The San Antonio Spurs are in a transition period. They saw a lot of veterans depart from the team from last season, as LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills, and Rudy Gay all moved on at some point during the 2020-21 NBA season or in the offseason.
With so many veterans on the way out, the Spurs had plenty of minutes available for their younger players. A few of them are taking full advantage and garnering some headlines with their performance.
Dejounte Murray is becoming a household name, as he is capable of putting up triple-doubles on a nightly basis and is an excellent two-way player. Jakov Poeltl is having another strong season in the middle as the starting center.
One player who is flying under the radar a bit is Keldon Johnson. The No. 29 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft received an opportunity of a lifetime when he was selected as a fill-in to represent Team USA in the Olympics.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Surging Spurs Have Clawed Their Way Back To Playoff Picture
Getting to work with and practice against all-world teammates while playing against the best basketball players the world has to offer is an experience like none other. While he didn’t receive a ton of playing time with Team USA, he was just the sixth player 21 years old or younger to be named to the team.
That had to be a confidence booster and it has carried over into the regular season. While not always mentioned among some of the other players on San Antonio, he is carving out a solid role for himself.
When people discuss the best shooters in the NBA there are some names that pop into their heads quickly. Stephen Curry, Joe Harris, Seth Curry are some that will be selected. Well, Johnson is putting himself into the conversation as well.
The Spurs wing is actually leading the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage this season, knocking down 47.2 percent of his attempts. The Spurs remain a low-volume 3-point team, attempting the fewest and making the second-fewest attempts per game. But, they made it count, as they are ninth overall in percentage at 36 percent.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Surging Spurs Have Clawed Their Way Back To Playoff Picture
Johnson is a big reason for that, as he makes teams pay that leave him open around the perimeter. His presence helps open things up on the interior for his teammates to thrive as they attack the paint.
While the San Antonio Spurs may not be considered contenders right now, players such as Keldon Johnson provide optimism that it won’t be long before they return to being playoff contenders each season.
