San Antonio Spurs veteran Keldon Johnson has spent six seasons with the team, but only now appears to be finding a role that perfectly suits him. He was initially seen as a potential three-and-D player, but his defense never quite came along.
He then emerged as a 20-point-per-game scorer, but that quickly faded when his three-point shot became too streaky to rely on. That resulted in him being moved to the bench, where he was either feast or famine.
Fortunately, now he seems to have finally figured out his role, and the Spurs are benefiting as a result. [Johnson's high energy level and physical play](https://airalamo.com/keldon-johnson-proving-his-doubters-wrong-with-spurs-hot-start) lend itself to coming off the bench.
There, he doesn't have to worry about pacing himself or getting into foul trouble. That has often led to him making an immediate impact on the game once he checks in.
Physical drives to the rim, shooting better from outside, and now even him crashing the offensive glass for second-chance points have made him a key player after things were looking ugly there for a while.
Through 14 games, he's averaging 11.6 points on 61.9% true shooting, terrific numbers that show he has finally found a role that makes sense for him and the team.
Keldon Johnson has finally figured out how to make a consistent impact
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With the Spurs decimated by injuries and Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper out, they need more from Johnson, and he has already stepped up. Against the Sacramento Kings, he dropped 18 points in 22 minutes off the bench and followed that up with 18 points and 7 rebounds against the Memphis Grizzlies.
His being able to scale up and play a larger role as needed underscores just how much he's grown as a player. Going forward, San Antonio will need him to provide consistent offense off the bench as they look to weather their early storm of injuries.
Once healthy, Johnson may not have to score as much, though he has already scored in double figures 10 times this season. Continuing to relentlessly attack the paint, snatch offensive rebounds, and hit the occasional three while playing with his normal infectious energy is exactly what the Spurs need if they want to contend this season.
With Johnson now figuring out how to best help the Spurs and finding consistency in that role, he has given the team a big boost. Not just that, but if he continues to play like this, he could emerge as a dark horse contender for Sixth Man of the Year.