On Wednesday, the Spurs hosted the Lakers on the second night of a back-to-back. At the end of the night, Keldon Johnson tallied 27 points shooting 11 of 13 (84.6%) and 2 of 3 from beyond the arc.
During the competition, with s couple of minute sleft in the first half, play-by-play announcer Mike Breen lauded “Johnson with the slam. Keldon Johnson off the bench 11 points in 11 minutes. He’s five for five from the field. He’s become one of the best sixth men in basketball.”
After the game, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson was asked whether Sixth Man of the Year discussions should include KJ.
“I don’t know who else would be in that conversation, but it’d be hard not to be at least in the conversation. He’s as consistent as it gets for us in terms of his rebounding, his efficiency. He made half of ours threes tonight…but he’s been phenomenal. And he’s been consistent.. and that’s something that unfortunately is out of our control, and we haven’t had a lot this year in terms of availability and continuity and his consistency has allowed us to try to resemble somewhat consistency on the court. He’s been a mainstay and yeah, it’s every night with that guy.”
Previously, the Spurs coach has referred to KJ as the “heart and soul” of the team. His energy is infectious and he brings excitement to the arena whether he is on the court or on the sideline.
He’s developed a lethal corner three (42% ) forcing defenders to honor him from distance. When not able to launch from downtown, he uses his stature to power his way into the paint at a high clip (70%) giving the longest tenured member a distinct advantage off the bench.
Over the last six games, Johnson has been an x-factor for the Silver & Black.
BetMGM currently has Keldon fourth in odds for earning Sixth Man honors. He’s tracking behind 2024 NBA Sixth Man Naz Reid, Miami Heat’s Jaime Jaquez, Jr., and Anthony Black of the Orlando Magic.
A quick search of the internet shows Jaquez, Jr. as a critics favorite.
But the season is long, and as Keldon knows, the key to longevity is health. Each offseason, KJ spends countless hours in the gym. In the past he’s worked with boxers to add muscle and agility to his already impressive game. He’s currently fourth in bench scoring, second in field goal percentage, and tied for first in rebounds. If he can stay healthy and active, he could be a dark horse in the running.
Whether he hoists the John Havlicek Trophy or not is less important that how the Spurs fare overall. But recognizing his efforts and game-changing abilities on a league level will go a long way to reminding NBA fans that the Spurs are on the rise and will be part of the conversation for years to come.
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