Spurs Grades: Keldon Johnson Season Recap, Prediction For Next Year

The San Antonio Spurs boasted a very strong group in its usual starting lineup, but that does not mean that the bench did not have its time to shine.

Keldon Johnson was perhaps the most noteworthy of these relievers, at least in the regular season, as he saw his efforts result in the title of NBA Sixth Man of the Year.

The seventh-year Spurs appeared in all 82 games for San Antonio, which marked the first time in his career that he reached the milestone. Despite his longevity throughout the schedule, Johnson never recorded a start.

It did not seem to phase him, however, as he went for over 1,000 points in the regular season for the fourth time and the first without being a primary starter for San Antonio.

Alongside his scoring feats, Johnson tallied just shy of 450 rebounds and over 150 assists.

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These impressive numbers make clear why Johnson was honored as the league's most pivotal bench contributor and show why he still has an important role to play with the Spurs after falling out of the starting lineup from his early years.

His first career playoff appearance did bring a slight regression from around 20 points per game just under 16. And as the postseason waged on, Johnson became less of a factor for opposing teams to consider.

In the NBA Finals series with the New York Knicks, Johnson capped out at only seven points throughout five games despite touching the court for nearly 15 minutes in each.

Although he may be one of longest tenured Spurs on the roster, Johnson is still relatively young by NBA standards and experienced his first true taste of success this season alongside all the other youthful pieces in San Antonio.

Taking that into consideration, it is understandable why their most reliable bench option faded when the team arguably needed him most. But does this decline put Johnson in jeopardy moving forward?

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In a very anticlimactic answer, most likely not. Again, he just brought home an individual accolade--one of only two Spurs to do so--and was extremely vital toward not only bringing San Antonio back to relevance this season but serving as a bright spot during a dark era of the franchise.

Are the Spurs hoping to get more out of him next year if they make a return to the postseason? Yes, of course. However, the argument can be made that each and every member of the San Antonio squad needs to improve after falling short.

Luckily for Johnson, he has a strong starting lineup that has only gotten stronger this offseason to shoulder some of the weight and allow him to continue in his newfound slot next year.

FINAL GRADE: B+, 2026 OUTLOOK: Prominent Sixth Man, Again