Following the Denver Nuggets’ 130-127 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Nov. 17, three-time MVP Nikola Jokić spoke about having Cameron Johnson back in the lineup. 

Johnson missed the Nuggets’ previous game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a right bicep injury and was listed as questionable to play heading into Denver’s matchup against the Bulls, but ultimately re-entered the starting lineup last night. 

Despite the loss, the Nuggets forward had a strong night shooting-wise, scoring a season-high 19 points on 50% shooting from the field and going 5-for-7 from 3-point range. 

“[Johnson] was good,” Jokić said during the postgame press conference on Nov. 17. “He was making shots, he was going downhill, he was aggressive. It’s good to have him back. I think defensively, he was good too.” 

This strong performance against the Bulls was a welcome sight for Johnson, who had been stuck in somewhat of a slump heading into play. 

In the month of November alone, Johnson, who was traded to Denver from the Brooklyn Nets for Michael Porter Jr. over the summer, has shot just 38.6% from the field and 26.9% from beyond the arc. He’s scored in single digits in eight of the 11 games in which he’s played this season, and is averaging 8.2 points per game. 

Jokić, however, does not see Johnson’s slow start as cause for concern for Denver.

“Rough stretches come and go,” Jokić said. “[Johnson’s] a great player, and sometimes you just need to go through that stage and [say], ‘okay, I played bad. And from this point on, there’s no lower. I can just be better.’ So it’s nothing that concerns us.” 

In Brooklyn last season, Johnson averaged 18.8 points per game, shooting at an almost 40% clip from 3-point range. His scoring average was bound to decrease this season, however, given the environment he stepped into in Denver, with players like Jokić (28.7 ppg), Murray (22.1 ppg) and Gordon (19.9 ppg) anchoring the Nuggets’ offensive output. 

But, with a near 20-point outing now to his name for the first time since moving to the Mile High City, more consistent shooting may just be on the horizon for Johnson. 

Before falling just three points shy of knocking off their Eastern Conference opponent in the Bulls, the Nuggets had won seven consecutive games. Even with that streak having ended, though, Denver still finds itself 10-3 on the young season and in second place in a highly competitive Western Conference. 

Denver’s next two games are away against the New Orleans Pelicans (2-12) and Houston Rockets (9-3), on Nov. 19 and Nov. 21, respectively. The Nuggets will then travel back to Denver for a one-game homestand and face the Sacramento Kings (3-11) on Nov. 22.