The Spurs have been winning more often lately, but Keldon Johnson’s season has become a real concern inside that momentum. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year is not holding down the same kind of impact he did a year ago, and with Tobias Harris on the way back, Johnson’s place in the rotation suddenly looks a lot less secure.
Last season, Johnson gave Mitch Johnson a huge lift off the bench, putting up 13.2 points per game while shooting 51.9% from the field and 36.3% from deep. That version of KJ was a weapon.
This one has not been nearly as sharp. His production has fallen to 8.6 points, and his three-point shooting has dropped all the way to 20%.
That slide matters even more now because this 2026-27 season is clearly a prove-it year for Johnson. The Spurs passed on extending him this summer, choosing not to lock him into a long-term deal. Then they brought in Harris, a veteran scorer who can help run the second-unit offense and compete for the same forward minutes Johnson has been trying to claim.
The early returns have already shown how uneven Johnson’s start has been. He followed a 15-point showing Monday night against the Utah Jazz with just four points at home against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. Through the Spurs’ first eight games, he has made only two threes, and that lack of perimeter production has limited what he can do offensively.
The timing could not be worse, because Harris is expected to return from a calf injury and immediately enter the mix for minutes. That sets up a tough battle for Johnson, especially since Harris brings strengths that line up directly against Johnson’s current weaknesses.
Decision-making has been a problem for Johnson, while Harris offers veteran-like patience and strong ball security. Johnson has also struggled to score with any real consistency, and Harris has spent years proving he can generate efficient offense.
So the path forward is pretty clear for Johnson. He needs to sharpen his shot selection, take better care of the basketball, and play with more patience if he wants to stay a dependable part of the Spurs’ rotation.
The good news is that those are fixable issues. The bad news is that he does not have much time to sort them out before Harris is back in the picture.
In Other News...
Spurs Bench Problem Is Putting Luke Kornet Under Real Pressure
Luke Kornets first playoff run as a Spurs backup center has come with a little more heat than he saw a year ago, and not in a good way. His defensive numbers have slipped compared with last season, with opponents finding more success at the rim when he is on the floor, which matters even more for a team that leans so heavily on Victor Wembanyama to anchor the defense.
The bigger issue is what happens when Wembanyama sits. San Antonio has been trying to keep those minutes from turning into a soft spot, but Kornets struggles have put real pressure on that plan, and the Spurs do have another option in Tarris Reed Jr. Reed has barely played, yet his presence gives the staff something to consider if it wants a different look behind Wembanyama. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Gave Spurs Fans A Scare In A Huge Night Against Kings
Victor Wembanyama kept doing Victor Wembanyama things in San Antonios 124-109 win over Sacramento, piling up 30 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks while extending a remarkable defensive run. With at least two blocks in each of his first nine games this season, he moved into the second-longest streak in NBA history, another reminder of how quickly he has become the center of everything the Spurs do on both ends.
The bigger concern came in the middle of the night when Wembanyama twisted his left ankle and sent a jolt through the building. He returned to the floor and helped San Antonio protect its lead, which eased the immediate worry, but it also left the Spurs and their fans waiting to see how he comes out of one of the most productive performances of his young season. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Just Passed An Early Spurs Test Fans Were Watching
Victor Wembanyama has already had to answer one of the first questions that follows any young star into a new season: how will his body hold up when the games get physical? In a pair of early tests, he rolled his ankle against the Dallas Mavericks and later dealt with another ankle injury against the Sacramento Kings, but in both cases he was back on the floor quickly enough to ease some of the concern around him.
For the Spurs, that matters as much as anything else right now. Wembanyama and his teammates point to the work he puts into body care and preparation as a big reason he has been able to keep going through those moments, and it is the kind of detail San Antonio will keep watching closely as his workload grows and the season wears on. [Read more 🡒]