Cameron Johnson was superb before he rolled his ankle a few games ago against the 76ers. He scored in the mid-20s across multiple games, which solidified his role as a premier offensive option under Coach Kevin Ollie.
Unfortunately, Johnson’s struggles with clutch time offense have been a long-term issue this season. In the Nets’ latest loss to the Spurs, Johnson missed a potential game-tying three that could’ve sent the game to a second overtime.
“It’s what I wanted. I was surprised that it didn’t fall because I felt good,” Cam said about his potential game-tying shot leading to a miss.
“We all hate losing. We had a talk yesterday, just trying to get things right. I think a bit more unselfishness across the board regarding energy. A long way to go, but it was a better effort today.”
Johnson remains confident despite his struggles
As a known shooter, Johnson will keep shooting despite his struggles in the clutch. He is shooting an abysmal 16.7% from three during clutch time this season, which signals that he should be more supportive of the Nets’ proven scorers Cameron Thomas and Mikal Bridges.
However, the former North Carolina Tar Heel should keep shooting when he’s open. That is the right attitude toward playing basketball, as Cam won’t be a threat to the defense if he stops shooting.
Like what he said about Mikal’s struggles in December, shooters will keep shooting. Going away from what has worked throughout his career would be a disservice to himself, so CJ should keep shooting to impact the games the Nets are playing.
Johnson adds dimensions to Brooklyn’s offense
It hasn’t been long since Johnson stepped up with back-to-back 20+ point games against Play-In race rivals Atlanta Hawks. Those were the performances that showed CJ’s potential long-term impact on the Nets, which Coach Ollie wants to maximize.
Relying on Thomas and Bridges is already a given, but adding Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, and the other players on the Nets roster will make the team more challenging to defend.
The misses in the clutch will be long forgotten by the time the next game comes, as a professional like Cam would keep shooting every time he’s open.
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