Spurs championship hopes are dashed unless Keldon Johnson confronts fatal flaws

The Spurs faced plenty of harsh realities in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. One of those was Keldon Johnson's underwhelming production. He scored just two points on five attempts, adding to a concerning series-long trend. The 6MoTY is only averaging 3.8 points per game against New York, exposing flaws in his scoring arsenal and decision-making.

KJ's struggles are quite the conundrum. He was amazing off the bench in the regular season, scoring 13 points per game on solid shooting splits, but none of that has translated to the playoff stage. During San Antonio's run, he dipped to 8 points per game on 40% shooting.

It was easy to ignore his issues a bit before this series because the Spurs had such an unexpected, yet amazing, run through the Western Conference bracket. But now that their backs are against the wall in the Finals, his underwhelming production is being spotlighted even more.

Keldon Johnson's biggest flaw is mental

KJ's playoff issues can be chalked up to his questionable decision-making. It's become a trend this postseason for him to get the ball, and instead of being patient and examining his options, drive aggressively to the rim. This turns into sporadic interior shot attempts or turnovers.

Don't get me wrong, having the ability to get to the basket is a valuable skill in the NBA today, especially if a player can make smart plays with the gravity they create. But Johnson's issue is that he tends to drive to the rim without a plan or solid intention, and it's killed several Spurs possessions.

He's suffering from a common fatal flaw that a lot of athletic guards and wings have. That reckless style of play can create some great moments, but it ultimately hits a wall. It's at its best when coupled with sharp decision-making and touch. We just haven't gotten those things from the longest-tenured Spur.

Johnson's been an unreliable shooter this postseason

Keldon Johnson was never a dominant three-point shooter, but he's had good moments through his career. In the 2021-22 season, he made 39.8% of his long-range looks on just over five attempts. This year he made 36.3%. You can even look at his Game 7 performance against the Thunder, where he buried two clutch buckets from beyond the arc.

Where has that been in this series? He only made one three-pointer in five games against New York, and it's significantly hurt the Spurs' bench scoring. He's at his best when he can keep defenses honest by capitalizing on catch-and-shoot opportunities while playing off of the Spurs' guards.

What we're noticing is that a lot of Keldon's playoff struggles have been controllable. It's not about his style of play not translating over to the postseason. He's an athletic wing with a knack for scoring who can get downhill and rebound. The problem is, he just hasn't delivered on those things.

Now, he does deserve a bit of grace. Even though he's 26 years old, similar to most of San Antonio's starters, this is his first playoff appearance. I don't think it's fair to engage in "trade Keldon Johnson" talks this offseason. Those conversations are reserved for guys who have the same issue every year.

But he needs to improve. It's as simple as that. If the Spurs want to replicate the 2016 Cavaliers in this series or keep him as a part of their Western Conference dominance over the next few seasons, they need Keldon Johnson to sharpen up so he's a better threat on stages like this.

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