You’d think that having a 6’10” small forward would be an offensive weapon, but the Nuggets were never able to get there with Michael Porter Jr. A big part of the reason why is because of MPJ’s constant and recurring injuries and lanky frame; setting screens was never a part of his game. That’s not the case with Cam Johnson.
Johnson is a couple of inches shorter than Porter Jr., but he’s bulkier and has more strength. In his time with Brooklyn, he got used to being involved in the action, and a lot of times that meant being the primary screener.
He has enough experience playing with and without the ball. He can set screens on and off the ball. He can be used in the short roll, as a pick and pop guy, or even rolling hard to the basket. Screening away from the ball can create some nightmare defensive decisions for opponents, forcing them to scramble to keep up with the likes of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic while running the risk of leaving the sharp-shooting Johnson wide open.
These are issues that other teams will have to solve, and ones that simply didn’t exist with MPJ playing small forward. Mike was a very good role player in Denver, but his main value came from his spot-up shooting and occasionally running off screens.
He was a warrior and gave all that his body had to give, but he had back problems, and with his frame, playing to contact and setting effective screens just wasn’t something he was doing. For years, the Nuggets hoped Porter Jr. would add layers to his game and turn their offense into a true three-headed monster, but that dream never became a reality.
Nuggets can have true "Big 3" with Johnson
With Johnson, it feels like that ideal is back on the table. His ability and commitment to screening and playing with or without the ball are a big part of that optimism. His basketball IQ and versatility, along with his skill and obvious shooting ability, are going to allow this team to reach another level on that end of the court.
Throw in Aaron Gordon’s suddenly found three-point sniping and his prowess as a lob threat, plus Christian Braun’s elite cutting and transition effectiveness, and this should be one of the best and most well-rounded offensive lineups the NBA has seen in a long time.
Let’s just hope they are able to make the rotations work, stay healthy, and get stops, because if those things fall in line with this unstoppable offense, it’s going to be scary for the rest of the league.