The Phoenix Suns have been playing some solid basketball to start the 2022-23 NBA season, but some adversity is about to hit the team. The Suns announced Tuesday morning that Cameron Johnson underwent surgery to remove part of his right meniscus, which he tore in Friday night's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Johnson is expected to be sidelined for 1-2 months, per ESPN.
Johnson suffered the injury during Phoenix's 108-106 loss to the Blazers, where he appeared to tweak his knee during the first quarter of the contest. He didn't return to game action after subbing out.
Cam Johnson is out for the rest of the game with a knee injury after he went to the locker room midway through the first quarter. Here is what Al McCoy and Tim Kempton saw. pic.twitter.com/FimLYvpyOz
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) November 5, 2022
Johnson moved into the starting power forward spot for the Suns this season. He started in the team's first eight games of the season and is averaging 13 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals per performance. His 3-point shooting is integral to Phoenix's offense, and without him they'll likely rely on Torrey Craig and Dario Saric. While Craig and Saric are somewhat decent options to fill Johnson's role for the time being, you can't help but wonder if there's any chance the Suns could try to repair their relationship with Jae Crowder, who is away from the team as he awaits a trade.
Crowder was Phoenix's starting power forward in each of the last two seasons, but when Johnson received the starting spot, the two sides agreed to find a trade for him, preferably where he could start. While the circumstances aren't ideal, it's worth wondering if Crowder or the Suns would entertain bringing him back into the fold as someone who has proven to fit into this system.
To make matters worse for Phoenix, star point guard Chris Paul picked up an injury in Monday night's loss to the 76ers. Paul left that game early with heel soreness, but the injury does not appear to be serious.
