Why Spurs' Keldon Johnson Was Benched vs. Jazz

Keldon Johnson played just four minutes for the San Antonio Spurs in their loss against the Utah Jazz.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 26, 2024

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San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson checked out of the game with a little more than two minutes to go in the first quarter ... but didn't return to the game after that.

Johnson, who some considered to be the Spurs' best player apart from Victor Wembanyama at the beginning of the season, has been struggling mightily for San Antonio as of late. He is averaging just 11.3 points per game in the month of February after averaging 14.8 in January.

Jan 2, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich (left) talks with forward Keldon Johnson (3) during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum / © Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

After the game, assistant coach Mitch Johnson stepped in for an under-the-weather Gregg Popovich to explain the reason behind the benching.

"Just repetitive mistakes," Mitch Johnson said. "Sometimes you need to change up the messaging and change up the accountability or how you do things and Pop (Gregg Popovich) is the best at it."

In order for the Spurs to be competitive, Keldon Johnson has to be on his A-game on both ends of the floor. If he's not, San Antonio doesn't stand much of a chance.

'Very Poor Start' Leads to Spurs Loss vs. Jazz

Perhaps this benching will give him a wakeup call as he trudges through the final stretch of the season.

Johnson and the Spurs return to the floor tomorrow against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.

Published Feb 26, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.