Nets' Cam Johnson cleared to play after overcoming another injury
Nets forward Cam Johnson looks on against the Hawks in the second half of an NBA game at Barclays Center on Feb. 29. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
ORLANDO — After missing three games, Cam Johnson showed no signs of his sprained ankle going through a 3-on-3 half-court run with Nets teammates Trendon Watford and Keita Bates-Diop.
It was a welcome sight after he limped out of Barclays Center last Tuesday when he got hurt against the 76ers. So it wasn’t surprising Wednesday when the Nets cleared him after shootaround to play against the Magic.
For Johnson, staying in Brooklyn those three games allowed him get treatment and recover without the burdens that come from traveling.
“Instead of having a back-to-back and bounce around from city to city, it was definitely best for me to stay back and just kind of focus on knocking [out] some of this ankle issue and get ready for this trip,” Johnson said Wednesday.
The injury was another setback for Johnson, who’s had three separate leg-related injuries that caused him to miss multiple games this season. Throw in that he missed all of preseason with a hamstring injury and it’s been a painful start after signing a four-year, $94 million contract last summer
But Johnson took it in stride. He called it frustrating that he’s been out 16 games, including one for personal reasons, yet he’s tried to stay level-headed through shooting slumps and coming off the bench for four games.
“I’ve been dealing with these things for a long time,” Johnson said of his injuries. “Everything happens for a reason and I can’t dwell on those things. It’s just continue to push forward.”
Johnson’s scoring may be down from last season — 13.8 points from 15.5 in 2022-23 — but he’s still close to averaging 40% on three-pointers for the third consecutive season. Entering Wednesday, Johnson is at 39.6%.
But it’s his attitude that’s endeared him to teammates who admire his professionalism. Lonnie Walker IV was in Johnson’s shoes last season with the Lakers when he opened the season as a starter but became a reserve after being sidelined with a knee injury.
Walker still helped the Lakers reach the Western Conference Finals. He sees the same mindset in Johnson. It's a desire to win no matter how his role changes.
“At the end-all, be all, we're trying to win,” Walker said. “And I think that's something that he understands and he consistently brings. His energy and his character or his personality never gets deterred, or it never bothers him.
Johnson agreed. Things haven’t been ideal but it’s just been another adjustment he’s had to roll with since being traded to the Nets 13 months ago.
Whether he comes off the bench again Wednesday or resumes his starting job, it’s keeping the same perspective that the focus is on winning games and he’s glad to resume that mission.
“It’s not the first time it’s happened to me in my career and it’s not any stranger than any other circumstances,” Johnson said. "But my job is help this team win games and that’s what I’m going to do whether I’m starting, coming off bench, playing 10 minutes or playing 40 minutes.”
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
