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MIAMI — With much of the Nets’ opening-night offense either injured or traded away, Cam Johnson has shouldered more and more of the offensive burden.
That’s been underscored by how other teams have begun treating Johnson, the ones facing the Nets starting to blitz him and the ones inquiring about him.
But with the Nets rebuilding — 11-16 entering Monday’s tilt against the Heat — developing the players they have and maximizing the ones they move are what this gap year is all about.
The Post had reported that not only were the Nets getting calls about Johnson but that league sources projected him to have the highest value among Nets veterans on the trade block, e.g. Dennis Schroder (before he was dealt away) and Dorian Finney-Smith.
Now, reports cite Sacramento and Oklahoma City as interested parties.
Johnson — averaging 19.1 points on 48.8 percent shooting, 42.2 percent from deep — is in the midst of a career year. He’s been tasked with using his gravity and developing playmaking skills to create for others.
And Johnson has even been the Nets’ first offensive option with leading scorer Cam Thomas sidelined since Nov. 25.
But with Schroder traded away last week and Finney-Smith out Saturday, Johnson was at the top of Utah’s scouting report. It didn’t go well.
Johnson was trapped repeatedly, and despite managing 18 points and five assists on 7-for-15 shooting, he was just 2 of 9 from deep and committed six turnovers trying to squeeze passes through unfamiliar windows.
“The one thing — obviously good job on them for blitzing CJ — but six turnovers to five assists, it’s not good enough,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “The intentions were good, he was throwing the pass to the short roll. It was just the execution was not good.
“For the most part, he knew what we’re supposed to do, he’s just never been in that position. Every time Cam Thomas has been blitzed, we’ve got a clean execution out of it. If you turn it over every time, or a lot of times you got blitzed [it’s bad]. In the second half, he was better, but those turnovers, for sure we paid for it.”
Fernandez is right; Johnson hasn’t experienced that before. While with Phoenix, he was used almost entirely as a catch-and-shoot option, stationed in the corners to space the floor for Devin Booker and Chris Paul.
He’s expanded his game under Fernandez, playing more off the dribble and suddenly becoming efficient on handoffs. But being blitzed is new, with the departure of Schroder and absence of Thomas.
And while Johnson has punished doubles, he had to learn how to do so. He’d been on a scoring binge last season when he first faced constant blitzes in Atlanta on Dec. 6.
Johnson managed just six points on 3-for-10 shooting with five turnovers, but he and the Nets grew from the experience.
Now, Johnson and his teammates will have to make the same adjustments.
“Giving them credit, [but] I think our guys should know. If they don’t, it’s my fault,” Fernandez said. “But we should have known how to space the floor versus blitz, especially the middle of the floor.
“For the most part, when we executed right we had the shots that we wanted. Obviously, turning it over is not what we’re supposed to do, and we’ve got to be better.”
Of course, it’s important to recall the Nets are rebuilding — really, tanking — and the endgame is a high lottery pick.
But it’s also to develop their culture and their roster. That includes mid-career development, like Johnson has shown.
And opposing teams have noticed that.
The Thunder are reportedly monitoring Johnson’s availability, per Bleacher Report.
Meanwhile, the forward is of “significant interest” to the Kings, with Finney-Smith intriguing Fernandez’s old team “to a lesser degree,” according to The Athletic.
Both a better player and on a friendly contract the next two years (each just 13 percent of the cap), Johnson would fetch a higher return than Finney-Smith.
That’s partly due to his development, which is supposed to be what this rebuilding season is about.
