Keldon Johnson
Entering into action on January 8, the San Antonio Spurs are sitting with the #2 record in a very good Western Conference. At 26-11 and with three wins over the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, there is very little to be complaining about.
Despite multiple injuries to Victor Wembanyama and starting the year without De’Aaron Fox, it’s all been perfect over there. They have taken down a handful of elite squads, proving that they are the real deal to through 37 games.
One of the unsung heroes of the squad has been Keldon Johnson. Once a starter averaging 22 points per game, he has remained extremely efficient as a full-time reserve over the past two campaigns.
He dropped 27 in the team’s last victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
The race for the Sixth Man of the Year will be a tight one, and few would argue that. Johnson deserves to have his case heard in this race, as he’s played a huge part in San Antonio’s success.
The Case for Keldon Johnson as Sixth Man of the Year
Averaging 13.5 ponts and just over six boards per game, Keldon Johnson has looked impressive for the Spurs this season. He has been making 57% (!) of his shot attempts. On a team that has as many weapons as this one does, it’s been impressive to see him perform with such consistency.
Johnson is currently sitting at #4 in 6MOTY betting odds per BetMGM. Naz Reid is the frontrunner, with Jaime Jaquez Jr and Anthony Black also ahead of him. One thing with Black, is that all of the games he has been starting of late could make it tough for him to prove himself in such a situation.
Naz Reid is averaging just one more point per night than Johnson is. The rest of the numbers have been pretty similar, and due to the Spurs record, an edge could be given in that situation.
Jaquez is currently out with injury, but has averaged 16-5-5 while making 53% of his shots while in the lineup. This is coming mere months after being benched for large chunks of games to finish the 2024-25 campaign.
Johnson has delivered while countless players have missed time. From Victor Wembanyama to De’Aaron Fox, injuries have played a part in San Antonio’s season. Dylan Harper missed a month right after things got going. Devin Vassell has missed five games in a row, and this team has still refuse to miss even a beat.
The fact that he has played as well as he has while Stephon Castle has seen his game morph to another level just adds another layer of impressive.
Big-Game Keldon
One thing about Keldon Johnson and his play this season, is that he has shown up whenever the stakes have been higher. In a game with the Oklahoma City Thunder on December 23rd, he put up 25 points on 10-16 FG in just 22 minutes.
The Spurs have gone 3-1 when he has grabbed 10 or more rebounds. Out of the candidates who have better odds than Johnson, he has played the fewest minutes. Naz Reid plays 26, Anthony Black and Jaime Jaquez Jr. each 29 per night.
Efficiency and delivering when the game calls for it is what makes Johnson such an intriguing candidate for the award. He absolutely has a legitimate case, and should be monitored accordingly in the coming weeks.