Who is this guy, and what did he do with Keldon Johnson? He has been absolutely fantastic through four preseason games. He's giving effort on defense, and while I don't know that he'll ever be an A+ defender, he's been solid. The offense, on the other hand, has been otherworldly, and as far as I know, there is only one life form from space on this roster.
Keldon Johnson is shooting:
22-28 from the floor. That’s 78.6%.
5-7 from three. That’s 71.4%.
and 11-11 from the line. That’s 100%.
I mean, like… 👀 pic.twitter.com/n9EC7WVxAi
— SpursMuse (@spurs_muse) October 14, 2025
These are egregiously efficient numbers, especially for someone who has been maligned over the past few seasons because he hasn't been. KJ has been scolded by fans for taking poor shots, playing with tunnel vision, and just flat-out missing too often. He's flipped the script on just about all of that so far.
Keldon Johnson is a strong 6MOY candidate at this rate
Now, nobody expects him to maintain shooting percentages of over 70%. That would be absurd. He'll come back down to Earth, but the question of how far will be important. This isn't the first time that KJ has been an efficient shooter. In fact, fans have often wondered why he's struggled so much, considering he shot nearly 40% in the 2021-22 season. It's been a major source of frustration.
We'll go into this year with a bit of hope for consistency when the real action begins, but it's not a guarantee because preseason production doesn't always translate 100% to the regular season. Case and point: the year he shot 40% from deep, he only shot 33% in the preseason.
The following year, KJ shot 40% in the preseason and followed that up with a 33% campaign. We'll have to keep our fingers crossed that he'll continue his hot shooting. If he can land somewhere back around 38-40% the Spurs will be in good shape. We already know that he can score in the paint, and in the back half of last season, his efficiency improved significantly.
Marrying those parts of his game will be crucial for San Antonio, but the reasons why could vary, while still being beneficial for the Spurs, regardless of their decision. If they choose to keep him on the roster, which is not guaranteed because of how much depth they have now, the team has a strong player off the bench to help them reach their goal of making the postseason.
If they want to move Johnson, his value goes up tremendously, giving the front office more leverage in trade negotiations. His contract is still very team-friendly, and his production would put him at the top of the market of affordable options for other teams. So, whether he goes crazy in a silver and black uniform and wins Sixth Man of the Year or Brian Wright trades him for great value, it's a win-win.