To say Cameron Johnson was being discussed in a not-so-positive light would be an understatement. Cam's been the center of local and national media shows alike, questioning whether or not the trade that brought him to the Nuggets had worked out, or whether or not Cam would be replaced in the starting lineup. But the last four games Cam has put together have done a lot to put those questions and criticisms to bed.
There are only 13 games left in the regular season, but the last four games are a great start to erasing the memory of how most of the season has gone for Cam. He's averaging 17 points per game on a stunning 63.2% from the field. And he's been shooting the three-ball like a skilled archer aiming for the bullseye, connecting at 55% from three-point range.
And it doesn't stop there. Cam's 90% from the free-throw line, and the Nuggets are 3-1 in those games. Their only loss came on a last-second fade-away from MVP contender Luka Doncic.
The noise must have put a chip on Cam's shoulder
The chatter was piling up. In the Nuggets' overtime loss to the Thunder, Cam missed an open shot that could have won the game. "The Zach Lowe Show" helped put it in the spotlight. It took another clutch loss to the Thunder to finally get the chip going, but Cam's chip has really taken off.
And the timing couldn't be better for the Nuggets. There's still plenty of time to gel together with 13 games left. Plus, the schedule is entering one of the easier phases all season, favoring the Nuggets greatly at just the 18th toughest remaining in the NBA. They had been toting around the league's toughest for weeks.
Cam's resurgence lightens the load for the Joker
Nikola Jokic can't do it all. And he won't have to if he keeps getting help from Cam like this. The Nuggets beat the 76ers by 28 points in the Nuggets' latest victory, but the Joker scored just 8 points, his lowest scoring output of the season. Cam knocking down wide-open threes really opens the court up for Jokic because teams can't just leave Cam now.
And Jokic was able to exploit the holes left open by the 76ers on his way to 14 assists in three quarters of play, 8 in the first quarter alone.
Jokic found Christian Braun multiple times, who finished with a team-high 22 points. Altogether with Aaron Gordon's threes, the trio of Braun, Gordon, and Johnson was 7-9 from three for a combined 52 points.
It was a great night. It prompted Carmelo Anthony to call the Nuggets a "scary" team when everyone's shooting is on. And a large part of that success was due to Cam. Now, figure out the clutch, and the Nuggets will have another domino in place as the playoffs rapidly draw near.