Nets' Chaney Johnson Posts Career-High Against Trail Blazers

Call it a “War Eagle” moment — Chaney Johnson soared to a career-high, bringing life to a Brooklyn Nets squad that looked deflated from the opening tip.

The former key cog off the bench for Bruce Pearl's Auburn Tigers scored a career-high 17 points in a 114-95 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Nets' starters came out flat once again, leading to the reserves dominating the minutes allocation.

Johnson ended the game with 25 minutes played, also pulling down nine rebounds in the process. The 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward knows how to use his strength to get positioning in the paint.

His imprint on the game was felt despite a wide margin on the scoreboard. Johnson finished the game with a +6 plus/minus, being 1-of-4 players off the bench to end in the positives.

He signed a two-way contract with Brooklyn on Dec. 26, most of his playing time coming in the G League before getting his first NBA opportunities this past week. Johnson's efficiency has been one of his biggest positives through the five games he's played.

Against the Trail Blazers, he went 6-for-8 from the field and 2-for-4 from three-point range. Across all of his NBA games, he's shooting 50% from the field and 44.4% from deep.

Johnson's college days were not marked by great success from beyond the arc, so it remains to be seen if his steady shot from three will hold. He shot 28.6% from long range across two seasons with Auburn, taking 1.2 threes per game. He's only taking 1.8 per game in his limited league experience, often coming on wide-open opportunities when defenses don't respect his shot.

While his outside jumper tends to lack beauty in shooting mechanics, his ability to create in pick-and-roll scenarios is smooth. Johnson didn't clog the lane after setting a screen, instead looking to seal his defender to create open driving space.

What he lacks in athleticism, he makes up for with a high basketball IQ.

Johnson is still only 23 years old. It's a crowded room for developmental minutes, but he fits the Nets timeline. His chemistry with guards like Ben Saraf and Nolan Traoré, whom he spent time with in the G League, is already strong.

It will be a treacherous hill to climb, but with a strong end to the season, Johnson could put himself in competition with Josh Minott, Jalen Wilson and Ziaire Williams for playing time next season. At the very least, Johnson has laid the groundwork to get another two-way deal from Brooklyn or another organization in the offseason.