The Denver Nuggets (21-7) were focused on bolstering their bench during the offseason, but they did not expect to rely on it so much this early into the campaign. Head coach David Adelman just watched another starter go down with injury. Cam Johnson limped off the floor after suffering a knee sprain during Tuesday's road game versus the Dallas Mavericks (11-19). He was listed as questionable to return, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette, but did not check back into the contest.
The Nuggets came up just short in his absence, falling 131-130 to stellar Cooper Flagg and the Mavs. If Johnson had not exited the game, there was a chance he would have attempted the go-ahead 3-pointer as time expired. Peyton Watson got a good look, though, and nearly propelled the visiting team to a thrilling victory in American Airlines Center. Johnson finished with eight points on 3-of-7 shooting with two made 3-pointers in 24 minutes of action.
Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun are already both sidelined, with neither of them playing in December. While the Nuggets are excelling, a team can only withstand so many injuries to important players before it starts to stumble. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray remain one of the most lethal duos in the NBA -combined for 60 points, 28 assists and 14 rebounds in the loss — but they need some help.
Cam Johnson is supposed to be one of the most important members of the squad's supporting cast. Although his scoring volume has understandably declined, the 29-year-old has been quite efficient this season. He is posting 11.8 points per game while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 42.3 percent from behind the 3-point line. Now, the Nuggets may have to look elsewhere to find such valuable offensive production.
Hopefully, Johnson does not miss an extended period of time. Stay tuned for updates.
