Cam Johnson Feeling Good About Suns, Injury Rehab
Phoenix Suns PF Cam Johnson is an incredibly likeable person.
He's not near the levels of Russell Westbrook when it comes to showboating his confidence. He's not quite Kawhi Leonard, either. He'll show emotion when something happens, and has proved himself as a teammate willing to do whatever it takes to help the team.
This season, his role expanded into the starting lineup. Phoenix felt his growth could jump even higher with more regulated minutes, and it was time to move on from Jae Crowder, anyways.
However, a torn meniscus just eight games into the regular season has sidelined Johnson for the foreseeable future. Questions already surrounded Phoenix on their depth, and Johnson's injury further amplified that pressure.
The Suns have done well in his absence, currently sitting at 11-6 and occupying the top spot in the West.
However, the sooner Johnson returns, the better. Phoenix wants as much time played together as possible before another testy postseason run awaits.
His recovery is going well, but he's still not setting a viable return date for himself. Johnson spoke with The Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin and offered a few words on how he's building himself back to 100%.
“I feel good. Making progress every day. Small wins are what I’m looking for. I’m not looking super big picture right now. I’m not saying I’m going to come back this day or come back that day. Just continue to improve each and every day and gain strength in it," he said before confirming he was indeed in the ballpark of one-two months.
"I’m sure I am in there, but that’s a big ballpark right. That’s a four or five-week difference. I think it’ll be a combination of just how it all progresses and then my comfort getting back on the court. You never know what kind of obstacles will come up in the future. So like I said, I’m going for small wins each day.”
Johnson has been impressed with how Phoenix has played since his departure. Friday's meeting with the Detroit Pistons will mark the tenth game without No. 23 in action.
"They come in and make plays and you can see our identity as a team no matter who is on the court. From what I can tell about the league, that’s what you need to go through injuries and this and that and still maintain your identity no matter who you roll out there," Johnson said. The Suns are 5-5 in their last ten games, partly due to the absence of Chris Paul who hopes to return soon with a right heel injury.
"It’s a testament to what I think we’ve built with the coaching staff and the organization has been able to build. The cool part about it is even if we lose a game we know we shouldn’t or play the way we know we shouldn’t, we’re able to bounce back from that. If there is one thing that we’ve learned from the last couple of years is that things don’t always go smoothly.
"It’s about how you respond to things. You can’t ask for everything to go your way all the time. Whether it’s a playoff game or a regular season or injuries, I believe you need to be resilient and respond to adversity in any form is a big calling card to what we’ll be able to accomplish.”
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