In Denver, everyone is behind Cam Johnson

At first glance, one might think Cam Johnson was transparent against the Warriors as he did not score a single point. But the new Nuggets wing has a +/- of +25, doesn’t lose the ball, hands out four assists, and his coach is very happy with his performance.

“His shots will eventually go in. If we stop panicking about a player’s stats, we lose sight of who we are.” Estimated by David Adelman. “Cam’s part of our team. We’re 6-2. And statistically, we’re doing pretty well.”

“Pretty good” is an understatement as the Nuggets have the best offense in the NBA (121.9 points per 100 possessions) and just put up 129 points on the Warriors to move into the top 4 of the Western Conference.

“He’s got good shots. We’re looking for him. That’s part of the game,” hires Jamal Murray. “Everybody knows he can shoot. He hasn’t lost his arm. It’s happening… What were my last three 3-point games? Bullshit, right? Right. But that doesn’t mean I can’t shoot anymore. Some bad games happen. We all know his level. It doesn’t mean anything.”

Finding your bearings

Since the start of the season, Cam Johnson is averaging 7.5 points on 36% shooting, including 26% from 3-point range. Like others before him, the former Suns and Nets wing center is learning to play around Nikola Jokic, and has to share “hits” with much bigger players than the Nets.

“I’m still figuring it out,” recognizes Cam Johnson. “My spots, my positions, rhythm, actions… It’s a different group, which has been playing together for a long time. I’m trying to do what I know, to adapt… It’s an ongoing process, and that’s what a professional is.”

Proof of the trust shown in him, he is a starter and the team is doing well. David Adelman remembers this. “Getting it into rhythm is one thing. But to play fair, that’s the main thing.” underlines the coach. “I prefer to win efficiently and let everyone find their place, rather than worry about one player. Cam will have his matchup soon, and maybe someone else will play a little bit and we’ll talk about him. But honestly, as long as we’re winning, who cares?”

Especially not Nikola Jokic, who simply thinks Cam Johnson is too smart to try to adapt to the Nuggets collective.

“He doesn’t want to mess up, so maybe he’s thinking too much,” concludes the Serbian. “He’s still looking for his shots. That’s normal. He’s an intelligent player. He’ll find it. It’s up to us to encourage him to shoot or attack. I told him: sometimes it’s not going to be your night. You might give 5 points and you have to be happy with that.”