Inside The Spurs

Spurs Season-In-Review: Keldon Johnson 'Feels Good' About Career Season, Team Future

Keldon Johnson played a big part in the Spurs' player development this season, and had himself the best year of his career in the process, leaving only optimism regarding his future in San Antonio over the next four seasons.

Matt Guzman

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Veteran forward Keldon Johnson had a year to remember for the San Antonio Spurs.

Statistically, the fourth-year vet averaged the highest points per game of his career, finishing with 22, led the Spurs in scoring and finished among the highest on San Antonio's roster in defensive rebounds. 

Developmentally, the 23-year-old benefitted from the player-growth mindset that coach Gregg Popovich emphasized before the season, and Johnson's relationship with his Hall-of-Fame coach dating back to the 2019 season has only improved with each year. And he still isn't done improving. 

"I feel good every year," he said after the Spurs' final game of the season. "I grew and got better as a player, person and young man. I'm just continuing to learn. Basketball is what I love to do, so anytime I'm around it, I'm happy." 

Along with his 22 points, Johnson averaged five rebounds and nearly 3 assists on the season. While his 3-point shooting took a sharp decline from his previous season, his defense saw improvement, which he says is a point of emphasis for the entire team.

"I need to be locked in more off-ball," Johnson said. "I feel like my off-ball defense is not the best, but I'm working on it. ... continuing to make strides on that, so next season I'll be a lot better than I was this year. The plan is to grow my game."

The forward shined during the Spurs' mid-January matchup against the Brooklyn Nets. He tallied a career 36 points, 11 rebounds and four steals in San Antonio's victory, marking the fifth 30-point performance of his seven this season. 

Johnson's performance was one of its kind points wise, but marked the kind of basketball that has made him the best player on the roster for the past two seasons. 

"When he first came in [to the NBA] he was kind of a bull in a China shop," Popovich said of the forward. "[Since then], he's gotten a lot more sophisticated. ... He's learned to position when people are closing out on him, how to move and how to find space when he doesn't have the ball." 

Entering next season, Johnson will be on just the first year of his extension, which is set to keep him in San Antonio through the 2026-27 season. Johnson will continue to play a role on and off the court for the young players, especially with the impending arrival of a top prospect via the NBA Draft. 

And if his next four seasons are anything like his first four, Johnson's impact for the Spurs could put him among some of the league's top talent in the near future.

"I'm happy," Johnson said. "I feel like we have a lot of young talent and I feel like we have a lot of hard workers on the team. We're just a couple of pieces away."

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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