Quaintance and Reed Jr. picks will put Keldon Johnson at sneaky crossroads

There are a lot of positives the Spurs' new draft picks will bring to the table when they make their way into the rotation, but inserting new talent doesn't always go smoothly. Often, huge adjustments must be made by the other players to make room for the added talent, and Keldon Johnson stands out as someone who may have the toughest time with that.

The longtime Spur has carved out his role through physicality, effort, and downhill attacks, but the roster is changing. Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr. will spend much of their time dominating the paint, and they have the size to do it. KJ will be forced to evolve or risk the team passing him by, similar to how it outgrew Jeremy Sochan.

Obviously, these picks weren't made to replace Johnson, but they could fundamentally change the kind of player the Spurs need him to become.

The paint is about to get a lot more crowded

Victor Wembanyama is the big man in the middle. He hasn't been there enough for anyone's liking, but his time spent in the paint directly correlates to how strong he's getting. It's increased each year, so we can only expect that trend to continue. Putting on a bit more muscle and strengthening his core during the offseason will allow Wemby to spend more time in the lane.

Next, let's add the guard triple threat to the equation. De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper make their living in the paint. They have dibs on the lane next, and that's what the Spurs want them to do. Their downhill abilities don't just get them points, but they open up the floor to make plays using that skill set.

Now, insert Quaintance and Reed. Neither one of those guys is expected to shoot the ball from distance. They're going to command space in the paint, making that area of the floor theirs. If you want real estate, they'll have to allow it. Would the Spurs really want their interior powerhouses moving out of the way so KJ can force up a shot over taller defenders? Probably not.

That leads us to why this matters so much for Johnson. SA didn't just add two skilled big men—they chose two players whose games naturally occupy the same areas of the floor where Big Body has done his best work for his whole career. The overlap will force him to adjust, providing value in different ways if he wants to maintain the same role.

Keldon improved his three-point shooting a tick this season, but not much. His specialty involves putting his head down and ramming his way to the basket. Once he dribbles the ball once, he's charging the lane with buckets on his mind, and it gets him into trouble, as he's not great at assisting his teammates while on the move. A mid-range game would help, but that's not in his repertoire either.

Johnson may have to reinvent himself once again

Here's the rub: with San Antonio's new additions, they likely won't need Johnson to play as much small-ball 4. So, does he go back to playing more small forward, and is he still equipped to play that position? That means defending quicker players and occasionally trying to beat a more athletic player off the dribble—something he's struggled with his entire career.

There's no doubt that Spurs Nation would prefer that Keldon stick around. As the longest-tenured player on the roster, Johnson has had to adjust his game already. He was the leading scorer, then a secondary starter, before being sent to the bench.

It's not fair to ask the reigning Sixth Man of the Year to make another huge adjustment. He's the heart of the team, and he bleeds silver and black. However, this is still a business, so he'll have to determine his long-term viability with his play on the floor because if he can't make the necessary changes, we'll start to hear his name in trade rumors again.

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