Johnson back after 6 games
Suns’ wing Cam Johnson happy to return after his bout with COVID-19. “I’m kind of putting it behind me and moving on,” he said.
Cam Johnson has a new look that was long overdue.
“I was wondering what I was going to do with my hair,” Johnson said Friday morning. “I hadn’t cut it since the draft and it was getting real long, right? Really long.”
Johnson did more than just get a haircut during his time away from the team.
The Phoenix Suns wing also did all he could to prevent having major symptoms from COVID-19 as he tested positive for the virus earlier this month.
“It was just unfortunate,” Johnson said. “Just something that kind of popped up out of nowhere, but I did (test positive for COVID-19). I’m glad to be back with the team. I’m kind of putting it behind me and moving on.”
Johnson missed six games under NBA’s health and safety protocols. He ironically made his return March 21 in the final of a five-game homestand against the Los Angeles Lakers, who was the last team he played against March 2 at STAPLES Center.
While Johnson was out, Suns fans expressed their support and concern through social media outlets.
“To hear that people were supporting me through it is really nice,” Johnson said. “If people were out there noticing that I was gone and worried about what might be going on, that’s nice to know the fans really care like that even when I’m not playing on the court with the team, but I was OK. I was OK for the most part.”
Johnson said he kept up on his vitamin intake to combat the virus. While he was doing his part to return as quickly as possible, the fans weren’t the only ones missing him.
“That’s my guy,” Suns wing Mikal Bridges said a couple of weeks ago. “I miss my shooting partner out there today, but I know he’s going to be good. I talked to him. We obviously miss our guy. I do my little handshake when he’s not there. Still do it as (if) he’s there.”
Johnson, who turned 25 March 3,
was out the next day March 4 when Phoenix closed out its final game before the All-Star break with a home win over Golden State.
Having the virus was a cause for concern for Johnson as he has asthma. So his dad and mom, a school nurse back in Moon Township, PA, constantly checked up on him.
“Those were real conversations,” Johnson said. “They would just call me and check up on me. It was never a point they were like super panicked. I had been taking every step that I was capable of to not suffer those severe respiratory symptoms and by the grace of God, I never was hit hard on that end. All the steps that I needed to take in order to prevent that from worsening and hurting me on my return, I did.”
Johnson is a grown man who was taking care of himself, but it still felt good to have mom and dad support him and go through that with him.
“I appreciate them for always being there for me since a little dealing with (asthma),” Johnson said. “By the grace of God, obviously I got through it, and I’m feeling good now.”
The Suns (30-14) went 4-2 in his absence, but were glad to have Johnson back.
Averaging 10.1 points and shooting 38.4% from 3, Johnson scored eight points in his return game against the Lakers.
“It was just good to get Cam back on the floor,” said Suns coach Monty Williams after Phoenix’s win over the defending NBA champions. “He’s one of our culture core guys. To see him out there making a couple of shots and being in the the right spot, it was good to see.”
Johnson followed that up with another eight-point effort in Tuesday’s win at Miami before scoring only three in Wednesday’s loss at Orlando. The second-year player out of North Carolina not only brings scoring punch off the bench, but defensive versatility.
“His ability to stay in front of the ball, his ability to guard multiple positions, he’s grown for sure just being in our system for two years,” Williams said about Johnson, a 2019 lottery selection.
With the virus behind him and the trade deadline passing with Phoenix staying pat with its roster, Johnson and the Suns can move forward with the second half of the season.
“We’re a tight group from the beginning,” Johnson said. “We’ve been a tight group since Day 1 and there’s been a lot of adverse circumstances this year that we’ve had to fight through and we’ve done it together.”
Phoenix’s lone trade came last week when acquiring Torrey Craig from Milwaukee for cash considerations. Known for his defense, Craig has scored 10 points in each of his last two games after making his debut against the Lakers.
“Adding Torrey has been great for us these past couple of games,” Johnson continued. “Kind of just gives us a lot of confidence and lets us continue the momentum that we’ve built.”
And Johnson has a new look going with that confidence and momentum, too.
“I figured I was going to cut it down, let it grow a little bit again and maybe change it up over the summer or something, but that’s a ways off,” Johnson said.
“Right now, just kind of a little bit of maintenance. I was just due for a haircut. I was overdue.”