Calf strain extends Cam Johnson's time on Nets' IL
Nets forward Cameron Johnson. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cam Johnson was listed as “day-to-day” when Jacque Vaughn discussed his health Sunday. But Johnson’s left calf injury will keep him out longer than expected.
Johnson will be re-evaluated in 10 days after an MRI revealed his calf is strained, Vaughn said before Monday’s game. Vaughn also noted that center Nic Claxton will miss Wednesday’s game against the Heat as he recovers from a sprained left ankle.
With that timeline, Johnson is out at least until the Nets play the Celtics in Boston on Nov. 10. Johnson, however, struck an optimistic tone
. “It feels a lot better than it did Friday at shootaround before Dallas,” he said. “I think the MRI is more of a yellow light just to make sure that that’s all cleaned up. If it was just the contusion that was there before, you’re not really at too much risk going out back out there and playing.
“What the MRI showed is, just take it a little bit slower and I’ll be fine.”
The injury occurred Wednesday in the final minute when Johnson was kneed in the calf by the Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell before Mitchell’s go-ahead three-pointer. Both Johnson and Vaughn thought it was unrelated to the hamstring injury that kept him out during preseason.
Johnson believes neither injury is related to playing with Team USA in the World Cup. The tournament ended Sept. 10, three weeks before training camp.
“No, I don’t think so. And I feel good overall, those two instances aside,” he said. “I feel healthy, I don’t feel worn down at all. So I’m looking forward to get back out playing and having a good stretch.”
Claxton didn’t wear a boot at shootaround, an encouraging sign for his return.
“Injuries happen. It’s part of basketball,” Vaughn said. “I think you see it across the league. We talked about these first 10 games, the pace and how physical these games are. Just unfortunate that [Cam] is injured, and we’ll deal with it.”
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
