heat teammates even said they wouldn’t be surprised if the 6-5 guard makes the team. -- The Miami Herald

Clean-shaven Miami Heat forward James Johnson ‘feels good’ with new look: As Justise Winslow sat in the hot tub inside the Heat’s training room on Monday, a few of his teammates came over to ask him who the new guy was. It turns out there was no new guy. It actually was just a clean-shaven James Johnson. -- The Palm Beach Post

Rodney McGruder in race with Beno Udrih, Briante Weber for Miami Heat’s final roster spot: When Erik Spoelstra was asked Monday about the battle for the final roster spot between Beno Udrih and Briante Weber, he gave a very interesting answer. “It’s not a competition just between those two,” Spoelstra said. It turns out that Udrih and Weber aren’t just competing against each other for Miami’s 15th roster spot. The pair of point guards are also competing against 25-year-old shooting guard Rodney McGruder. -- The Palm Beach Post