Denver Nuggets' forward Cam Johnson was diagnosed with a bone bruise and hyperextended right knee and will be reevaluated in four to six weeks according to Shams Charania. We'll breakdown where he currently stands on that timeline and try to find a potential return date.
Johnson was traded to the Nuggets in the offseason for Michael Porter Jr. and a pick. After a slow start while adjusting with his new team, he started to pick his play up before suffering the injury.
In 28 games so far this year, Johnson has put up 11.7 points per game while shooting 42.9% from three - his best trait. In his last 15 games, Johnson has turned up those numbers to 14.3 points per game and 51.3% from deep.
He marked the third Nugget to go down with significant injuries (Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon have each been out a month plus), and the team had another devastating injury to Nikola Jokic on Dec. 29 that will keep him out for at least a month. If there was ever a "good" time to get injured however, December and January is the time for them to happen.
The Nuggets are 22-10 and third in the West, which gives them some cushion to afford a few losses before everyone returns in February.
It's been seven days since Johnson last took the court and five days since his diagnosis. Let's try to find an ideal time for the former North Carolina Tar Heel to return to the court:
Nuggets Late January-Early February Schedule
Date | Away Team | Home Team |
Jan. 20 | Los Angeles Lakers | Denver Nuggets |
Jan. 22 | Denver Nuggets | Washington Wizards |
Jan. 23 | Denver Nuggets | Milwaukee Bucks |
Jan. 25 | Denver Nuggets | Memphis Grizzlies |
Jan. 27 | Detroit Pistons | Denver Nuggets |
Jan. 29 | Brooklyn Nets | Denver Nuggets |
Jan. 30 | Los Angeles Clippers | Denver Nuggets |
Feb. 1 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Denver Nuggets |
Feb. 3 | Denver Nuggets | Detroit Pistons |
Feb. 4 | Denver Nuggets | New York Knicks |
Feb. 7 | Denver Nuggets | Chicago Bulls |
Feb. 9 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Denver Nuggets |
Feb. 11 | Memphis Grizzlies | Denver Nuggets |
Jan. 20 marks exactly four weeks since the diagnosis and is probably the earliest date that he would return. If the Nuggets are spiraling and need some offensive pop, they could try putting him out on the court early.
If the Nuggets decide to play it safer, the five game home-stand makes sense for Johnson to return. It would be in between a five and six week recovery and a long home-stand will give Johnson time to recalibrate and relax a little compared to flying to multiple cities on a road trip.
Feb. 3 marks six weeks, the longest timetable for Johnson to be reevaluated. Expect him to return sometime in late January or early February if his recovery goes according to plan.
Read Aaron Gordon's and Christian Braun's injury articles on site.
Read more Nuggets news and NBA news on site.
