As Cam Johnson waits to see if he’ll be traded before the NBA deadline (Feb. 6), the Brooklyn Nets forward is finding himself increasingly at the center of opposing teams’ game plans, as relayed by Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
The latest example came on Saturday, as the Utah Jazz made a strategic decision to focus their defense on Johnson, repeatedly trapping him and forcing him into mistakes.
The result: six turnovers and a rough 2-of-9 shooting performance from beyond the arc.
While Johnson’s struggles were evident, Nets coach Jordi Fernandez acknowledged the defense’s effectiveness but also pointed to the need for improvement in execution.
“The one thing — obviously good job on them for blitzing CJ — but six turnovers to five assists, it’s not good enough,” Fernandez said, via Lewis. “The intentions were good, he was throwing the pass to the short roll. It was just the execution was not good. For the most part, he knew what we’re supposed to do, he’s just never been in that position.”
It’s a familiar story for Johnson, who, despite his best efforts, hasn’t yet adjusted to this expanded role that came with last week’s trade of Dennis Schroder to Golden State. The added responsibility of being a primary offensive threat has, at times, led to mistakes under pressure, especially when blitzed.
Fernandez pointed out that Cam Thomas has been more effective against similar defensive schemes.
“Every time Cam Thomas has been blitzed, we’ve got a clean execution out of it,” Fernandez said. “If you turn it over every time, or a lot of times you got blitzed [it’s bad]. In the second half, he was better, but those turnovers, for sure we paid for it.”
For now, the clock is ticking on Johnson’s future in Brooklyn. As one of the team’s top NBA trade assets, his performance will be closely scrutinized as teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Sacramento Kings, who have shown interest, prepare to make a move.
The fact his contract occupies only 13% of the cap only makes him more appealing to potential suitors.
In the meantime, Fernandez has urged his players to step up their adjustments to new defensive schemes.
“We should have known how to space the floor versus blitz, especially the middle of the floor,” he said. “For the most part, when we executed right we had the shots that we wanted. “Obviously, turning it over is not what we’re supposed to do, and we’ve got to be better.”
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