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

[OK Computer]

“I’m a Spur for life and I’m winning the Sixth Man of the Year award this year!” -Keldon Johnson, October 18th, 2025

 

[koriwhat]

Google Image Result for https://cdn.nba.com/headshots/nba/latest/1040x760/1629640.png

“I’m a Spur for life and I’m winning the Sixth Man of the Year award this year!” -Keldon Johnson, October 18th, 2025

Are we the only dudes glad that KJ is still a Spur? BigBody always finds a way to get buckets and he did just that again lastnight.

 

[OK Computer]

Are we the only dudes glad that KJ is still a Spur? BigBody always finds a way to get buckets and he did just that again lastnight.

I admit I wasn’t always loyal… I was ok with him being part of trade packages maybe at one, two, ten points last season. Fool me fifty more times, Keldon! I will always keep running back to you!

He’s a changed player and he’s finally turned into the ultimate role player both on and off the court! We already knew he was a locker room leader. The time has come where he’s a badass on the court too!

KJ believers, RISE UP.

 

[Thoodee]

Ive always appreciated his dedication to the team and definitely has the right mind set, but unfortunately sometimes thats just not good enough when your playing in the best league in the world where only a few are. 6th man i think is a good goal for him but one im not holding my breath on.

 

[Ariel]

I admit I wasn’t always loyal… I was ok with him being part of trade packages maybe at one, two, ten points last season. Fool me fifty more times, Keldon! I will always keep running back to you!

He’s a changed player and he’s finally turned into the ultimate role player both on and off the court! We already knew he was a locker room leader. The time has come where he’s a badass on the court too!

KJ believers, RISE UP.

Ah, come on man... at least have him play half a season of consistent, smart COMPETITIVE basketball before we crown him a Spur for life. I'd cash in tomorrow if the right offer came along, maybe I'll end up proven wrong (hopefully) but I'm not going to jump into the Keldon bandwagon after a few pre-season games. Hope you're right though.

 

[drpill]

He does look different... More controlled, better decision making. I think he feeds off the confidence of his teammates, and gives it back as well, so being part of a better team may bring out the best in him. Watching him paired with Harper at times this preseason I get the sense those two are going to do some damage.

 

[Neuromancer]

He won't sustain this level of play through the season (70FG%!!) but he has been pretty damn impressive so far. Really hope his three point stroke sticks around this time

 

[NASpurs]

It seems like he turned the corner, maybe getting more mature or something. He probably saw the writing on the wall. Anyway he's actually won me over a bit in the preseason when I was adamant that he shouldn't be on the team anymore. Let's how the regular season goes.

 

[ird80]

Apologize st analysts! We're finally not tanking n they can be themselves

 

[koriwhat]

I think he feeds off the confidence of his teammates, and gives it back as well, so being part of a better team may bring out the best in him.

I totally agree with the sentiment above.

Keldon, when he was looked at as the face of the franchise, yes it was short-lived, had way too much pressure put on his shoulders for what he is which is a complimentary role-player. I believe he's always bought into this team and will take whatever role he's presented with. That's the type of dude you keep!

 

[Paramore]

Kornet
Olynyk
Champagnie
Harper and
Keldon

.................could be one of the best second fives on Earth,

 

[Ice009]

Apologize st analysts! We're finally not tanking n they can be themselves

Way to early to say that, but you could be right. Let's see how it goes for half a season first before calling people out.

 

[elpimpo4cc]

He can be our nick collison

 

[Fireball]

I would prefer him shooting 40% from three but really enjoying what he did so far in preseason (apart from his undershirt )

 

[Ice009]

I would prefer him shooting 40% from three but really enjoying what he did so far in preseason (apart from his undershirt )

lol. I was wondering, if he just tore the sleeves off of a t-shirt. It looks so dodgy every time there is a closeup of the sleeves. I don't know, maybe he should stick with it. Maybe that is where his power is coming from. That torn shirt. Superman type play on the court. 70%+ shooting.

 

[Shmurs]

Both the best and worst case scenarios have him out of here on his next deal. He’s not going to be a MLE guy because his counting stats will convince some GM’s that he’s worth a chance. And you can’t just roll back 17+ mill for someone who’s gonna be your 8th/9th guy once the roster is fleshed out.

In the meantime I guess you enjoy the show. But also, he has a pattern of doing well when the competition level is low. I don’t think this is really much different from last season for him, other than being surrounded by a more organized team.

 

[Fireball]

lol. I was wondering, if he just tore the sleeves off of a t-shirt. It looks so dodgy every time there is a closeup of the sleeves. I don't know, maybe he should stick with it. Maybe that is where his power is coming from. That torn shirt. Superman type play on the court. 70%+ shooting.

you are right that one should not change what works ... I just think it looks funny from a guy who earns millions of dollars .. but keep it up Kel-Don

 

[scott]

So, I’ll say that I was generally happy with what he showed in pre-season…

But as I was putting the game grades together for the last game v IND something stood out… Keldon had a decent stat line and my impression of the game was that he played well… but he had a team worst +/-, and at some point that can’t be ignored.

