While Cam Johnson was a great acquisition for the Denver Nuggets, one NBA analyst thinks there is an issue he will face.
The Denver Nuggets made a lot of excellent moves in the offseason to improve their roster, but perhaps none better than trading for Cam Johnson.
Johnson is going to be exciting for the Nuggets, as he will finally play for a team with championship aspirations again.
Cam Johnson impressed Nuggets players during practice with his high-level play on both ends of the court.
Initially, Tim Legler was high on the Nuggets landing Johnson, calling him a game-changer. But after seeing him in preseason, his opinion has changed.
Photo by Rich Lam/GettyTim Legler worried that Cam Johnson is being too passive on Denver Nuggets
Tim Legler spoke on his podcast about Cam Johnson and how he fared in the preseason with the Denver Nuggets.
Legler admitted that he felt Johnson was a little too passive, only sticking to catch-and-shoot threes and transition plays. While he hoped Johnson would change that, it was a concerning first look for Johnson.
“I want to make a point about Cam Johnson. It’s one preseason game, and they played two other ones, right?
“I didn’t see either of those games. So, I don’t know. Maybe you’re going to have a different take on what I’m about to say because I didn’t see the other two games.
“I do think in this game Cam Johnson was almost strictly relegated to spotting up, or he got a couple things in transition, and I think he’s better than that.
“I’m curious to see. Maybe that’s just a new guy being overly deferential, and he wants to fit in and be the right guy and unselfish and all that stuff.
“I hope it’s not because of the lack of stuff that they think they can run for him because he’s a better player than just standing around hunting threes and occasionally getting a leak-out or a three in transition. He’s a better player than that.
“I do think that’s another piece when Jokic is off the floor, maybe a little bit more, or even with Jokic in some two-man game with the dribble handoff stuff because he’s so good coming off a tight dribble handoff into an 18-foot pullup. They didn’t really run any of that.
“I was watching him throughout the game. He was not noticed that much offensively, and I think there’s a lot more to get out of him, which is just another piece to what they can do offensively.
“Maybe it’s just because it’s early and he’s new and he’s trying to fit in and whatever. But I just thought he’s a lot better player than that.
“That was just like kind of a guy who was just getting out of the way of everybody. Let’s see what happens with him going forward.”
Cam Johnson will grow into his role with the Denver Nuggets
Cam Johnson may have looked passive during his first few games with the Denver Nuggets; that is to be expected for a player joining a new team.
As time goes on and he settles into the new system, Johnson will find himself growing more confident in his role on the Nuggets.
Johnson was brought in to provide spacing, scoring, and high-level wing defense for the Nuggets, as Michael Porter Jr. had declined in the years since they won the NBA championship.
Johnson had shown during his time with the Brooklyn Nets that he can provide exactly what the Nuggets needed, and in time, he will find the confidence to do so again.