The Denver Nuggets have played at a high enough level to inspire belief, but injuries linger over their season like a dark cloud. When Cameron Johnson went down with a right knee injury in Dallas on Tuesday night, that cloud threatened to break open and rain on a championship parade before it could ever get started. Thankfully, Johnson avoided structural damage.
Johnson suffered a bone bruise, per Shams Charania of ESPN, and the expected timeline for a return varies drastically depending on the location of the injury, per Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes.
Considering the extent of our fears when an athlete grabs his knee after falling without contact, this is relatively good news. But it’s still a significant injury that further strains the Nuggets’ rotation and burdens their best players.
Powered by Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić, who are playing better than ever together in a regular season, the Nuggets wield a historically elite offense. Those two are playing at such a high level that Denver not only withstood injuries to Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon, but the offense actually improved in their absence.
The new starting lineup, featuring Spencer Jones and Peyton Watson, has logged more minutes together than the one we saw on opening night. And they’ve been better together, even if it’s challenged Denver’s depth behind that first wave of talent. The lineup has a staggering offensive rating of 136.7 and a remarkable net rating of +20.1.
Credit is due to Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones, two capable shooters from the corners who are figuring out how to pick up easy points alongside the best playmaking big man of all time. But we can also credit that bump to the improvement of Cam Johnson, who had found his rhythm after a slow start in a Nuggets uniform.
Since November 21st, when Gordon suffered a hamstring strain against the Houston Rockets, Johnson has averaged 14.3 points while shooting 51% from three-point range on 5.2 attempts per game. He’s stabilized with a larger role and has become a key figure in the second unit.
Now, the Nuggets will have to navigate life without three of their intended starters and a player who consistently staggers with the bench.
Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown will step into bigger roles now, with an opportunity to show why they were such valued additions in the offseason. And young Julian Strawther, who is just returning from low back pain, is suddenly in a position to make a difference again. Jalen Pickett, who recently re-entered the rotation, could assume more responsibility as players slide up to fill the gaps.
Denver has the makings of a contender, and they’re holding the line despite a significant wave of adversity. They just have to survive this brutal stretch without key players and hope the worst of it passes before the playoffs begin.