Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor reacts to the Denver forward’s poor shooting performance in Sunday’s loss to the Timberwolves and if the team may regret dealing for him last summer. Check out the full conversation on “The Kevin O’Connor Show” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
View more
Advertisement
Video Transcript
Was Cam Johnson a mistake for Denver?
Cam Johnson this year has not been great.
He’s dealt with some injuries.
He had his worst game of the year most recently against the Minnesota Timberwolves, zero points on O for six.
This season, he’s taking a career low four and a half threes per game.
He has the third lowest points output of his career compared to just his first and second seasons.
And I don’t get the sense that there’s trust on the side of Nikola Jokic with Cam Johnson.
Cam Johnson is shooting only thirty-six percent on threes on passes received from Jokic.
And if you look at the numbers this year with Jokic’s dribble handoff partners, Cam Johnson is just not producing.
Advertisement
Jokic and Johnson are producing point eight four points per handoff.
Murray, by comparison, the guy obviously years of chemistry k- together, one point o nine points per handoff.
Christian Brown, who is not shooting the ball well this year, one point o six points per handoff.
Tim Hardaway, one point one six.
Julian Strawther, one point two three points per handoff when paired with Jokic.
And Cam Johnson, again, zero point eight four, a very low efficiency amount, worse than what Michael Porter Jr. has done in the past, and he was the MPJ replacement.
And at the time of the deal, I liked it for Denver.
Advertisement
I, I liked the fact that it opened up cap space.
They got Valanciunas.
They got Bruce Brown.
They, they added Tim Hardaway.
Like, there’s benefits to doing the MPJ for Cam Johnson trade.
But the way I’ve been thinking about it recently with Cam Johnson’s struggles here in Denver is a year ago, prior to the deadline, I was making the argument that Oklahoma City should trade for Cam Johnson.
I felt like a good price, go for him.
They add some more shooting.
It seems like OKC made the right decision to bypass getting Cam Johnson.
Obviously, they go on to win the finals.
They didn’t need him.
And Denver, to be determined.
To be determined.
We shall see if this will end up a mistake or not.
But right now, today, it’s looking like the wrong move to target him.