Player The Lifelong Residency of the Ever-Important Heart and Soul of the Spurs, Keldon Johnson

[ambchang]

Well yeah I can’t really stick with my point. He decided he’s not the most important person on the team this season. Wish the clues were more apparent to him like they were with the rest of the world but better late than never.

Keep him around as a 6/7. Pay him MLE when the time comes. If he doesn’t back slide into main character things.

Are we talking about Keldon or Devin here? When was Keldong ever a main character?

 

[rjv]

keldon has a niche now and he's embraced it. i have opined since last season that the original starters of a couple of seasons back (i.e., devin, keldon and sochan) can be great rotation or bench players and that the Spurs shouldn't rush to trade them away. i still may not be sold on sochan (depends on what he'll be expecting to get paid this summer) but i am happy that devin and keldon are contributing.

 

[scott]

Are we talking about Keldon or Devin here? When was Keldong ever a main character?

Seconding this thought... have never seen Keldon as having Main Character Syndrome... he just has tunnel vision.

 

[Shmurs]

Seconding this thought... have never seen Keldon as having Main Character Syndrome... he just has tunnel vision.

tunnel vision and MCS have very similar characteristics no?

I think he exists within the flow of the offense this season, hence his rehabilitation

 

[scott]

tunnel vision and MCS have very similar characteristics no?

I think he exists within the flow of the offense this season, hence his rehabilitation

I think they have similar symptoms but are very different diseases.

Someone with Main Character Syndrome sees themselves as the alpha dog, the one to take the final shot, the key to success.

Someone with Tunnel Vision really wants what is best for the team above all else, but just lacks the court vision to make the pass. They don't become a black hole because they want to be the star, they become a black hole because they literally cannot see the other players standing open and to them it appears like the best option is to keep driving to the hoop.

Thankfully for us Keldon has 1) been quite efficient doing his thing this year and 2) is actually passing a lot more than he has in recent years.

I do believe Keldon loves the Spurs and would do anything for the team's success, though. I don't think Sad Keldon around the deadline last year was an act... I think homie was literally depressed at the idea he might be on the move.

 

[Shmurs]

I think a guy who gets mopey about his station and then does nothing material to improve it is also a MCS trait. Point being that I don’t think Keldon thought he was a bench guy last year. I think he got into shape and aimed to play his way back into the starting lineup. And used hero ball as a tactic to do it.

your 8th/9th best guy getting caught up in his feelings about being unimportant seems like it’s the thing we’re talking about.

But either way he seems over it and just wants to win now.

 

[Corso]

I think a guy who gets mopey about his station and then does nothing material to improve it is also a MCS trait. Point being that I don’t think Keldon thought he was a bench guy last year. I think he got into shape and aimed to play his way back into the starting lineup. And used hero ball as a tactic to do it.

your 8th/9th best guy getting caught up in his feelings about being unimportant seems like it’s the thing we’re talking about.

But either way he seems over it and just wants to win now.

I don't remember him moping in the slightest last year. Is this just your thoughts, or is there some substance to this?

 

[rjv]

I don't remember him moping in the slightest last year. Is this just your thoughts, or is there some substance to this?

probably just another, of many, spurs fans "it kind of, sort of, looks like a duck, so it's definitely a duck" narratives.

 

[Corso]

probably just another, of many, spurs fans "it kind of, sort of, looks like a duck, so it's definitely a duck" narratives.

Mmm... noted.

 

[ambchang]

Keldon mentioned multiple times last year he loved being a spur and never said he wanted to be starting. Sad keldon was when he was rumoured to be traded.

He embraced being a sixth man now so I have no idea where the notion of him being mopey because he didn’t start came from.

 

[scott]

I don't remember him moping in the slightest last year. Is this just your thoughts, or is there some substance to this?

There was a period before the trade deadline (when he was rumored to be on the way out) that he was definitely different and more subdued in press conferences (but actually played quite well in the two games before we traded for Fox, 24 pts against MIL and 19 pots against MIA) and that's where the "sad Keldon" meme came from. As soon as we made the deal for Fox (and he wasn't in it), his mood picked back up but his performance actually fell off for a little bit.

