Where Does Keldon Johnson Fit On San Antonio Spurs' Wembanyama-Centric Roster?
SAN ANTONIO — Keldon Johnson is used to being the best player on the San Antonio Spurs.
Since joining the team fresh out of Kentucky in 2019, the small forward knew he had a role with San Antonio, especially given that he was the team's first-round pick. But even more than originally expected, he thrived in the system that used him as a primary source of offense.
That only increased as he got more comfortable in the system, and it came to a head last season. He was the frontman for the Spurs, and he knew it. But now that there's a taller, more "exciting" player in town, he's been left to find a new role — and that's something completely foreign to him.
Nov 17, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) reacts during the first half against the Sacramento Kings at Frost Bank Center.
© Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
"Last season's Spurs fit around Johnson," ESPN's Zach Lowe said. "Now, Johnson has to figure where he fits — where his touches come, when and where it makes sense for him to take the reins. [But] San Antonio's giant Point-Sochan lineup, with no spacing and no point guard, muddies that process."
Rest assured, Johnson is still getting his minutes, his flowers and his touches, but the difference in-lies in what he does with them. Up to this point, he hasn't had to make way for any other player, but now, he's arguably third in the pecking order when it comes to who gets the ball.
That isn't a knock on him. Johnson led the Spurs last season and proved capable of being a frontman, but adding another top talent will certainly help the team as a whole. It'll relieve pressure off of him and allow him to play with less pressure.
And according to Lowe, it'll also put him into a role he's needed for some time now.
"A team with Johnson as a No. 1 or No. 2 option was never going anywhere serious," Lowe wrote. "At some point, he would transition into being more of a role player. Wembanyama accelerated that point to now [and] In some ways, Johnson is making the most of it."
"Johnson is a good player with long-term security," Lowe added. "He has four years and $74 million left on his deal. As everyone in San Antonio reorients around Wembanyama, there will be nights when Johnson feels adrift."
Johnson has in fact adapted. When he's been healthy this season, he's put in work on the passing end and on the boards. He's gotten his teammates involved in a way that still makes him a leader, but at the same time puts him in a slightly lesser role.
Ultimately, that'll shape up to be a good thing. If he can continue to workshop his deep takes and find his groove in a balanced role between scoring and passing, he'll be able to carve out his place alongside Wembanyama — and the Spurs as a whole.
He's just got to prove that.
