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Cam Johnson is having the best season of his career with the new-look Brooklyn Nets. The 6-foot-8 sharpshooter has taken his three-point marksmanship to another level, shooting 43.1 percent on 7.6 attempts per game, both career-highs. He ranks fourth in the NBA in three-point percentage among 61 players attempting over six per game, trailing only Norman Powell (50.7), Kyrie Irving (45.7) and Darius Garland (44.0).
Johnson has made six or more threes four times in 22 appearances to start 2024-25. He reached the mark five times in his first five seasons combined.
The Nets have revamped their offense this season under first-time NBA head coach Jordi Fernandez. When asked about his career-best shooting, Johnson said his three-point attempts in Fernandez's system differ drastically from prior years.
“From a purely objective standpoint, I think the looks are a lot different,” he said after draining seven threes during Wednesday's 99-90 win over the Indiana Pacers. “They’re coming in different ways. Less catch-and-shoots, a lot less from the corners probably, a lot more movement shots, but they’re rhythm shots, a lot of them. The offense we run, the looks we generate, as a shooter you want them to be kind of predictable where you know, ‘Ok, I might have a look on this play, I might have a look on that play.' You know, where guys are screening, when I get a look, a little daylight, imma shoot it.”
“So I do think the looks are different, but I think they've been good ones so far. And you see, sometimes teams try a little bit more to take those away, those off the dribble ones, those off handoffs, transitions, but as long as I get that daylight, I'm gonna keep shooting.”
The numbers back up Johnson's assessment of his altered shot diet this season.
Cam Johnson having career-best shooting season in Nets' new-look offense
Under Fernandez, Johnson's three-point attempts have shifted above the break, making his elite efficiency even more impressive. Only 23 percent of his threes have come from the corner, an 11 percent decrease from last season, per CleaningTheGlass.
Johnson is also seeing fewer spot-up attempts. A career-high 29 percent of his threes have come off the dribble, an eight percent increase from last season. He's been deadly on those looks, shooting a career-best 43.8 percent, the NBA's fifth-highest mark among 63 players to attempt over 35 pull-up threes this season.
As Johnson noted, many of his threes in Fernandez's offense have been designed movement shots. The Nets coach has generated these open looks for his top shooter in several ways.
He's relentlessly attacked opposing defenses with dribble handoffs.
He's also frequently tested their communication with screen-the-screener sets.
Outside of Fernandez's scheme, much of Johnson's three-point brilliance has been self-improvised, a product of his improved confidence. The veteran wing has hit several audacious pull-ups in the halfcourt.
He's been equally willing to pull from several feet behind the arc in transition, whether off the dribble or the catch.
Johnson's improved durability has made his heavy dose of movement shooting and offensive self-improvisation possible. After a letdown 2023-24 campaign that saw him battle hamstring, calf, adductor, ankle and toe injuries, the former lottery pick is living up to his four-year, $94.5 million contract as a focal point of the Nets' offense
“Like I tell you guys, it happens. You're gonna go through things,” Johnson said of his injury struggles last season. “We have a great strength and training staff here that helped me get through all the other things last year, and then just a big effort this summer, being physically prepared for the demands of the season, being physically resilient for the demands of the season. Not that I didn't do that the season before, but [playing in the Fiba] World Cup and everything, it was a long summer.
“I personally really enjoy the off-season and being able to make strides in my game… I work on every aspect of my game. I've really come to love that side of it. And so I think, maybe this is just a little bit reaping the benefits of it. I think in our offense, I get looks that I really enjoy shooting… I'm just playing free.”
The Nets will face a decision on Johnson's future leading up to the trade deadline. After pivoting to a rebuild this summer, general manager Sean Marks is expected to field offers for Brooklyn's veterans.
Johnson's elite start could make him the most sought-after wing on the market.
