Everything that made Cam Johnson desirable to the Nuggets will make his transition painful.
Johnson is unselfish. He is humble. He is team over everything.
These traits will pay dividends in Denver, but it also means it is going to take time for him to fit in. What we witnessed in the preseason played out in Thursday’s season opener at Golden State. Johnson faces a challenging adjustment after the Nets offense ran through him last year. It is one he can make, but it requires more assertiveness and coach David Adelman to make sure it works.
Johnson is not Michael Porter Jr. Let’s make that clear. But the role available to him offensively is similar. Spot up 3s, hanging in the corners and figuring out cutting lanes. Johnson looked timid, unsure against the Warriors, and his shot reflected the lack of confidence.
Johnson went 2 for 8 from the field and 1 for 6 from 3, finishing with five points to match his season low last season — also against Golden State. But that came in 13 minutes. He played 32 on Thursday. Only twice did he finish under double figures a year ago. He can get his shot. Understanding the spacing and where he slots in is not easy when he is the fourth or fifth option behind Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and, sometimes, Christian Braun.
With Gordon’s deadeye beyond the arc, it is clear he will take over some of MPJ’s scoring. But Johnson needs a role.
He must make a conscious effort not to blend in, but assert himself, especially in the half-court. And Adelman has to design plays to get him into a rhythm. There will be plenty of nights the Nuggets don’t need Johnson to score. But that will not be the case in the playoffs when teams try to make anyone but Jokic beat them.
It was one game. But Thursday is a reminder that we must be patient with Johnson. That, however, doesn’t mean he has to be on offense.
Official consequences: Linebacker Dre Greenlaw deserved to be disciplined for confronting referee Brad Allen following the Broncos’ win over the Giants. Whether it should have been a suspension or fine comes down to what he said. If he threatened Allen, then the punishment is warranted. The Broncos were not so sure. But what about Allen’s crew? It was a poorly officiated game in a season where penalties are up 8.6 %, per CBS Sports. Increased infractions make games difficult to watch and annoying. And the number of incorrect calls remains maddening. Two things could help: bench officials who have bad games — this would not be an issue if the NFL used full-time refs — and make them available to the media after games.
Peyton’s Place: Peyton Manning became emotional last Sunday when discussing Demaryius Thomas‘ induction into the Ring of Fame. Spend any time with Manning, and it becomes clear how much DT and that 2015 team mean to him. He made sure Von Miller knew that last week, recognizing he would not be able to attend the ceremony. “Peyton always calls at the most random times, but they are like right on time,” Miller said. “I was thinking about the weekend, and how (darn) I wanted to be there. And I look at my phone and I have a long voice message from Peyton telling me he wished I was there.” Manning had his worst season in 2015, but the Broncos don’t win Super Bowl 50 without him and his leadership.
Rockie progress: The Diamondbacks’ Amiel Sawdaye and the Guardians’ Matt Forman are reported finalists for the Rockies’ rebuilt front office. If either is named GM, it likely means the president of baseball operations position will not exist. Not great. Sawdaye and Forman, however, are the type of executives who could help execute a U-turn. Sawdaye is a traditional front office-type who incorporates analytics. Forman leans fully into analytics, and if he lands the job, it would represent a complete philosophical shift.
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