The Denver Nuggets came into this season knowing their bench would need to step up - they just didn’t expect to be leaning on it this heavily, this early. Tuesday night in Dallas was another reminder of how quickly depth becomes necessity in the NBA.
Cam Johnson, a key piece of Denver’s rotation, exited the game with a knee sprain and didn’t return. The Nuggets, already shorthanded, nearly pulled off a gutsy road win, but ultimately fell 131-130 to a Mavericks team led by the electric Cooper Flagg.
Johnson’s injury came at an especially tough time. With Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun both sidelined for the entire month of December, Denver’s margin for error has been shrinking by the game.
Johnson had logged 24 minutes before going down, scoring eight points on 3-of-7 shooting, including a pair of threes. It wasn’t a huge night statistically, but his presence matters - especially for a team already patching holes in the rotation.
Late in the fourth, the Nuggets had a chance to steal the win. With the clock winding down, it was Peyton Watson - not Johnson - who got the final look from beyond the arc.
It was a good shot, and it nearly dropped, but "almost" doesn’t go in the win column. If Johnson had been on the floor, there’s a real chance he would’ve been the one taking that shot.
That’s how much trust Denver has in his shooting.
Despite the loss, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray continued to do what they do best: dominate. The duo combined for 60 points, 28 assists, and 14 rebounds, putting on another offensive clinic.
But even with Jokic orchestrating and Murray attacking, there’s only so much two stars can carry. The Nuggets need their supporting cast - and right now, that cast is banged up.
Johnson has quietly been one of Denver’s most efficient contributors this year. He’s averaging 11.8 points per game while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and a scorching 42.3 percent from deep. That kind of floor spacing and scoring punch is hard to replace, especially on a team that thrives on ball movement and spacing around Jokic.
The hope now is that Johnson’s knee sprain isn’t serious. With Gordon and Braun still out, and the schedule not getting any easier, Denver can’t afford to lose another key piece for long. The bench has held its own so far, but the grind of the NBA season has a way of testing even the deepest rosters.
We’ll keep an eye on Johnson’s status moving forward. For a Nuggets team with title aspirations, staying healthy might be just as important as staying hot.