Cam Johnson is off to a rough start in Denver. He's averaging just 8.2 points and shooting 31.6% from 3-point range in his first five games with the Nuggets, and can't seem to get his footing under him on his new team. The solution is clear for Johnson and the Nuggets — take a deep breath and be patient.
Really, it's that simple! There's no reason for panic, there's no reason for anger. The "Cam Johnson problem" will soon be no problem at all. Johnson is a highly talented player. He moves well without the ball, he's a dead-eye shooter, and he can do a little more off the dribble than folks give him credit for.
If those all sound like traits that would excel in a Nuggets offense with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, it's because they are! And they will. Three weeks from now, when Johnson's numbers even out and he looks like an integral part of the Nuggets plans, we'll forget all about a clunky start to the season.
I know it's easy to hit the panic button when a highly-touted trade acquisition doens't immediately produce the numbers everyone hopes they would. But there's an adjustment period on a new team, no matter how good of a match that player and team look like on paper.
Cam Johnson will take some time to adjust
Playing with Nikola Jokic has to be one of the most fun things a basketball player can do.
Cam Johnson will eventually have that experience, but for now, it's important to remember that Johnson has never played with a player like Jokic — for the past three seasons, Johnson has been playing with mostly borderline NBA players.
The change to playing on a roster with NBA Finals aspirations is pretty stark, and a lot of Johnson's early struggles literally stem from his shock at how good the players around him are.
Soon, that shock will go away, Johnson will gain confidence that his teammates can find him at any moment, or finish a play, or create a shot for him, and in turn his own confidence will skyrocket. A breakout is coming — and when it does, Johnson will be off to the races.
Despite an irritating loss on Friday in the NBA Cup against the Trail Blazers, the Nuggets have looked like the legitimate contender that plenty of folks predicted them to be. And that's without a fully unleashed Cam Johnson.