NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson had to make a big adjustment coming out of the All-Star break as he had to transition from being a starter to coming off the bench. While he was visibly displeased with the change in role, Johnson showed on Thursday why he should be playing starter’s minutes either way.
“Felt good, just the way we played felt right, you know what I mean?” Johnson said after putting up a season-high 29 points in Thursday’s 124-97 dismantling of the Atlanta Hawks. While Johnson has been trying to figure out how his routine has to change amidst all of the injuries, he chose to focus on how the Nets played as a team. “Everybody’s intention and focus, attention to detail, attention to the scout(ing report) felt like it was in the right place,” Johnson continued.
For awhile, it seemed like Brooklyn could only get wins against the worst teams in the NBA like the rebuilding San Antonio Spurs team or the severely-injured Memphis Grizzlies. However, Thursday showed what the Nets can look like when they are firing on all cylinders and playing hard, similar to how they played to begin this season.
One thing that Johnson has pointed out since his change in role after interim head coach Kevin Ollie took over has been rhythm. It looks like he found his rhythm at the perfect point of Brooklyn’s season to make a playoff push:
“I tell you guys all the time: all you’re looking for is rhythm and feel of the game. It slows it down for you anytime you’re in your comfortable spaces, your comfortable roles, it slows the game down for you. You’re able to process quicker, more efficiently and sometimes, good results follow that.”
The Nets and Hawks play again on Saturday for the fourth and final time this season as both squads are looking to win that crucial game.
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