Spurs fans needed a sign the magic’s still alive—Keldon Johnson just gave it

"Oh, hey! I wonder what the Sixth Man of the Year odds look li- KELDON JOHNSON IS LEADING?!" Some of you basketball sickos who monitor these kinds of things, along with the rest of us ingrates, may very well have had that reaction when you saw San Antonio's bench mob leader at the top of FanDuel's chart, but we know one thing for sure: he deserves it.

KJ's resurgence, coinciding with the step forward we've seen from Devin Vassell, is a hell of a sign from this team's developmental staff that they're still in touch with the ways of the arcane. The Spurs used to be famous for drafting or adding the perfect players who may seem like an odd fit to others.

They would mold into the best versions of themselves, playing within a system that knew how to take advantage of their strengths and help with their weaknesses. It may have taken Johnson a little longer than some of us would have liked, but their patience has paid off, and fans wouldn't dare entertain the idea of The Mustang leaving this franchise.

Johnson will go down as one of the greatest in Spurs history

His love for the city already nestled him into the hearts of Spurs Nation, but his dedication to the craft will guarantee his nook remains unblemished. Disappointment is a strong emotion, and had San Antonio been forced to move him because he couldn't meet the required standards, it could have changed the relationship.

Even worse, had he gone elsewhere and reached his potential in a different uniform, all bets would have been off. The truth is that most Spurs fans believed he had this ability buried somewhere deep inside him because we saw him average 22 points per game a few short years ago. We've seen him shoot 40% from three for an entire season.

Seeing him go from that to an inconsistent, offensive player with poor defensive awareness was frustrating. However, with more work and an adjustment to his decision-making, he's found his place again, and the Silver and Black have thrived in large part due to his contributions.

The Spurs' staff has come through in a big way

Fans have been quick to criticize the staff (deservedly so) when it seemed like nobody was really getting much better. But Keldon is a reminder that growth is not linear, and most people, let alone players, do not move at the same pace.

KJ is in year seven and having the best season of his career. He shot 0-3 from deep against the Rockets and still has a 41% 3PT average. He's shooting 56% from the field—his highest since his rookie year, which doesn't really count since he only played in 17 games at fewer than 20 minutes a night.

He's been awesome. Dev's been fantastic. Julian Champagnie has been breaking out. It's all systems go on nearly all of the Spurs' young guys. The staff deserves to take a bow because without them, this fantastical season wouldn't be possible.