 

[Corso]

There was a period before the trade deadline (when he was rumored to be on the way out) that he was definitely different and more subdued in press conferences (but actually played quite well in the two games before we traded for Fox, 24 pts against MIL and 19 pots against MIA) and that's where the "sad Keldon" meme came from. As soon as we made the deal for Fox (and he wasn't in it), his mood picked back up but his performance actually fell off for a little bit.

Yeah, I remember that. I just didn't recall his being a 6th man being an issue at any point.

Cheers.

 

[scott]

Yeah, I remember that. I just didn't recall his being a 6th man being an issue at any point.

Cheers.

Oh yeah, for sure. I don't recall Keldon ever being sad/upset about anything other than the idea of not being a Spur. Seems like he's a model team player as far as his attitude goes.

 

[Ice009]

Wasn't he also a little down after the trade (which was fair enough) because of all the rumours of him being included in the trade scenarios? He definitely picked back up after the trade, but I don't think it was right away.

 

[Quentin_Compson]

As one of those people who thought there wouldn't be a role (read: playing meaningful minutes) for Keldon any more on the Spurs, I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised at how he has been playing so far this season. He's been playing more within himself and just shown us a more cleaner brand of basketball overall.

 

[BatManu20]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1989079573649392016

 

[scott]

He's been a beast on the boards, like he showed earlier in his career. I love this version of Keldon, though it would be helpful if some of those 3s started going down again. He's rapidly dropped to .333 on the year despite a fast start.

 

[Shmurs]

He will not shoot well this year or any other year because he is a bad shooter. There isn’t a case to be made for him being able to improve. His mechanics are some of the most unwieldy in the league and there’s no possible way to get consistency with that type of arm movement on the release.

But that’s fine for now. He’ll hit some big shots and do his chaos thing. Would like a better 6th man but I like him as the 2nd/3rd guy off the bench like this.

 

[Shmurs]

And with that said I sort of forgot how fun it is to root for this guy. Imagine him winning a title. It would give you chills.

 

[scott]

And with that said I sort of forgot how fun it is to root for this guy. Imagine him winning a title. It would give you chills.

You previously said you only jumped on the Spurs last year... so when were you rooting for him before?

 

[Shmurs]

You previously said you only jumped on the Spurs last year... so when were you rooting for him before?

Keldon was easy to love in ‘23. For all the Keldon reasons but also because he was relatively good compared to all that crap around him.

I thought last year was very frustrating. Been over that. Didn’t like his game or his approach.

So now his game is still iffy but he’s aligned with a winning strategy and he’s still himself.

 

[scott]

Keldon was easy to love in ‘23. For all the Keldon reasons but also because he was relatively good compared to all that crap around him.

I thought last year was very frustrating. Been over that. Didn’t like his game or his approach.

So now his game is still iffy but he’s aligned with a winning strategy and he’s still himself.

So you were following the Spurs before last year? Just trying to understand the context of where you're coming from, and you previously said you only started watching the Spurs last year because you were without a team and you like Wemby.

 

[Arguendo]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1989079573649392016

Came here to post similar, to track through the season.

Through 11 games KJ is 7th (!!!) in the NBA in ORB%, just in front of Giannis. Only 3 non-centers in the top 20 are KJ, Giannis, and Ace Bailey (shockingly).
KJ is has also taken 86 FGA, not a single one from 10 feet to 3pt line. For his career he'd taken about 7% of his shots from there, the lowest percent shots in the game.
He cut that way down to 5.7% and 3.1% the past two yrs, but this yr he just abandoned those low % 2s.
That's a huge improvement. I am absolutely loving PF Keldon, looks like a crafty old dude at the rec that's just crushing down low (but defends like that guy too).

 

[onechance87]

guy is terrible.Of course back to sucking keldon goes.Shooting under 30 percent from 3s.Gotta do better then that.

 

[Ice009]

guy is terrible.Of course back to sucking keldon goes.Shooting under 30 percent from 3s.Gotta do better then that.

His shot is disgusting. Not a shot I'd have any confidence in when there's a little bit of pressure. He can get it off when he's open or not pressured, but it's not a shot that has any accuracy when he doesn't have time and room to shoot it. Good lord, Spurs not giving Chip lots of money to try and get him to stay was a mistake. Spurs are full of terrible shooters.