{"id":746761,"date":"2026-04-23T03:22:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T03:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/746761\/"},"modified":"2026-04-23T03:22:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T03:22:10","slug":"cam-johnson-unbothered-by-inclusion-on-jaden-mcdaniels-list-of-bad-denver-nuggets-defenders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/746761\/","title":{"rendered":"Cam Johnson unbothered by inclusion on Jaden McDaniels list of ‘bad’ Denver Nuggets defenders"},"content":{"rendered":"

At least one person in the series thinks Cam Johnson is a bad defender.<\/p>\n

Timberwolves wing Jaden McDaniels started his list of Denver\u2019s subpar defenders with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. He continued with Tim Hardaway, Johnson and Aaron Gordon. McDaniels doubled down when given a chance to clarify after Minnesota\u2019s Game 2 win.<\/p>\n

Johnson didn\u2019t have much to say about his inclusion in McDaniels\u2019 list.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not buying into those antics \u2013 period,\u201d Johnson said after the Nuggets practiced Wednesday at Ball Arena before heading to Minnesota for Thursday\u2019s Game 3. \u201cI\u2019m not entertaining them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perhaps McDaniels forgot a couple of possessions early in Monday\u2019s game. Johnson stood up to Rudy Gobert despite giving up five inches and roughly 40 pounds on Minnesota\u2019s center. Gobert had to kick the ball out of the post to McDaniels of all people. Gobert then provided a screen on Jamal Murray that led to Johnson helping to prevent McDaniels from driving down the middle of the lane. Murray and Johnson forced McDaniels to pick up his dribble. A perfectly vertical contest from Johnson forced McDaniels\u2019 jumper to clank off the front of the rim in such a fashion that it started a Nuggets fast break that Gordon finished with an alley-oop to himself.<\/p>\n

A couple of possessions later, Johnson stayed in front of McDaniels on a drive to his left and intercepted a pass to Gobert.<\/p>\n

\u201cCam\u2019s a good defender. \u2026 Maybe people didn\u2019t get to watch him enough, but he moves his feet really well,\u201d Christian Braun said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe blocks guys\u2019 drives pretty well. He\u2019s just a good player. That\u2019s who he is. He can do a little bit of everything. Watching him defend, I think, has been a surprise for a lot of people, but we\u2019ve kind of seen that all year. He\u2019s just a good defender, a good player, and he\u2019s really smart. He knows guys\u2019 tendencies. He can cut guys off.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"MinnesotaMinnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid (11) is defended by Denver Nugget Cam Johnson during Game 1 of round 1 of the NBA playoffs at Ball Arena on Saturday. The Nuggets won the game 116-105. (The Gazette, Jerilee Bennett)<\/p>\n

With Denver switching most screens to start the series, Johnson\u2019s assignments have ranged from Minnesota\u2019s wings and included stints on Julius Randle, Naz Reid and Gobert. It\u2019s not going to be perfect, but Johnson\u2019s doing what he can to hold up against larger opponents.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we go smaller, whether that\u2019s Spencer (Jones) at the four or Cam at the four, those guys have to play the game. If they have to front, they\u2019ve got to do that. If they have to deny, make the catches as far out on the floor as they can. After that, you rely on strengths, but you\u2019ve got to battle. You\u2019ve got to make it a contested two, not make it a layup,\u201d Nuggets coach David Adelman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought Cam fought. Let\u2019s be honest, Randle is going to score on people. That\u2019s what he does. He\u2019s an All-Star player, but you just have to fight him. The more we can make him shoot turnaround jump shots, things of that nature, and not right at the rim, we\u2019ll be in a good spot.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Nuggets\u2019 coach also wasn\u2019t going to spend too much energy on McDaniels\u2019 comments. Adelman quizzed the media in attendance to name Denver\u2019s defensive rating through two games. It\u2019s 109.3, which ranks sixth among playoff teams. The Pistons and Thunder were the only teams to boast defensive ratings lower than 110 in the regular season. Minnesota\u2019s defensive rating through two playoff games is 112.2.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, next,\u201d Adelman said, trying to move on from the McDaniels conversation.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur half-court defense has been OK. People are going to score points in the NBA, just like we did on them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DenverDenver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson (23) sprints to try to keep the ball from going out of bounds during game 2 of round 1 of the NBA playoffs at Ball Arena on Monday, April 20, 2026. The Nuggets lost the game 119-114. (The Gazette, Jerilee Bennett)<\/p>\n

While this is Johnson\u2019s first playoff series with the Nuggets, he\u2019s well-versed in verbal and physical battles of the postseason. He played in the NBA Finals as a member of the Suns in his second NBA season back in 2021. He said there was even more talking in his first playoff series, a six-game victory over the Lakers where the Suns won the final three games after falling behind, 2-1, so this is nothing new.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt brings the best out of you. It brings the competition out of you. That\u2019s what we do it for. I just want to go out there and compete and compete for a round-one win and compete for a championship. That\u2019s what we\u2019re going to do,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s two games in. The winner has got to win three more, so there\u2019s a lot of basketball to be played. It\u2019s not about words right now. It\u2019s about play.\u201d<\/p>\n


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