Nobody is expecting Cam Johnson to come in and be a defensive stopper for the Nuggets, but what may be underrated is just how damaging a defender Michael Porter Jr. has become. Johnson was a solid defensive player early in his career, when he was battling for his spot in the league and competing for a title with the Suns.
But his play on that end of the floor has fallen off considerably in Brooklyn, while he has taken on a much bigger role on offense and been playing for non-competitive teams. Last season, Johnson was in just the 36th percentile in defensive EPM (estimated plus minus), a mark that’s well below league average, and close to the worst of his career.
Here’s the stunning part: Michael Porter Jr. finished last season in the 7th percentile in that same category, truly one of the worst defensive players in the entire league. MPJ was actively harming the Nuggets on that end of the floor and come playoff time, he was someone teams were targeting with regularity.
Upgrade from MPJ to Johnson on defense is significant
Johnson may not be a defensive ace, but going from a very bad defender at small forward to one near league average is a huge leap. On top of that, the context for Cam to succeed on defense offers hope that he can be an above-average defender on that end.
For one, he’ll go from being a first or second option in Brooklyn to a third or fourth option in Denver. His offensive workload and usage should be considearbly lower and he should have much more energy and ability to focus his energy on other parts of his game, like defense.
Plus, Johnson has been rescued from a rudderless, tanking organization in the Nets, and is now going to a team laden with veteran talent, including the best player alive in Nikola Jokic. A team that won a title in 2023 and is on the short list of favorites to raise a banner in 2026. He reached the NBA Finals in 2021 with the Suns, and after experiencing the wasteland that was Brooklyn, he should be completely reinvigorated.
He’ll also be surrounded by better defenders, sandwiched between Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon, with Peyton Watson coming off the bench. Johnson won’t be tasked with stopping the best offensive players in the world and will be placed in matchups where he can succeed.
Nobody is saying Johnson is going to make an All-Defense team this year, but the idea that he has become a bad defender is silly, and the upgrade he’ll provide on that end over MPJ is being drastically underappreciated.