For my money, Cam Johnson is an all-around better basketball player than Michael Porter Jr. in just about every capacity. But if there’s one area that the Nuggets may have downgraded with this trade, it’s rebounding. MPJ was a bit inconsistent with his energy and effort in that department, but he was still an athletic 6’10” wing and pulled down 7 boards per game in each of the past two seasons.
Johnson, on the other hand, has plenty of size and athleticism himself at 6’8”, but he’s never been known for crashing the glass. He pulled down just 4.3 rebounds per game last season. He’s under 4 boards per game for his career, and he’s never reached 5 per game in any season in the NBA.
Statistically, it’s a pretty minor difference, but this could be a huge swing stat. The Nuggets know how important it is to control the glass, and they’ve had to commit as a team to make it work. Aaron Gordon is built more in the vein of a big wing himself, only averaging 4.8 rebounds per game himself last season.
A lot of that responsibility fell on Porter Jr. in years past, and he was up to the challenge. But this season, Denver is going to have to find a new way to stay active and engaged on the glass; it can’t all fall on Nikola Jokic.
Nuggets will need more team commitment to rebounding
The Nuggets are going to improve in so many areas this coming season, but they can’t afford a drop-off in rebounding. Luckily, Jokic is a beast who will gobble up everything in his sight, but he can’t do it alone. With less on-ball responsibility on offense, Johnson should be able to focus more on the little things, like defense and rebounding.
Gordon can also offer more in that department if it’s a focus. Christian Braun is a great rebounder for a guard and may have to focus slightly less on getting out in transition and more on securing the glass.
Another thing working in the Nuggets’ favor is that they’ve beefed up their bench in a big way. Jonas Valanciunas will eat rebounds on both ends whenever he’s in the game. DaRon Holmes II should also be able to contribute in that department, whether he’s playing the 4 or the 5. Bruce Brown is another guy who plays bigger than his stature and isn’t afraid to mix it up down low.
So, on the surface, the Nuggets may have regressed a bit in terms of rebounding, but with a concerted team effort, they should be able to compensate for any losses. Luckily for them, they’ve been an elite rebounding team as they were top 5 in overall rebounds and rebounding rate last season, so they’ve got a great base to build on.