Many expected the San Antonio Spurs to just fold and attempt to lose as many games as possible to gain better lottery odds for the privilege of selecting Victor Wembanyama in next year's draft. However, it appears as if the Spurs' core led by Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell, did not get the memo, as the Spurs have remained tough opposition to begin the year even as they scuffle to a 5-6 record following their latest 115-109 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Johnson, in particular, has emerged as one of the better young scorers in the NBA in only his fourth season in the league. The 23-year old has repaid the Spurs' faith in him in the early goings, averaging 23.8 points, 5.3 boards, and 3.8 dimes on a solid 47.2 percent shooting from the field. And one aspect of Johnson's game that has improved tremendously has been his marksmanship from beyond the arc.
Keldon Johnson made five more threes en route to a 30-point night in a loss to the Nuggets, boosting his season total to 38 triples. In the process, the man affectionately known by Spurs fans as “Big Body” remained on pace for a historic season from beyond the arc, etching his name alongside the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, James Harden, Paul George, and Damian Lillard if he keeps up this level of shooting.
“Keldon was on pace for 272 made 3s coming into [the Nuggets] game. Only 6 players in @NBA history have made that many in a season (Curry, Harden, Hield, Dame, Klay, & PG13),” Dan Weiss, a Spurs analyst, wrote.
On the season, Johnson's 38 three-pointers has him ranked fourth in the association for most triples, trailing only Stephen Curry, Buddy Hield, Desmond Bane, and Jordan Clarkson. Simply put, the improvement in Big Body's efficiency and volume from beyond the arc has him becoming one of the most feared snipers in the association, which should mean that the Spurs will remain more competitive than many think as the season progresses.
Keldon Johnson entered the league with his slashing and rebounding as his bread and butter, but he has improved immensely over the past few seasons, justifying the Spurs' decision to hand him a four-year $80 million contract ($6 million of which comes in unlikely incentives). Two seasons ago, Johnson made a mere 69 triples, and he's more than halfway to reaching that mark in 59 fewer games. And with him and Devin Vassell being as young as they are, it's not unreasonable to expect more improvements to come from the Spurs' wing duo.
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