The Brooklyn Nets finished the 2024-25 NBA preseason with a 1-3 record. The Nets have gotten to see where their players are at mentally and physically before they start their regular season campaign on Oct. 23. Cam Johnson is one of the veterans on the young squad, and his performances so far have been promising. And let Johnson tell the story, October is the best he has felt in a long time.
During the Nets' 116-112 win over the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 18, Johnson erupted for a game-high 32 points and shot 50 percent (7-for-14) on his three-pointers. The outing was one of Johnson's best performances in a while with Brooklyn, and that is not a coincidence.
“I feel so much better [than last preseason],” Johnson said after Friday's performance, per Erik Slater of ClutchPoints. “Especially at this point in the season when we’re trying to do is build our base and build our endurance and get those game reps. I came into last season a couple of workouts back before that Cleveland opener, and then you’re fighting an uphill battle. So to get out there and get through this preseason, obviously with a couple of high-minute games, has been great. To kind of build that momentum is really important, especially shooting the ball.”
Johnson enters a pivotal season with Nets
It seems that Cam Johnson's conditioning has improved compared to the start of the 2023 season, and that is a great sign for the Nets ahead of their 2024 start. Johnson may not best fit the timeline Brooklyn is going for in their rebuild, but he remains highly valuable.
During the 2023-24 season, Johnson averaged 13.4 points and 4.3 rebounds on a 39.1 percent three-point shooting clip. His floor spacing and versatile defensive ability will be huge for the Nets in 2024-25 as the group seeks the development and maintenance of good habits. Johnson will be the go-to target for playmakers, and his experience should be valuable to the young players still trying to find their footing.
Johnson has been floated in numerous trade rumors since the Nets parted ways with Mikal Bridges during the 2024 offseason. However, it appears he will be a part of the team for the start of the 2024-25 season. If he continues to perform the way he did in the preseason, he will continue to raise his value and help the Nets get a good return for him. In the meantime, he looks to continue being a leader and help the team perform well in a crucial developmental period.