Look at Cameron Johnson, man.
There were no Nets-related trade rumors last summer that did not mention his name. The mere thought of such a drastic change in situation can weigh heavily on a player. Whether they experienced it before does not make it any easier. It makes it more frustrating. No accomplished player wants to be reduced to a journeyman in the NBA.
Johnson could have checked out. That part would have been effortless. He could have fallen victim to the “disease of me,” tuned out coaching, his teammates and ignored all veteran responsibility. But Johnson has not delved into such selfishness this season. The same could be said about his fellow veterans who have reportedly been on the trade block, guys such as Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith.
“All three of us have definitely been traded before, and it’s not something that we’re worried about,” Johnsons said. “There’s a lot of speculation about a lot of things, all of our whole careers, my whole career, speculation about this, speculation about that. You hear a lot of outside noise. There’s no sense in letting it bother you. There’s no sense in letting it get to you. Let the future be the future. Control what you can control now.”
Those are the words of a consummate professional. Johnson, 28, is once again proving to be just that, perhaps more so than any other season he has spent in the league. And his persistence has been rewarded in what is shaping up to be the best offensive season of his career.
Speaking to reporters after scoring a season-high 34 points with six 3-pointers in the Nets’ 116-115 defeat of the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday at Barclays Center, the forward said he has simply been playing within the flow of the Nets’ offense, staying aggressive, taking what the defense gives him, doing whatever head coach Jordi Fernandez asks of him.
Johnson did not sound like a man who had a chip on his shoulder, or someone who harbored resentment for the persistent trade rumors and slights that were thrown his way last season. He sounded like a player who was fully confident in himself. The type of consistent veteran who regularly contributes to winning.
“He’s been big, he’s been hooping,” Trendon Watford said. “He’s been shooting the ball very well, helping his teammates… I’m not surprised by it at all. Last year was last year. He obviously heard all the noise and took it with a grain of salt and came back. And now he’s doing what we know CJ can do.”
Johnson averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists across 58 games last season while shooting 44.6% from the field and 39.1% from deep. It was his lowest-scoring season since his 2021-22 campaign with the Phoenix Suns. He missed 24 games total, most because of injury. He missed seven of the Nets’ first eight games last season and missed at least three consecutive games four times.
“It’s hard to just miss time, come back and think everything’s going to work out,” Johnson said.
While Brooklyn is only 15 games into the 2024-25 season, Johnson has started all of them and the injury bug has not bit him yet. If the season ended today, his scoring average of 18.1 points per game would be the highest of his career, as would his field goal percentage of 47.9%. And after having just six games with at least 20 points last season, he has already matched that in his first 15 appearances this season.
Johnson’s true shooting percentage of 64.7% would also be a career best. His value to the Nets has never been higher. His impact on the game has never been better.
“I think he does it in a very selfless way,” Fernandez said. “That’s the best thing about him is he leads by example with his consistency and also, you see results. So, as great a player that he is, he’s performing at a high level, but also his personality I think that it’s contagious. Everybody is very happy for him and the games that he’s performing like this we got to find him.”
