Many believed that San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson could take a step forward in becoming an All-Star level player. Team USA thought highly enough of Johnson to include him on their Tokyo Olympics roster. He won a gold medal after he and Javale McGee were injury replacements for Kevin Love and Bradley Beal.
The recently-turned 25-year-old (birthday is October 11), is still young enough to be on the next good Spurs team. San Antonio hasn’t had much success in Johnson’s five seasons, as he has yet to taste playoff basketball. Of course with Victor Wembanyama in town, Johnson needs to prove that he can play a role to make Wembanyama’s life easier.
A change to Johnson’s body has him believing he can do so. Johnson is ramping up to begin his sixth NBA season.
Olympic Gold Medalist Feels ‘Best In Long Time’ After Weight Loss
Keldon Johnson Has Trimmed Down 10 Pounds
The Spurs have played three preseason games thus far. After Johnson started the preseason opener, he didn’t dress for their second game. For San Antonio’s most recent preseason game on Saturday, Johnson was brought off the bench. He excelled in the role. In 23 minutes, Johnson finished with 20 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block. Johnson shot 9-13 from the field and 1-2 from beyond the arc.
Johnson was reported to have lost 10 pounds during the offseason. Speaking with Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express News, Johnson made it clear that he thinks the weight loss is for the best.
“I feel fast, I feel strong,” Johnson said. “Best I felt in a long time.”
Entering the prime of his career, Johnson is hoping to rebound from a somewhat disappointing 2023-24 season.
Somewhat Disappointing 2023-24 Season
Johnson has been a member of the Spurs since selected 29th overall by San Antonio in the 2019 NBA Draft. After starting nearly every game he played in from his second to fourth seasons, Johnson was more often used as a reserve in 2023-24. He started just 27 of his 69 appearances (after starting 204 of 207 from 2020-21 until 2022-23).
After seeing his scoring average rise in each ensuing season during his first four, Johnson averaged 6.3 points less in 2023-24 than he did in 2022-23. Last season, Johnson averaged 15.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 29.5 minutes per contest. His fifth NBA season saw him shoot 45.4% from the field, 34.6% from beyond the arc, and 79.2% from the free throw line.
Of course, it was expected that Johnson would see his usage rate decrease a bit now that he was playing alongside the generational Wembanyama. Yes, it was a steep decline for Johnson who averaged 22.0 points in 2022-23. With more offensive responsibility caused less-efficient scoring for Johnson though. In 2022-23, he shot career-worsts from the field (45.2%) and three-point range (32.9%).
2023-24 was the first season of a four-year rookie scale extension that Johnson agreed to in the 2022 offseason. He is signed for $19 million this season followed by two seasons at $17.5 million. A faster, stronger, and better Johnson could be a steal at that price point, whether he is starting or coming off the bench.
