Cameron Johnson is looking a lot more settled in Denver this preseason, and that matters for a Nuggets team that needs his shooting to stretch the floor.
In Sunday’s 133-128 preseason win over the Chicago Bulls, Johnson put up 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting and went 4 of 5 from deep. That kind of efficiency is the heart of his job in this offense. When the 3s are falling, he gives Nikola Jokic the kind of clean release valve Denver wants when the double team comes.
What stands out so far is how much more natural Johnson looks moving without the ball. He’s been finding open pockets, shaking free from defenders, and giving himself easy looks from the perimeter.
He’s also showing the kind of quick, confident release that changes the whole conversation around his shot. Through three preseason games, he’s at 57.1% from beyond the arc, a number that would mark a real step up from the 43.0% he shot last year.
That’s a big swing from the version of Johnson who first arrived in Denver. When he debuted for the Nuggets last year, he never really seemed fully comfortable.
At times, he looked out of place. But his season got better as it went along, and it ended with a couple of standout playoff performances against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
That late-season version is the one showing up now.
Johnson’s role also comes with more weight this season. He had to fill the Michael Porter Jr. spot last year after the Nuggets traded MPJ and a first-round pick to clear salary, and this year Denver chose him over Peyton Watson. Add in the fact that he, like most of the Nuggets’ starters last season, missed a lot of time because of injury, and it’s easy to see why the fit took time to come together.
Now he’s getting that chance to build chemistry from the start, and early signs suggest he’s ready to be one of Denver’s most important role players in 2026-27.
In Other News...
Nuggets Just Sent A Clear Message About Their Final Roster Spot
The Nuggets have made their first clear roster call of the preseason, waiving guard Lonnie Walker IV after bringing him in on a non-guaranteed training camp deal this offseason. Walker got into three preseason games, but Denver ultimately decided not to carry him into the regular season, instead leaning toward the guards already on two-way contracts as it sorted out the back end of the roster.
For a team that has spent camp sorting through its depth options, the move leaves one open spot heading into the regular season and keeps the door cracked for another addition down the line. It also suggests Denver is comfortable with the way its guard rotation is shaping up for now, even as the final piece of the roster remains unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
DaRon Holmes Faces A Nuggets Role Crunch He Didn't Expect
DaRon Holmes arrived in Nuggets camp with a chance to carve out a useful role after missing time while recovering from an Achilles injury, but the early read on his spot in the rotation has not made things any easier. Denver has been evaluating the 24-year-old big man as part of a crowded frontcourt, and his preseason work so far has not yet separated him from the pack behind the teams established reserve options.
With the big-man rotation already tight, Holmes is fighting for every available minute, and his path may be more complicated than it first looked. The remaining preseason games now loom as an important stretch for him, because Denvers depth up front means his best chance to stick could come from showing he can handle whatever role the Nuggets need, even if it is not the one he may have expected. [Read more 🡒]
Nuggets Preseason Rotation Is Revealing David Adelmans Early Trust Circle
Three preseason games have already given David Adelman a clearer look at where his early trust is landing, and the Nuggets coach has not been shy about mixing and matching as he sorts out the rotation. The minutes distribution has started to tell a story, with a handful of players getting a longer runway than the rest while others are still trying to work their way into the mix.
Tyus Jones, Julian Strawther, Marvin Bagley III and Alpha Diallo have all been among the players seeing the most meaningful time, which is usually a pretty good indicator of where a coachs confidence sits this time of year. The other side of that equation is just as interesting, though, because some Nuggets are still getting their chances later in games, and Spencer Jones has yet to appear in preseason at all. [Read more 🡒]