3 things that would take Keldon Johnson to the next level

Keldon Johnson enjoyed another breakout season with San Antonio Spurs as he became the de facto face of the franchise after the front office sent Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks to begin a rebuild last summer. The former late-first-rounder persevered through inconsistency and additional attention from defenses, putting together an encouraging campaign.

Although he averaged 22.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game in his first go-round as the undisputed go-to scorer, his shooting splits fell significantly from a year ago, leaving some fans questioning his viability in a featured role. As Keldon prepares for his fifth NBA offseason, what skills should he hone to take his game to another level with the Silver and Black?

1. In-Between Game

Unless you are a prolific three-point shooter, unstoppable paint presence, transcendent defender, top-notch playmaker, or possess a combination of those traits, earning an All-Star appearance is a tall task. Although Keldon Johnson is solid in a handful of areas, his one-dimensionality stopped him from being a genuine candidate for any end-of-the-year accolades.

The fourth-year forward is a high-volume slasher and long-ranger gunner, but he was one of the least efficient players in the league from both areas this season. His predictability and low percentages from his favorite spots made him a lackluster number-one scoring option for San Antonio. Keldon has to expand his arsenal this summer to retain his go-to status.

Johnson must focus on developing an in-between game. The 23-year-old occasionally ventured into the midrange, draining 33.4% of his 66 jumpers inside the arc. But in a rebuilding season geared to foster experimentation from youngsters, he often relied on the comfort and familiarity of straight-line drives and catch-and-shoot triples to score most of his points.

While Keldon spurned those intermediary shots, he loved using the runner when attacking the hoop, an invaluable counter versus rim protectors. But his touch was sorely lacking as he only made 38.6% of his floaters, ranking 34th out of the 38 players that took at least 100 attempts this season. His path to three-level scoring is an uphill battle, and he should embrace it.

2. Passing Vision

If the Spurs plan on offering Johnson more ballhandling responsibilities in the coming seasons, he must become a better playmaker than the one we have seen through his first four years in the league. When looking at high-usage forwards like Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler, and Pascal Siakam, their ability to leverage scoring gravity into passing windows is undeniable.

That skill is something Keldon has yet to depict consistently. While he had moments of brilliance, the blinders were on more often than not. He made the fewest passes out of the 35 players that drove more than 12 times per game this season, missing simple reads and kick outs as he made his way downhill and barreled through defenders around the basket.

Johnson forced ill-advised layups and sought contact rather than slowing down to survey the floor for open teammates. That physicality sometimes earned him free throws, but his predetermined drives typically ended with a low-percentage attempt in the paint. Committing 2.1 turnovers per game was not a glaring issue. Still, he could afford to clean things up a bit.

Although the six-five slasher may not have top-flight court vision, he gave fans a reason to be optimistic toward the backend of the season. Johnson averaged 3.9 assists over his last 13 games, hitting screeners with precise pocket passes in the pick-and-roll, shoveling the ball to bigs in the dunker spot when drawing help, and finding open shooters from one man away.

3. Defensive Effort

The last area of improvement is relatively self-explanatory. Defense might seem optional with the unrivaled scoring numbers teams posted this year, but title contenders are elite on both ends. Some stars may not be above-average stoppers, but most are at least serviceable. As for Keldon, he has struggled to make a positive impact on this side of the ball.

Johnson misses weakside rotations, cutters creep backdoor when he gets caught ball-watching, and his activity as a helper is low. Most of his faults as a team defender stem from inconsistent effort and poor awareness. He can address both shortcomings this offseason, and spending extra time in the film room could go a long way toward improving the latter.

His off-ball defense is a liability, and his on-ball defense isn't much better. Keldon let opponents shoot 52.4% this season, the fourth-worst mark out of the 143 players that faced at least 700 shots. He is too heavy-footed to cover most guards and too small to bother fours and fives. Continuing the weight-loss program from last summer may be the best approach.