Welcome to Pounding the Rock’s 2025-26 participant evaluations! The sequence will take a look at the gamers who completed the season with the San Antonio Spurs on assured contracts and who performed consequential minutes and/or an important position (so no two-way gamers as a result of we hardly noticed them this 12 months, no gamers who have been traded away, and not one of the deep bench facilities, since they have been each irrelevant and at the moment are all gone).
2025-26 stats: 82 video games, 23 MPG, 13.2 factors, 5.4 rebounds, 51.9 FG%, 36.3 3P%
Contract standing: 1 12 months, $17.5 million remaining
If I actually needed to, I may most likely copy-paste Keldon Johnson’s 2024-25 Participant Assessment nearly verbatim right here, with just a few optimistic tweaks, and nobody could be the wiser. After all, I respect my fellow Pounders an excessive amount of to try this, however it will not be that far off. Not solely did KJ repeat final season by doing all the things that was requested of him off the bench, however he really improved on his few areas of weak spot on his approach to successful Sixth Man of the Yr, beating out Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tim Hardaway Jr. whereas changing into simply the second Spur to win the award, together with Manu Ginobili.
He surpassed his personal Spurs document from final 12 months for factors off the bench with 1,081 factors within the common season, largely due to being an iron man by showing in all 82 video games, as properly an improved three-point shot. Not counting his rookie season — wherein he solely appeared in 17 video games and broke out within the bubble — this was his second-best season from past the arc, the place he hit 36.6%, up from 31.8% final season on an analogous variety of makes an attempt. His general FG% of 51.9 was a career-best (once more, outdoors his rookie season), as was his ending from 3-10 ft out at 53.6%, displaying an improved capacity to regulate when he couldn’t fairly get all the way in which to the rim.
And naturally, there’s his management. Past being the longest-tenured participant on the staff and the center and soul of the locker room together with his contagious power and humorousness, he was additionally their emotional chief on the courtroom. Lastly, one of many largest wants for the Spurs coming into this season in the event that they needed to take one other leap was get higher within the non-Wemby minutes. After all, it’s unattainable to count on the bench to keep up the identical stage, however merely not falling off a cliff when he rested was all that was wanted, and the second unit did greater than sufficient of that beneath Keldon’s steering — though right here comes the caveat once more: within the common season.
Like Luke Kornet and each different bench participant not named Dylan Harper, Johnson’s manufacturing plummeted within the playoffs. He went from a internet optimistic within the common season to a destructive one, together with his numbers dipping to 7.7 factors and three.3 rebounds per sport whereas taking pictures simply over 40% from the ground in 18 minutes per sport. About the one factor he did properly sufficient was preserve 36% taking pictures from three, however on fewer makes an attempt. He had some stretches the place he got here up big, like that all-important Recreation 7 in OKC, the place he scored 8 of his 11 factors within the first 4 minutes of the 4th quarter because the Spurs constructed a cushion that will be important for holding on down the stretch, however the Finals have been particularly tough, the place he solely averaged 4.4 factors per sport.
Clearly, it’s not honest responsible shedding the championship solely on one participant — if we’re being brutally trustworthy, it was the celebrities who bungled the ultimate minutes, which is the place the video games have been misplaced — however Johnson is amongst these whose picture suffered a bit from the bitter ending. Nevertheless, we nonetheless have to drag again and keep in mind the larger image of your entire season, which was a large success and much exceeded expectations. They don’t get the second seed and make the Finals with out depth and management, and the Sixth Man of the Yr introduced each in spades.
It’s most likely protected to say that Keldon is formally in his prime and due to this fact is who he’s as a participant at this level: a hardnosed bulldog who makes use of his power to pressure is approach to the basket and get rebounds. He added (recovered?) a stage to his sport by being sufficient of a menace from three that defenses needed to respect his shot, which in flip opened driving lanes, however he may nonetheless be extra constant in that space.
Now comes the onerous half that I don’t even wish to focus on as a result of I all the time have that favourite position participant who epitomizes all the things the Spurs are about. Earlier than, it was Derrick White, and because it has been KJ. That being stated, regardless of being a Keldon Stan, I can see the large image. He has one 12 months left on his contract, and whereas he’s already on an excellent deal, his subsequent one could need to be much more team-friendly if he desires to stay a Spur after subsequent season — if he isn’t used as a commerce chip first.
My guess could be based mostly on the offseason, the Spurs wish to run again the identical staff subsequent season and go for the championship once more, so barring one thing going awry or a necessity for change, I don’t see a giant commerce in the course of the season. However subsequent summer season could be a distinct story. I would like Keldon to be a Spur for all times, and I’m certain he does too, however he could have to take a reduction to make it occur. That’s the brand new actuality with the present CBA and ever-shrinking “center class” of the NBA, particularly for contenders who need to pay their stars then fill out with cheaper contracts. That second of reckoning is coming for the Spurs.
Within the meantime, one of the best factor Keldon can do is preserve being himself, proceed to point out his significance to the membership, and a make his purpose for subsequent season to be an even bigger issue within the playoffs. After that, the chips will fall the place they could.
January 7 vs. Los Angeles Lakers: 27 factors, 6 rebounds, 11-13 FG, 2-3 from three
I selected to go along with KJ’s greatest common season efficiency as an alternative of playoffs to assist present why he gained Sixth Man of the Yr, which was decided earlier than the postseason. It was really onerous to select one since he had a number of huge performances off the bench (in fact), however we’ll additionally give a shoutout to his greatest playoff efficiency, which was Recreation 5 vs. the Timberwolves, the place he had 21 factors, 2 rebounds and a pair of steals as a part of a full staff blowout.
