It never quite worked the way it was supposed to. For years, the Denver Nuggets hoped that Michael Porter Jr. could evolve into the perfect third piece next to Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Porter overcame plenty of challenges, and Denver of course did win a championship with him. But at the end of the day, there did always seem to be something missing. Now, Cam Johnson arrives in town as a much more seamless fit alongside number 15.
Some might say that anyone can look good playing with Jokic, but the reality is that some guys are a bit better suited for it than others. Whether it was his tendency to stop the ball or his up-and-down nature defensively, Porter Jr. never fully complemented Jokic’s unique skill set the way Denver needed.
But that chapter is now closed. MPJ is a Brooklyn Net, and in his place comes a player with a much different makeup. Cam Johnson might not be as explosive athletically, but he arrives with one thing Jokic has long needed: true connective tissue on the wing.
Johnson’s game is built around ball movement, smart rotations, and spacing within the flow of the offense. He does not need to dominate the ball or hunt his shot. He simply plays the game the way Denver plays it: fluid and instinctive.
Johnson is a better fit next to Jokic than MPJ
That is a significant shift. One of the great luxuries of having Jokic is that he makes life easier for everyone else, but that only works if the surrounding pieces are wired to think the game as he does. Porter too often pulled the offense out of rhythm, while Johnson has already shown he can operate within a read-and-react system. That is not to say he will be perfect, but stylistically, it is a much cleaner fit.
There are other factors at work here, too. Johnson is a steadier presence defensively, with better positional awareness. He is not a lockdown defender, but he does not have to be. Denver just needs him to stay in front of his man, make timely switches and communicate. That alone gives the Nuggets a more trustworthy option in playoff situations, especially on nights when the margin for error gets thin.
Of course, there will be questions about durability and shot creation. Johnson has already had his share of injuries, and he is not going to take over games the way MPJ occasionally did. But those are tradeoffs the Nuggets appear willing to accept. With Jokic still at the height of his powers, the fit here becomes the most important factor. Johnson brings shooting power and the kind of two-way consistency that will maximize number 15's powers.
The Nuggets are not trying to reinvent themselves with this addition, they are simply trying to refine what already works. And in Cam Johnson, they may have finally found their guy that elevates their formula rather than complicates it. For a team still chasing banners, that makes this move one of the best Denver could have possibly made.