Last season was, without a doubt, a disappointing one for Denver fans. They lost in the first round, and many of their players failed to reach expectations.
As a result, fans expected some shake-ups this offseason, but it looks like the Nuggets will mostly be retaining their core. Naturally, for Denver to make another run this year, they will need some of their contributors to take big steps forward.
Of all the players on this team, this logic applies to Cameron Johnson the most.
Johnson’s First Season in Denver Was a Disappointment
Last offseason, the Nuggets traded Michael Porter Jr. and a first-rounder to the Nets for Cameron Johnson. Porter Jr. played a pivotal role in their 2023 NBA Finals victory and in their other deep playoff runs. Thus, Denver expected Johnson to fill his shoes offensively while providing much more defensively.
Johnson dramatically failed to do so. In 2023-2024, both players averaged just over 18 points a game. However, last season, Porter Jr.’s average ballooned to 24 points while Johnson’s fell to just over 12. Meanwhile, despite being on a substantially better team, Johnson’s defensive rating was worse than Porter Jr.’s last year.
Averages don’t tell the whole story, though. Johnson only scored over 20 points once the entire season. Despite being brought on to replicate the prolific scoring of Porter Jr., he was reduced to a mere three-and-D wing. In fact, Peyton Watson and Tim Hardaway Jr., who both started the season behind Johnson on the depth chart, averaged more per game than him.
Admittedly, Johnson played in only 54 of the 82 games, which excuses some of his numbers. But missing substantial time with injuries does not often fill fans with confidence for the upcoming season.
Even healthy and in the playoffs, when Denver needed him most, he scored under 14 points in the Nuggets’ first four games. Simply put, the season did not go according to plan for Johnson, although there is still time to turn it around.
The Numbers Suggest Last Season Was a Fluke
Sure, Johnson’s scoring and defense left plenty to be desired. However, despite an off year, he shot a remarkable 43% from three on almost five threes a game.
Factoring out players who did not regularly attempt threes or only played a handful of games, Johnson ranks in the top 10 in three-point percentage. In fact, it was the second-best shooting year of his career. Denver fans know he has the potential to be a better scorer, so the fact that he’s shooting at that level should provide comfort.
It may also be time to cut Johnson a bit of slack. He certainly struggled in the first few months of the season. However, that can easily be attributed to him trying to figure out the new system.
In Brooklyn, he was the guy. He was the go-to option. He constantly had the ball in his hands and had the green light to take any shot he wanted. Now, in Denver, he immediately found himself as almost the fifth option. The ball would often touch the hands of Jokic, Murray, Gordon, and Braun before it found him. Going from a first option to a spot-up shooter tasked with staying in the corner is quite the adjustment.
Then, he missed the entire month of January with a knee injury. It happened right near the middle of the season, just when he could have started to turn his season around.
Thus, when he came back for February and March, his scoring was more of the same. In his four games at the end of April, though, he averaged almost 17 points. He scored 18 and 27 points in his final two playoff games, ending the year strong.
Johnson Has Every Reason to Break Out This Season
Despite countless trade rumors, Murray, Braun, Johnson, and Gordon will all be coming back. Meanwhile, Hardaway Jr. left for Miami while Watson will likely be headed elsewhere. The Nuggets have not brought in any substantial pieces to supplement the scoring. As a result, much of the onus will be on Johnson.
Without the other weapons, Denver likely will put the ball in his hands more. If that happens, fans could see him regain some of his Brooklyn form. Johnson is a solid ball handler, which the Nuggets severely lacked last season. So, combine his ball handling, lights-out shooting, and scoring upside with increased responsibility, and Johnson could be looking at a significant increase in production.
He’ll be entering the season fully healthy, and he’ll be fully acclimated to the system. Assuming last year was just a fluke, Johnson could be on pace for the very season that Nuggets fans spent the summer of 2025 hoping for.
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