LOS ANGELES — The last time Cam Johnson sprained his right ankle, he missed five games and the Nets lost all of them.
Johnson, who returned from a slump in a win at Portland on Tuesday, missed Wednesday night's 126-67 loss to the Clippers with a sprained right ankle.
Brooklyn can only hope that this isn't too serious and that more vigilance is needed. That's because the past few weeks have emphasized Johnson's value, both by what he provides with his presence and what the Nets are missing in his absence.
“CJ is a big draw for us offensively,” Noah Clowney said. “He's a hell of a scorer, and the attention he gets makes it easier for other guys to get shots.”
That was underscored Tuesday when Johnson returned to the court and scored a team-high 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting, helping the struggling Nets eliminate the Trail Blazers.
His return did not last long and he returned to the sidelines again. But it's unclear if there was a relapse or if the Nets just kept him because it was the last of a streak.
The Nets are pretty conservative when it comes to performing teams, and it's easy to see why they would be cautious about Johnson's failure.
The forward is averaging 19.6 points on impressive shooting splits of 49.6/42.8/89.7, approaching the 50/40/90 benchmark achieved by only nine players in NBA history.
Johnson is also their most valuable trade asset.
The Post consistently reported that Brooklyn would offer the highest price for Johnson, the equivalent of two first-round picks, even though Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith were active in blocking the trade. It's here. Now, a recent report from NBA insider Jake Fischer reiterates that that's still the case.
It's worth noting that Johnson's trade numbers include not only his $22.5 million salary, but the team also has to factor in the winger's $27 million “apron salary,” as reported by The Stein Rein. An unlikely bonus was built into his four-year, $94 million contract.
That will make his move more complicated than it seems at first glance.
Nick Claxton is questionable but played against the Clippers after missing Tuesday's win with a right hamstring strain.
He went 1-for-7 from the field and scored two points.
Ben Simmons was out, but had not yet been cleared to play in back-to-back games on both nights.
Cam Thomas, Bojan Bogdanovic, Maxwell Lewis, Trendon Watford and De'Anthony Melton also missed the game, as did D'Angelo Russell. … P.J. Tucker is out because the Clippers are looking to trade him.
Ziare WilliamsThe offense was looking up before Wednesday's four-point misfire.
He scored 13 points on 3-of-4 shooting from deep with seven boards against Portland and was plus-6 in 28 minutes.
He scored in double digits in a career-high six consecutive games, averaging 13.7 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 42.9 percent from the field.
