Keldon Johnson looking for the missing address

After the departure of Dejounte Murray, it was he who had been appointed to take over in San Antonio, whether in leadership or in scoring. Extended to 74 million over four years, Keldon Johnson had started the season rather well, like the Spurs (five wins for two defeats in October) before experiencing a sudden drop in speed, especially in terms of outside shooting.

He thus went from 43.5% success behind the arc in his first seven games to 31.8% in November, to 35/110 with in particular a 1/10 against the Lakers. The beginning of December is not much better (2/13).

Keep up the spirits and keep shooting

The situation is delicate, especially as the Texans line up defeats, but Keldon Johnson continues to hang on, hoping that the wheel will eventually turn.

“I have to keep shooting. It will come back eventually”, he hammered. “That’s what I’ve been working on all summer. It’s my job. It’s my art. When it doesn’t work, I continue (…). It’s not the amount of video I’m going to watch that’s going to help me get the ball into the basket. I’ve been shooting all my life. I will not go back. I’m going to change my approach a bit, but other than that I’m going to keep shooting.”

Inevitably, the situation of the Spurs does not help him to flourish in the offensive game. The absence of Dejoute Murray also means that he benefits from fewer spaces. He must create more for himself and for others, rather than being satisfied with being a “simple” finisher.

“When we don’t stay put, when we create for others, when we cut into the paint and do extra-passes, it opens up more possibilities for him”underlined his teammate Tre Jones.

An offensive palette to diversify

While waiting for the address to return, Keldon Johnson is therefore trying to diversify his offensive palette, as he did against Phoenix with 27 points at 11/23 shooting in the large defeat (133-95) of his people. It is also by getting closer to the circle and regaining confidence that he could finally come to terms with his outside shot.

“My shot doesn’t go in, so I have to impact the game in another way”he said after the meeting, with another 1/5 behind the arc. “I started playing in the post and in the middle zone. I kept doing it and it worked (…). My teammates and the staff continue to trust me. And it will fall into it. Do I know when? No. But I won’t stop shooting. I will continue, with the certainty that the ball will go in every time it leaves my hand”.

For Brett Brown, assistant to Gregg Popovich promoted to head coach while Pop recovers, this slump can be life-saving, insofar as it forces Keldon Johnson to find other ways to score.

“Generally, we try to help him figure out what his game can look like. It’s not just about throwing 3-pointers. It has to be much more”he explained. “That’s what makes all the charm of the evolution of his career: how will he react to continue to progress in the NBA? The versatility of a scorer, being more than just an outside shooter, that’s his route.