Spurs' Keldon Johnson Eyes Smoother Second Half of Season

Keldon Johnson has struggled this season for the San Antonio Spurs.

Keldon Johnson has had a tumultuous first half of the season with the San Antonio Spurs. 

After signing an extension in 2022, it looked like he would be the future face of the franchise. The season before he signed the extension, he broke out, scoring 17 points per game on 39.8 percent shooting.

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He was expected to be the next great Spurs forward, but with the improvement of Devin Vassell and the arrivals of Jeremy Sochan and Victor Wembanyama, Johnson has taken a back seat this season and has been assigned sixth-man duties.

He is still a solid scorer, averaging 16.1 points per game, but his three-point percentage has decreased to 33 percent, and he has made some puzzling decisions with the ball. He looks very much like the rookie who got tunnel vision, but now in year five, those tendencies are no longer acceptable.

It got to the point where Johnson was included in the yearly NBA trade rumors.

Despite speculation that Johnson might be traded this summer, namely for Trae Young, there is some hope that he can take on a Manu Ginobili-style role with the Spurs moving forward. Under contract through 2026-27 on a decreasing contract, Johnson could be a vital part of the Spurs' rebuild, providing he can score with efficiency moving forward.

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The main concern is that Johnson's red-hot 2021-22 season was a fluke, and he is not expected to repeat that success. However, with a team-friendly contract, the Spurs still have hope that he can remain a vital part of their rebuild and continue to be a leader off the bench and in the locker room.