Analyzing Cam Johnson's Early-Season Struggles

Where is Cam Johnson?

Through five games, he’s averaging about eight points, three boards, and two assists. He’s currently shooting roughly 38% from the field and about 31% from deep. That is disappointingly below the career average of 39% from three-point range that Denver brought him in for.

Johnson was stretching the floor so well in the preseason, but we haven’t seen much of that since. We caught a glimmer of his capacity and utility in their win over the Phoenix Suns, where he had 15 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal (4–9 FG, 1–3 3PT, 6–6 FT). Those aren’t All-Star stats, but they’re everything Denver needs and more. He looked confident and smooth, and he was dependable. That’s all this team needs him to be.

But outside that game, defenses haven’t shown him much respect. They’re letting him shoot—almost inviting him to. That shrinks the court, clogs up Jokic’s post passing lanes (which we saw a lot of in Portland on Friday night), and makes every possession feel chaotic and unnatural. 

On the brightside...

However, it's not all bad news. He’s been positive in the plus/minus department more often than not. This means Denver is winning his minutes even when he’s quiet on the scoreboard. That’s more than good news, that’s great news.

Johnson also isn’t turning the ball over, which unfortunately wasn’t the case for his fellow starter, Christian Braun, on Friday. On top of that, if Johnson can be more aggressive and attack the rim more often, it’ll open up the floor, force the defense to adjust, and when he gets fouled, the man is a stellar free-throw shooter. 

Denver needs Johnson to be what they brought him in for: a man who can stretch the defense like taffy and make opponents pay for helping out on the wings instead of doubling up on Jokic. When Cam hits shots, Denver becomes open and free. When he doesn’t, everything compresses.

The good news? Shooters with a track record usually correct themselves. Let’s hope that trend is true for Johnson. The season may be young, but the expectation is still a Mile High. Denver needs Cam to show up soon, or the smoke alarm might go off. 

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