There are a few possible explanations:

1. He’s out there with lineups that really struggle but provides that scoring punch that pulls us through those stretches
2. It’s just a coincidence
3. He’s not a winning player and he actually drags the team down

I want to believe if’ts number 1 or 2… but I can’t fully discount #3. I’ve provided data before that Devin and Keldon is a combination that should NEVER play together, as the team is worse by every conceivable measure when they do. This might be true of Keldon on his own. I’ll wait until games count for real before I start drawing too much into lineup combinations… but I’ve got my eye on this.

 

[Ice009]

I noticed he had a team worst plus/minus when I saw the grades, but I didn't pay close enough attention to the game and lineups he was out there with, and who Indiana had on the court at the time. You are right, though, that can't be ignored.

It could be any of those three options, but I think now that you've pointed it out, we gotta keep watch of that going forward.

 

[Shmurs]

He’s the worst defender out of anyone in the real rotation on the team, right? And, while he’s good at 1 thing, his overall offensive game isn’t very strong. That adds up to a worse +\- than his peers.

like the other amigos, there’s a lot of hand waving going on about the list of limitations. It’s not one holistic thing for all of them where they just need to click after 5-6 years of not clicking. There are specific things that they can overcome, but it wouldn’t be in 5 months. So maybe Keldon is better this year but you can’t expect better shooting, good engagement on D, good processing on both ends, a willingness to give up the ball and basic consistency. You could expect some minor improvements in some/most things there. I don’t know if that’s enough for it to matter.

 

[spurraider21]

Single game +/- can be pretty risky to rely on but it’s also a historical thing with him

 

[ambchang]

To be fair throughout the entire preseason KJ was either first or second on the team until the last game. So if you were to take one negative point you’d have to balance it with the other games.

Again, I like KJ but the stats over the last two years do not paint him in a positive light, he has been generally a negative on the court with out without wemby and the only one who is worse than him was Vassell.

The only hope is that he is able to transform fully and fit perfectly in his role as a bench spark plug. I have no doubt he has the attitude for it as he has shown time and again he’s willing to do anything the team asked him to do. Whether he can do it is another matter.

The bigger question is whether that role, even if he aced it, is worth $18M a year.

 

[scott]

To be fair throughout the entire preseason KJ was either first or second on the team until the last game. So if you were to take one negative point you’d have to balance it with the other games.

Again, I like KJ but the stats over the last two years do not paint him in a positive light, he has been generally a negative on the court with out without wemby and the only one who is worse than him was Vassell.

The only hope is that he is able to transform fully and fit perfectly in his role as a bench spark plug. I have no doubt he has the attitude for it as he has shown time and again he’s willing to do anything the team asked him to do. Whether he can do it is another matter.

The bigger question is whether that role, even if he aced it, is worth $18M a year.

I think $18MM/yr is a fine salary for a high level bench scorer, and it puts him on par with someone like Malik Monk (a recent 6MOY runner up). Especially for these two years when the Spurs will still have Wemby, Castle and Harper all on rookie deals.

But unless he's moved, Devin probably needs to eventually fill that role (at an even higher cost unfortunately). We paid Vassell and Keldon for roles that the rest of the team outgrew. In Keldon's case, the timing makes it no big deal.

 

[OK Computer]

I think $18MM/yr is a fine salary for a high level bench scorer, and it puts him on par with someone like Malik Monk (a recent 6MOY runner up). Especially for these two years when the Spurs will still have Wemby, Castle and Harper all on rookie deals.

But unless he's moved, Devin probably needs to eventually fill that role (at an even higher cost unfortunately). We paid Vassell and Keldon for roles that the rest of the team outgrew. In Keldon's case, the timing makes it no big deal.

Since Vassell is such a ball stopper and his style of play is more suited for a starting line up without a go to scorer, I think Vassell is the worst theoretical fit. I can say without bias that Keldon is the best role player the Spurs could find in the league. Sochan… you can kind of see it because he plays off others. Lord, I am really hoping for Vassell to be traded by next offseason.

 

[scott]

Since Vassell is such a ball stopper and his style of play is more suited for a starting line up without a go to scorer, I think Vassell is the worst theoretical fit. I can say without bias that Keldon is the best role player the Spurs could find in the league. Sochan… you can kind of see it because he plays off others. Lord, I am really hoping for Vassell to be traded by next offseason.

I like Keldon... but (and before understanding the full nuance of this statement) this seems like a stretch.