Cam Johnson Expected to Return Friday, Putting Phoenix Rims on High Alert

Cam Johnson is officially expected to lace them up on Friday night against the Phoenix Suns, which means the rims in Arizona need to be put on high alert.

Underdog NBA relayed the update from coach David Adelman, confirming the forward has recovered enough from his recent ankle sprain to return to the floor. Fantasy managers and prop bettors can safely plug him back into their lineups, though you might want to ask yourself if you actually want to.

"Adelman: Cam Johnson (ankle) expected to play Friday."

Before the ankle injury gave him a mandatory vacation, Johnson was putting on an absolute clinic in offensive futility. He is averaging a bleak eight points and three rebounds a night to start the season, shooting 37 percent from the floor and a staggering 23 percent from deep.

For context, shooting 23 percent from three as a designated floor spacer is like being hired as a bouncer and apologizing to everyone who cuts the line. The Nuggets acquired him to punish defenses for double-teaming Nikola Jokic, not to test the structural integrity of the backboard.

Denver is sitting at an aggressively mediocre 2-2 right now, and they desperately need the actual, productive version of Johnson to show up. The spacing he theoretically provides is crucial for a team trying to navigate a crowded Western Conference where the margins are already razor-thin.

Friday night’s late tipoff against a 1-2 Phoenix squad offers a perfect get-right spot. If the forced rest gave his ankle time to heal and his jumper a hard factory reset, Denver’s offense might finally click. If not, Adelman might need to start looking further down his bench for someone who remembers how to shoot.