Welcome to Pounding the Rock’s 2023-24 participant opinions! The sequence will have a look at the 15 gamers who completed the season with the San Antonio Spurs on assured contracts (so no two-way gamers as a result of we noticed so little of them this yr, and no Doug McDermott). Take pleasure in!
Keldon Johnson
2023-24 stats: 69 video games, 15.7 factors, 5.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 45.4percentFG
Contract Standing: 3 years, $54 million remaining
Age: 24
Coming into the 2023-24 season, there have been many questions relating to who could be moved to the bench from the earlier season’s beginning lineup to make room for Victor Wembanyama. When addressing that very same query in final yr’s participant evaluation for Keldon Johnson (which was accomplished after the lottery), I stated this:
Tre Jones, ought to he return, would appear like a logical candidate when contemplating who seemingly has the bottom ceiling … however are Johnson, Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan prepared for some form of point-guard-by-committee function, or ought to certainly one of them be able to embrace a sixth man function? Vassell and Sochan each seem to have greater ceilings than Johnson, however it will even be exhausting to bench the staff captain and main scorer who has began all however three video games he has performed in over the past three seasons.
… however Johnson does appear to be the kind of participant who would settle for the function with out complaining and could be fairly the sparkplug off the bench.
In hindsight, I remorse that very first level about Jones, however mockingly, that’s just about how issues performed out. Whereas it was initially Jones who got here off the bench, it didn’t take lengthy to comprehend that nobody else was suited to tackle the function of place to begin guard, and there have been additionally too many gamers in that group who wanted the ball of their arms to be efficient. In between sliding Wemby to heart and finally shifting Jones again to place to begin guard, Gregg Popovich swapped Johnson for Julian Champagnie in mid-December, and Johnson formally settled into the sixth man function for the rest of the season.
It was an underrated however strong transfer for each models. Champagnie introduced extra size on protection and helped stretch the ground extra for the starters, whereas Johnson’s unselfishness, sparkplug mentality and talent to create for himself helped increase an offensively-challenged second unit. Though his scoring numbers took a giant dip from 22 factors per recreation final season, that was largely a results of him not being the focus on offense (reminder: Vassell missed over half of the 2022-23 season). Johnson’s total effectivity nonetheless rose, and whereas he stays a streaky shooter kind three, his kind seemed higher (no extra moon balls) whereas he shot 35% after a career-low 32% the yr earlier than. He accepted and embraced a special function whereas by no means dropping his edge, which is precisely what the Spurs wanted from him.
Trying Ahead
Johnson has proven he is usually a extra environment friendly shooter up to now (he shot almost 40% from three on over 5 makes an attempt per recreation simply two seasons in the past), and he wants to search out that kind once more. He additionally has loads of room for enchancment on the defensive finish since he can lose his man or over-help at occasions, however he’s nonetheless the emotional chief and energizer bunny each staff wants. He’s additionally on a really team-friendly contract and could possibly be a candidate for Sixth Man of the 12 months subsequent season, particularly if he can assist increase what needs to be a deeper second unit’s manufacturing.
On the flip facet, being the kind of participant everybody wants on a team-friendly contract makes Johnson a main commerce candidate ought to the Spurs choose to go that path to improve the roster at any level sooner or later. “Experiences” have been all over relating to what their intentions are this summer season (ESPN’s Brian Windhorst particularly appears to vary his tune from “go huge” to “keep put” on a weekly foundation), but when they determine to delve into the commerce marketplace for a star or high-ceiling function participant, a deal would seemingly need to focus on Johnson. The lottery outcomes as soon as once more add much more intrigue, because the Spurs maintain each the 4th and eighth picks, opening up many prospects going ahead.
That being stated, I’m not somebody who desires to see Keldon traded except it’s for a deal that’s too good to cross up. He’s extra priceless to the staff than typically given credit score for and will simply as simply be part of the core nucleus going ahead. That doesn’t imply the Spurs shouldn’t be keen to area affords, however their asking worth for him needs to be excessive, and if any supply comes alongside that doesn’t current a major improve, they need to cross. Personally, I hope Keldon continues to be a Spur to begin subsequent season.
Prime efficiency
Dec. 12 vs. Lakers: 28 factors (10-14 FG, 4-4 from three), 8 assists, 5 rebounds
Closing Grade: B
Up subsequent: Tre Jones
Earlier Opinions:
Sidy Cissoko
Charles Bassey
Devonte’ Graham
Dominick Barlow
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Blake Wesley
Cedi Osman
Julian Champagnie
Zach Collins
Malaki Branham
