Spurs' Keldon Johnson receives high praise from national outlet

The San Antonio Spurs aren't projected by many outlets to make much noise this season, but that appears to be by design as they look to completely rebuild through development and the draft.

Still, beyond the silver linings we've discussed in what will be a down season, there will be a lot to look forward to from some of the more established guys on this young roster. In particular, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson figure to be the leaders of the team in 2022-23, and it wouldn't be a surprise if they both had career years.

While watching the two promising young guns flourish in San Antonio would be exciting enough, each guy also offers highlight-worthy plays that could someday shine on the national stage. Vassell is still figuring out just how much he can do offensively, but it's remarkable how underrated his athleticism is. Johnson, meanwhile, has been a bit louder so far with his game.

Keldon Johnson recognized as second most exciting young SF

In his list of the most exciting young prospects in the league for Bleacher Report, Zach Buckley included Johnson second only to Anthony Edwards on his list of small forwards. To meet his criteria, players had to be 22 years old or younger.

"His one-on-one arsenal needs further expansion, but he's a good player who pushes himself closer to greatness with an elite motor," said Buckley. "He has some juice around the rim."

I think you can say that again.

Having Keldon in the two spot behind Edwards goes to show that he's landing on radars for some people despite the fact that the Spurs have had virtually no nationally televised games over the past couple of seasons.

I would expect this season to be the same as the last few in that there will be little to no national attention on the Spurs, but considering how young the majority of the roster is, they'll all have their day in the sun eventually.

Much like his celebrations, Keldon's game can't be silenced, and the newly extended forward will have plenty of time to prove he belongs among some of the league's best.