To save the Spurs' season, Mitch Johnson must do the unthinkable against OKC

As the San Antonio Spurs look to bounce back in the Western Conference Finals, coach Mitch Johnson will soon have to make tough decisions.

First and foremost is for Johnson to bench Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson. He has been awful for much of the playoffs, and this series has made that painfully obvious.

Unfortunately, Johnson may not have what it takes to be a high-level rotation player deep in the NBA playoffs. That's not a knock on Johnson; few players are, but his skill set just doesn't work well in the postseason.

San Antonio has gone up against three top-half-ranked defenses in the playoffs, and he's struggled against every single one. In Game 3, he struggled to defend without fouling, helping keep the Thunder on the line. 

Keldon Johnson is playing himself out of the Spurs' rotation 

His 3-point shooting has been helpful, but his ability to attack the basket has been nonexistent in the playoffs. 

His lack of handles also makes him an obvious target for Thunder defenders. When the Spurs were without both De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper, they needed another ball handler. Johnson wasn't it. 

So where does that leave him? San Antonio has been getting wrecked when Johnson has been on the floor, so the obvious solution is to bench him. 

The Spurs need Keldon Johnson but can't risk playing him 

The problem coach Johnson has is that Fox and Harper are both limited physically. Johnson is struggling, and Luke Kornet is practically MIA. With few options, coach Johnson should roll with Carter Bryant and even Harrison Barnes.

Bryant is still prone to a few of mistakes, but he is already a terrific defender and has shot well from three in the playoffs. Meamwhile, Barnes has played well in limited minutes. 

He can't dribble or defend, but he is a 3-point sniper and makes heady plays. Playing Barnes and Bryant together at power forward and center is probably a better alternative to the Johnson and Kornet pairing. 

Without many options, Coach Johnson must be willing to try different lineups in hopes of finding the right one. It's clear that no matter which lineup he lands on, Johnson shouldn't be a part of it. 

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