David Adelman on Cam Johnson’s Early Days with the Nuggets: “We’re Just Helping Him Settle In”

David Adelman on Cam Johnson’s Early Days with the Nuggets: “We’re Just Helping Him Settle In”

Cam Johnson’s preseason stats with the Denver Nuggets haven’t jumped off the page, but his impact is already quietly taking shape. Through two games, Johnson has shown flashes of his value—like a self-created three-pointer on Monday that highlighted his spatial awareness and ball control, reminiscent of the kind of looks Michael Porter Jr. used to get.

So far, Johnson has tallied 13 points and two assists on 5-of-9 shooting, including just one made three. While he hasn’t taken on a lead ball-handling role yet, his skill set is already enhancing a lineup built to generate high-quality shots.

Head coach David Adelman isn’t worried. In fact, Johnson’s integration into the starting unit was never a concern heading into camp.

“We’re just helping him get comfortable,” Adelman said Thursday. “Cam’s the kind of player who prioritizes his teammates over forcing his own offense. Today was a good step—he was more assertive coming to the ball. We still need to get him going to his right hand more, and I haven’t installed any go-to sets for him yet. But we will. He’s a unique talent who fits into a lot of different roles.”

One of those roles could be at power forward. While Johnson has played exclusively at small forward so far, his 6-foot-8 frame gives Denver flexibility to occasionally slot him in as a stretch four—similar to how Porter was used.

Johnson, however, doesn’t see much distinction.

“Sometimes people label me a four, which is funny,” he said. “I’ve always played the same way. I didn’t touch the four spot until the NBA, maybe a little in my senior year when I filled in for a freshman who didn’t know the system. But the position labels don’t mean much anymore.

“Offensively and defensively, I’m in the same spots. Maybe I crash the boards a bit harder or box out more. But as long as I’m on the court, you could call me a 27—I’m good with it. I love playing.”

Rebounding is one area where Denver took a statistical hit in the offseason. Porter averaged five defensive rebounds per game; Johnson has averaged 3.2. For a team that struggled with second-chance opportunities last season, that gap could matter.

Still, the Nuggets believe Johnson’s basketball IQ, ball-handling, and defensive instincts will more than compensate. He’s already picking up on Nikola Jokic’s passing cues—like a no-look dish on Monday that Johnson anticipated from a subtle glance. “I should’ve hit that shot,” he admitted. “That’s on me.”

Adelman expects Johnson’s shot volume to rise soon. The team wants him to be aggressive and take on more ball-handling duties. First, he just needs time to adjust.

“The way we play is tough to defend,” Johnson said. “We’re getting great looks. What excites me is finding more ways to get involved in that flow. I’m still figuring it out, but we’ll get there just by playing.”