The Brooklyn Nets enter training camp in 2023 with a different aura surrounding the team. Last year, and in the last few NBA seasons, they have been considered contenders with the likes of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden on their roster. This year, no such expectations exist for the franchise.
The Nets are in a quasi-rebuild after trading Irving and Durant ahead of the trade deadline last season. There are some good, young players on the team but no bonafide superstars unless Ben Simmons gets things back on track and returns to the level of play we saw earlier in his career.
Mikal Bridges can reach the All-Star level with what he has shown, but that won’t be enough to push this team to contender status especially since they are already dealing with injuries to key players.
Cam Johnson, who was acquired along with Bridges from the Phoenix Suns in the Durant blockbuster, is going to be sidelined for the start of training camp. According to Marc J. Spears of ESPN and Andscape, Johnson suffered a mild hamstring strain during a workout last week.
This early in training camp, the team will exhibit a ton of caution. However, it certainly isn’t encouraging that Johnson is already going to be missing time, as injuries have hampered him throughout his career.
NBA INJURY NEWS & RUMORS: Cam Johnson & Brooklyn Nets Updates
The 2019 first-round pick has never played in more than 66 games in a season, missing a double-digit amount of games in all four seasons of his career. This season, he will be starting behind the eight-ball, being sidelined for the start of camp.
There has been no indication that his regular season availability is in question, but the Nets are going to take things slow. There is no reason to push things at this time, especially with a player who has been susceptible to injuries in the past.
NBA INJURY NEWS & RUMORS: Cam Johnson & Brooklyn Nets Updates
Johnson signed a four-year, $108 million deal with the Nets as a restricted free agent this offseason. He is an adept 3-point shooter, knocking down 39.3 percent of his attempts from behind the arc in his career while connecting on 41.6 percent of his 3-point attempts in the postseason.
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