Cameron Johnson’s early-season shooting has been rough.
Six games into his Denver tenure, the numbers are underwhelming. He’s averaging 8.5 points per game, shooting around 40% from the field. But the stat that leaves Nuggets fans wanting more? A brutal 25% from three-point range on four attempts per game.
Monday night’s performance against Sacramento crystallized the concern. Johnson went 0-for-5 from beyond the arc. For a player the Nuggets specifically acquired because of his shooting prowess, that’s the kind of stat line that gets fans typing out anxious Reddit posts at all hours of the morning despite the win.
But I believe we need to pump the brakes.
Adapting to the Mile High Crew’s System
What often gets lost when a player switches teams mid-career is how everything changes. A different offense with new verbiage. The spacing is not the same. Obviously, the expectations in Denver are loftier than in Brooklyn. The rhythm of when and where Cam will get his touches — different.
Johnson is a cerebral player and spent years in Brooklyn learning specific offensive sets, understanding where his teammates would be, knowing when to relocate and when to stay put. Now he’s in Denver, playing alongside different personnel, reading different actions, finding his spots in a system that’s still gelling under a new head coach and assistants.
And by the way, he’s not alone in struggling from deep. The Nuggets as a team are shooting 34.7% from three-point range. Three starters — Johnson, Nikola Jokic, and Christian Braun — are shooting under 30% from distance through these early games.
This adjustment period shouldn’t excuse the struggles, but it helps explain them. Integration takes time, and chemistry isn’t necessarily instantaneous. The best shooters in the league can look mortal when their internal rhythm is still syncing to their new surroundings.
Coach Adelman’s Assessment
After the Nov. 3 Sacramento game, new head coach David Adelman said something revealing: “The shots that he’s missing are shots that I hope he shoots over and over and over. They’re great shots.”
In Adelman’s eyes, Johnson isn’t just forcing bad looks or jacking up contested threes with a hand in his face. The 6’8” forward is getting quality opportunities within the flow of the offense — the kind of shots that, over an 82-game season, tend to fall.
A shooter struggling with poor shot selection is a problem. But a shooter getting great looks that aren’t falling yet? That’s shot variance. That’s adjusting to a new system. Heck, that’s basketball.
Patience is the Strategic Play
So why shouldn't Nuggets fans hit the panic button? Three reasons.
First, Cam Johnson will eventually find his stroke. Historically, he’s a career 39% three-point shooter, so getting closer to that percentage fundamentally changes the Nuggets’ offensive ceiling. Another credible outside threat means better spacing for everyone, forcing defenses to respect multiple shooters, which opens driving lanes and creates better looks inside while giving the Joker space to operate from the post.
Second, how Johnson rebounds from this slump matters psychologically. A shooter who works through early-season struggles and catches fire later is often more dangerous because his shot is battle-tested. He knows what it’s like to see shots clank, work through the process, and keep shooting anyway. I believe that mental toughness can evolve into an asset under playoff pressure.
Third — and this is Adelman’s point — Johnson’s shooting presence already creates value even when shots don’t fall. Defenders have to close out, respecting his range. Those defensive reactions create gravity and better opportunities for teammates to knock down open looks.
Keep the Faith
Yes, 25% from three through six games is rough. Yes, 0-for-5 nights sting. Yes, fans have every right to track these numbers closely.
But overreacting to small sample sizes is how teams make panicked decisions they regret by the trade deadline. Johnson has all of the tools. The shots he’s taking are the shots Denver needs him to take. The adjustment period is real, and it’s happening across the entire team, not just one newly rostered player.
Keep monitoring Johnson’s shooting. Absolutely. But don’t confuse early-season variance with long-term concern. Cam’s shooting stroke will return, and the offense will somehow become even more dangerous. When it does, I think Nuggets fans will be elated that the organization traded for No. 23.