Keldon Johnson Breaks Trend Against Clippers in San Antonio Spurs' Recent Loss

In the San Antonio Spurs' last game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Keldon Johnson's continued development was a high point for SA in the loss.

Ever since the 2019 NBA Draft when the San Antonio Spurs selected Keldon Johnson 29th overall, the Kentucky Wildcat has been linked to Kawhi Leonard. The Spurs were only able to select Johnson because they owned Toronto’s first-round pick in the wake of the trade that sent Leonard to the Raptors in return for DeMar DeRozan and other assets.

The other rookies selected by the Spurs were Luka Samanic 19th overall and Quinndary Weatherspoon 49th overall. Both of those players are barely holding onto their professional careers, so it’s safe to say that Johnson was the saving grace of that Spurs’ draft class.

Only five players from the 2019 Draft Class have scored more points than Keldon Johnson / © Rob Gray, USA TODAY

Despite his strengths, Johnson has always struggled against the Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard. Since he started playing for the San Antonio Spurs, they are 3-9 against the Clippers. Johnson hasn’t been much help in those games, averaging only 12.8, compared to his 16.5 points per game average throughout his career.

On Monday, Johnson led the team with 22 points and 10 rebounds in the most recent loss. In fact, across his career, he always averages fewer points against the Clippers than he does against other opponents. It’s not even close. On average, Johnson consistently scores 28 percent fewer points against the Clippers than against anyone else in the league.

Last night, that changed. For only the second time in his career, he had an above-average game against the Clippers. The first time came last season, when he scored 23 points on nine of 16 shooting, one point more than his average on the year.

In the loss, Johnson was the leading scorer and second-leading rebounder for the Spurs. He outscored Kawhi Leonard by a point, although Leonard helped propel his team to a win.

NBA Power Rankings: Spurs Slipping as Losing Streak Continues?

Considering that the Clippers are one of the most well-rounded teams in the league despite their recent struggles, it was refreshing to see Johnson take the lead on offense and shoulder some of the burden on both ends of the floor. Hopefully, his recent success will eventually translate into wins. The Spurs season thus far has been marred by ugly losses, so praising individual success is a nice silver lining for fans to cling to.