Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson continues early season struggles with performance vs Portland Trail Blazers
The Denver Nuggets were praised all offseason as major winners, making a pair of trades and some free agency signings to improve a roster that took the defending NBA Champions to seven games in the Western Conference Semifinals. Therefore, expectations were high heading into this season, especially with new forward Cameron Johnson.
Johnson was acquired in an offseason trade with the Brooklyn Nets, with Denver shipping out Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 first-round pick. A high price to pay, given Porter Jr.'s large salary, the media believed that Johnson was the exact replacement the Nuggets needed for Porter Jr. following a poor stretch of play late in the year.
However, it's been far from ideal for Johnson to begin the 2025-26 campaign.
Johnson's Early Season Struggles Continue
Taking Porter Jr.'s role in the starting lineup, Johnson has been poor so far this season. On Friday night against the Portland Trail Blazers, Johnson put up yet another disappointing performance, scoring nine points and grabbing six rebounds in the 109-107 loss. It was his fourth game this season failing to reach double-digit points, a bad look for the new forward.
So far this season, Johnson has scored double-digit points just once, with that being 15 points in a blowout win against the Phoenix Suns. Otherwise, Johnson hasn't provided the type of value Denver would've expected, given the capital they gave up to acquire him.
Through five games, his season averages stand at 8.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 39.4% from the field. Comparing that to Michael Porter Jr., who is averaging 21.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting 50.6% from the field, it's looking like Brooklyn might be the early winners.
The Reality With Cam Johnson's Situation
While Denver fans might be panicking right now with Johnson's early-season woes, it's still far too early to make any conclusions about how he will pan out with the Nuggets. It's a new situation for Johnson, who has had far more offensive freedom in Brooklyn the last few years. The reality is that a player of his skill set is exactly what Denver needs paired next to Nikola Jokic.
With an upcoming contest against the Sacramento Kings, which is a part of a four-game home stand, it's a chance for Johnson to get back to looking like the prized possession he was with the Nets last season. As long as the coaching staff continues to believe in him, he should turn around sooner rather than later.