The Denver Nuggets have been off to a hot start, as they currently hold the second spot in the Western Conference. Nikola Jokic has been his usual freakish self. Jamal Murray has elevated his game to another level. And Aaron Gordon is making a dark-horse All-Star run.
However, among those names, there was one not listed. One that would have surprised many fans not to hear in a list of contributors at the start of the season. A name that has actually proved to be incredibly disappointing instead.
That name is Cam Johnson.
Cam Johnson’s Expectations
Before Denver acquired Cam Johnson, their starting small forward role went to Michael Porter Jr. As many Nuggets fans know, Porter Jr. was an excellent shooter. However, he was also prone to poor shot selection, being lazy on defense, and not posing much of a threat off the dribble.
So, when Johnson was brought in from Brooklyn to replace him, many Denver fans were excited. His days in Phoenix proved how proficient he was defensively. Then, his days in Brooklyn showed how much he had begun to excel both as a spot up shooter and as a one-on-one scorer.
Fans believed that Johnson would be able to match Porter’s offense numbers and shooting formidability while providing elite defensive support. However, as it turns out, they were very wrong.
Cam Johnson’s Struggles
Despite averaging 18 points per game last season, Cam Johnson is only averaging seven this year. Additionally, his field goal percentage has dropped from 47% to 37%, while his three-point percentage dropped from 39% to 21%.
Even his free throw percentage has fallen from 89% to 81%. However, his woes go beyond just scoring.
Meanwhile, Michael Porter Jr., who Johnson replaced, has had a very strong start to his Nets tenure. Porter Jr.’s 23 points per game, 46% from the field, and 36% from 3 far surpass Johnson’s production.
Johnson’s rebounding has decreased from 4.3 a game to 2.6 a game. His assists have decreased from 3.4 a game to 1.8 a game. Even his defense, where he has thrived, has begun to plummet. Johnson’s 0.1 blocks per game and 0.5 steals per game are a far cry from his 0.4 blocks and 0.9 steals last year.
The stats truly tell the entire story, as he has seemingly decreased production in nearly every metric. Simply put, he has been woeful this season, and has just not fit in well with Denver. Moreover, he is very much in danger of losing minutes to guys who have.
Cam Johnson’s Alternatives
Denver is already chock-full of wings. Guys like Tim Hardaway Jr., Peyton Watson, Bruce Brown, and Julian Strawther have been great off the bench. And with the Nuggets competing for a championship, there may not be time to let players shoot themselves out of slumps.
Coach David Adelman has already shown this in his rotations. Cameron Johnson has already only been averaging 24.5 minutes, which is a whopping five minutes less than any other starter. Meanwhile, the sharpshooting Tim Hardaway Jr. has carved himself a nice role, as he’s up to nearly 23 minutes a game. If Johnson’s struggles continue, there’s no telling what could happen to his spot on the team.
Additionally, Cam Johnson recently injured his arm. He already missed one game, and has the potential to miss a few more.
Even with Braun out for an extended period of time now, Hardaway Jr. and Watson could each possibly vie for Johnson’s starting job.
Meanwhile, all of the aforementioned bench players will take bigger bites into Johnson’s playing time. With Johnson out, these wings will get chances to shine. Thus, with Johnson already on a downward slope, some inspired bench performances could watch him slip further and further behind the depth chart.
Cam Johnson’s Next Steps
There is no doubt that Cam Johnson is a great basketball player, but he has simply not shown it this season. Between Jokic, Murray, Gordon, and the bench guys, the Nuggets can handle Johnson taking a step down as a scorer. However, his percentages and his mere seven points per game are simply unacceptable for a team of Denver’s caliber.
Yes, it is still early in the season. And yes, he still has plenty of time to improve. But, now that he’s injured, Watson, Strawther, Brown, and others smell blood in the water.
Johnson must improve his shooting, scoring, or overall team contributions in order to make the trade appear worthwhile, and to keep his minutes. If not, he very well may be finding his way to the bench more often, if he’s even still starting.
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