Real revelation from last season, Keldon Johnson impressed in Texas. Very athletic Post 3, he has established himself as an essential part of Gregg Popovich’s team and his rise has even led him to Olympic gold this summer. Back in pictures on the beautiful face displayed last season by Big Body.
The announcement of the replacement of Bradley Beal by Keldon Johnson within Team USA had surprised everyone a little. Accused of benefiting from the status of official darling of Gregg Popovich, the young 21-year-old winger has yet won his place on the floor by making an impression. Very good with the Select Team at Team USA training camp, Pop had especially seen Keldon evolve all season with the Spurs. Shy and quite present in the G League during his rookie season, he really exploded in the bubble in Orlando and especially during his second year. If he started his sophomore season on the hats of wheels, like all of Spurs, he eased off a bit at the end but it is nonetheless a very good season statistically (69 games including 67 as the holder for 12.8 points (at 47.9%), 6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 28 minutes on average). Not necessarily expected at this level so quickly, Keldon Johnson has yet managed to make a real place for himself, and we especially have the impression that the position 3 of San Antonio seems to be found for the years to come.
Nicknamed Mustang or Big Body, these little ones nicknames sum up the winger’s game well. 1m96 for 99 kilos, not very long but… VERY powerful. Impact player, explosive and aggressive, he likes to attack the circle with the ball in hand or on cuts. Able to slam big dunks by bending Marcel Arceau, he can also finish after a hard contact with his opponent. His physique also allows him to be a good defender, tough on humans and able to switch quite easily. Still a little too one-dimensional, it sometimes tends to go headlong. However, let’s not forget that Keldon is only 21 years old. If he develops his shoot and a correct passing game, watch out for the carnage and his profile could very quickly resemble that of another winger passed by the Spurs, whose first name also began with “K”. Do you see who we’re talking about? But if, a double-MVP of the Finals. After a very promising sophomore year, Keldon Johnson will in any case come back with another status. Olympic gold medalist, he will be more expected by his teammates and opponents. With the departure of DeRozan, he is also likely to be made more responsible. His stats should therefore increase further. Moreover, on the fansided des Spurs Air Alamo, a smart kid – a famous expert with a capital H – had fun predicting his stats next season. According to him, Keldon will turn to 18 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game in 32.6 minutes at 48.5 / 36/78 on shoot. You understand why we are talking about a smart kid, the guy even calculated the exact number of minutes. Otherwise stats, that’s all we want in Keldon.
Keldon Johnson was a hit last season. Big dunks, beautiful boxes, some very nice highlights, we want more. If he’s gaining a little consistency, watch out for crack in Texas. The San Antonio Spurs will need it in any case, because the season promises to be once again very gloomy.
Source texte : basketballreference, Air Alamo
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