It's an uncomfortable truth, but everyone can see it. Cam Johnson hasn't looked great in a Nuggets uniform. Granted, he hasn't been on the floor that much due to injuries, and he's missed out on time to gel with everyone. But so far, it's looking like the Nuggets may have lost the Michael Porter Jr. trade. And Tim Legler says he isn't sure if the Nuggets are going to get the Cam Johnson they traded for back this season.
Legler appeared on the "DNVR Nuggets Podcast" and at the time of the trade, he thought Cam was a "really good fit." But now, Cam "hasn't really found it all year," and that Cam is "questioning himself a little bit," Legler said.
Legler pondered for a moment, "Is he gonna be able to turn that around and have this consistent run that the Nuggets need him to over the last, you know, 20 games and into the postseason? I don't know. That's my answer." Not exactly sticking to anything, Legs, but at least you left the door open.
Cam hasn't been playing with confidence, says Legler
"And even some of his comments recently indicate like I'm not even sure like where he's at right now between his ears in terms of his own self-confidence," Legler continued. And by some of the numbers, you can see Legler's not wrong to lean into that thought.
Johnson's shooting percentages are rather similar in the same role that Michal Porter Jr. occupied for the Nuggets. But it's his volume that's dropped off substantially from MPJ.
Cam's only attempting 8.5 shots and 4.4 threes per game versus MPJ's volume of 20 or more shots and 9 plus threes. Overall, Cam's having his worst year since his sophomore season of 2020-21.
MPJ had a usage rate closer 20% with the Nuggets, while Cam is going through a career low usage of only 14.8%. Perhaps he's not shooting the ball as much due to that lack of confidence? Johnson's also shot just 1-8 in the clutch this year, adding to the Nuggets' woes in crunch time.
The Nuggets could really use a confident Cam
Nikola Jokic loves to find the open man for three. That's the Nuggets game. They're the best three-point shooting team in the league despite their recent game against the Knicks, which saw them shoot a terrible 8-40 from three
Cam really profiles no different statistically than MPJ, except in rebounding, where MPJ's the clear winner. He's a spot-up three-point shooter, and he does it at about 40%. He's exactly what the Nuggets need. He just needs to shoot more.
Legler says, "Sometimes it could only take a game or two," to find that confidence again. The Nuggets certainly hope that's all it takes. They also gave up a 2031 first-round pick to get Cam, so they've got more than just a simple swap and salary cut invested.
If Cam can start knocking down threes, especially in the clutch, the Nuggets may actually be able to escape their late-game woes, and questions surrounding the trade and the elephant in the room can go away.