Los Angeles – There’s a symmetry to DerMarr Johnson’s presence on the Nuggets’ roster this fall.
About this time last year, Denver general manager Kiki Vandeweghe let the shooting guard into Nuggets camp when few others gave him the time of day.
What at first looked like a favor to Kenyon Martin, Johnson’s former University of Cincinnati teammate, turned into a steal, as he averaged 7.1 points per game and his team went 28-12 in games he started.
This summer Johnson held the cards. His season in Denver erased doubts about his recovery from a September 2002 car crash that cracked four vertebrae in his neck.
“I turned down other places so I could be here,” he said of the one-year, $770,000 deal he signed. “This is where I wanted to be. I felt good about what we did last year. I felt comfortable here.”
Johnson entered Thursday night’s preseason date against the Los Angeles Lakers averaging 14.3 points per game, shooting 15-for-25 from the field and 6-for-12 from 3-point range. He added 10 points in the Nuggets’ 105-94 win, which improved their preseason record to 3-1.
Both Karl and Martin, Johnson’s best friend on the team, see a more polished player.
“He’s being more aggressive,” Martin said. “He’s not relaxing.”
Which is funny, because Johnson has much more of a right to relax these days. He said he feels more confident after a full year of playing and a summer of workouts under his belt. After his injury, all he had on his résumé was a 21-game cup of coffee with New York in 2003-04.
Now, he said, “I’m not coming onto a team like I did last year, where I could be cut, just trying to stick around, trying to make an impact. … It puts a lot of pressure on you. You feel like you’ve got to impress. You try not to make no mistakes. You’re not playing free.”
Karl, happy with Johnson’s improvement, now wants to see him become more of a threat on the dribble instead of just leaning on his ability to run and shoot.
The coach is in the odd position of determining whether Johnson, who started under him, or Voshon Lenard, who began last season as a starter before rupturing his Achilles tendon three months before Karl’s arrival, is the incumbent at shooting guard.
Professing not to care who starts, Karl said, “I think Vo and DJ are both going to be 2,000-minute players for us. When those minutes come and how they come are going to be dictated by injuries, tempo of the season, scouting reports. I don’t know if they’ll be unhappy with 2,000 minutes. That’s about a 25-minute player. I think that’s what they are.”
Asked if he cares about starting, Johnson replied, “Not really. I’m just going to get whatever I’ve got.”
If anyone should understand that principle, he does.
Footnotes
Assistant Scott Brooks coached the Nuggets on Thursday in preparation for the first three games of the regular season, when he will take the team’s reins while Karl is suspended.
“Anytime it’s your first game, no matter who you’re going against, there’s going to be excitement, as well as some butterflies.”
The Nuggets made Brooks’ debut easy, leading the Lakers from start to finish and rolling to victory at the Staples Center.
“That’s the way we want to play, push the ball, attack and get the defense on its heels,” Brooks said.
Carmelo Anthony had a game-high 26 points and eight rebounds. Martin added 16 points.
Dennis Johnson, coach of the Austin Toros, the NBA Development League team the Nuggets share as an affiliate with Houston and San Antonio, attended Thursday’s game.
Johnson has spoken with Denver assistant general manager Jeff Weltman and hoped to talk to Vandeweghe while the Nuggets are in L.A. about how the team plans to use the Toros…. UCLA coach Ben Howland visited Denver’s shootaround at Pauley Pavilion. The practice marked a homecoming for a pair of ex-Bruins on the Nuggets – Vandeweghe and point guard Earl Watson. …Nene (right hamstring) and Greg Buckner (groin) returned, scoring nine and 13 points, respectively. The Nuggets face Washington here this afternoon.
Adam Thompson can be reached at 303-820-5447 or athompson@denverpost.com.
