3 Things Keldon Johnson's huge year taught us

2. Finding Better Shots Was Key To Leap

Talking about Keldon Johnson's impressive shooting leads us into talking about how exactly he found all those good looks. For one, he had one of the league's leading assist-getters passing him the ball in Dejounte Murray. But he also progressed as an offensive player and better understood what was and wasn't a good shot for him.

Johnson had the stereotype of being like a bull in a china shop for his first couple of seasons in the NBA. Coming in as a rookie, he had a large frame from day one and frequently used his "big body" to bully opponents to the hole, hence the nickname. This produced varying results and wasn't a realistic offensive approach for him in the long term.

This season, he showed significant progression in being patient with the ball in his hands and knowing when to stop, pivot, pass, or go up for a high-percentage look. He showed a good deal of thoughtfulness and tact when driving to the hoop and navigating through defenses, something he lacked in his previous two campaigns.

One major indicator of Keldon's smarter decision-making with the basketball is his turnover numbers. Johnson only turned the ball over 1.2 times per game, ranking in the 83rd percentile for turnover percentage. Just 16 players in the league had a lower turnover percentage in 2021-22, per Cleaning The Glass.