Cam Johnson ready to lead Nets’ play-in push

Forward all in for Brooklyn after deadline scare

February 19, 2025 John Torenli, Sports Editor

Though he didn't advance to the final round of last weekend's 3-Point Shootout, Cam Johnson is ready to spearhead Brooklyn's playoff push. AP Photo by Godofredo A. Vásquez

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Cam Johnson is enjoying the best of his seven NBA seasons, even though he’s spent a good share of it battling injury and fending off trade rumors.

The only Net to represent Brooklyn during All-Star Weekend in San Francisco is finally healthy and ready to help push this rebuilding project on the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush closer to play-in tournament contention over the regular season’s final 28 games.

“I feel that this year I’m a much better player overall than I’ve been in the past,” Johnson said earlier this month as the Nets were heating up ahead of the annual All-Star break.

The numbers back up the 6-foot-8 forward’s point.

Johnson is averaging career bests of 19.1 points, 2.9 assists and 0.5 blocked shots per contest.

More impressively, his 41.3% accuracy from 3-point range is also tops on the team among qualifying players and ranks 22nd in the NBA overall.

The lanky North Carolina alum’s shooting touch even got him an invite to compete with the NBA’s best Saturday night.

Though he didn’t advance beyond the first round of the 3-Point Shootout, Johnson intimated that he will surely give it another shot.

“Nets fans, it’s Cam Johnson signing off from the three-point contest 2025. Just know I’ll be back,” he said. “This is the first of many. I’ll be back,”

Perhaps next time, he can do so as a first-time NBA All-Star. Representing Brooklyn, of course.

Especially if the Nets (20-34) make him part of their rebuilding process rather than accepting calls for their top scorer.

“We obviously value Cam Johnson, and we want him here. He’s been great, he’s gonna continue to be great,” Brooklyn coach Jordi Fernández insisted.

Nets coach Jordi Fernández likes the view every time Cam Johnson hoists up a 3-pointer this season. AP Photo by Heather Khalifa

The more value Johnson gave Brooklyn, the more he was valued by teams chasing a championship this year.

But when 3 p.m. ET came and went on Feb. 6, Johnson was here to stay.

At least for the remainder of this campaign, which has seen him limited to 39 of the Nets’ first 54 games, due mainly to ankle issues.

Just three weeks ago, Brooklyn was 14-33 and had lost 12 of 13, including a season-high seven-game skid.

The slump made it more likely that Johnson would be trade bait come the deadline, but the Nets held firm to one of their few remaining veteran assets among a sea of roster changes over the past several seasons.

Acquired in the deadline deal that sent Kevin Durant to Phoenix in 2023, Johnson played wing man to Mikal Bridges and Cam Thomas before coming to the fore in 2024.

“I get different opportunities this year. I think the shot profile is a little different,” he noted.

Johnson is hoisting up a career-high 13.0 shots per game, but the higher volume has actually increased his accuracy. His 48.8% clip from the field is 2% better than any other season in his NBA career.

Though he might have had a better chance to chase a championship ring in Los Angeles or Dallas, or even back in Phoenix, Johnson is glad he’s still in Brooklyn.

“Staying here. there’s a lot of familiarity. And you know, a lot that we still want to accomplish,” he said.

By winning six of seven games heading into the break, the Nets moved within 1 1/2 lengths of 10th-place Chicago for the final spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.

And there’s help on the way for Johnson.

Thomas, who has played just twice since injuring his hamstring in Golden State on Nov. 25, could be back shortly after the break.

High-scoring guard Cam Thomas could be back in the Brooklyn lineup shortly after the team returns from the All-Star break Thursday. AP Photo by Randall Benton

Also, the Nets will have Noah Clowney back in the mix. The second-year power forward has been sidelined since Jan. 27 with a left ankle sprain.

“You know, it’s a silver lining to all of this,” Johnson intimated.

“With everything going on, we’ve been banged up, we’ve had this going on, that going on, rumors going on, but I’ve been trying to do my best to take advantage of the learning opportunity that’s been presented to me.”

The next opportunity for Brooklyn to climb the standings will be a challenging one as the conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers (44-10) visit Barclays Center on Thursday.