As the San Antonio Spurs’ longest-tenured player, Keldon Johnson has a lot of expectations entering his sixth season with the team. After seeing his role diminish over the last several seasons, he is fighting for his spot in the rotation entering the season. Thus far, the results have been impressive, to say the least.

Through the team’s first four preseason games, he’s averaging 15 points and shooting a blistering 78.6% from the field in just 19.8 minutes per game. Equally as important, however, is that his 3-point shot appears to have finally returned, with him having drained five of his seven attempts from outside.

Johnson seemed well on his way to being an elite 3-point shooter after shooting nearly 40% on five 3-point attempts per game in the 2021-22 season. He followed that up with a blistering start to the 2022-23 season, shooting an impressive 43% on 7.1 3-point attempts per game during the team’s first 14 games.

However, since then, he has been below league average, and his development has stalled, or perhaps even regressed.

Keldon Johnson’s 3-point shooting is key to his future with the Spurs

Having a bruising guard who can’t shoot, defend, or create for others isn’t a valuable player, even though he can get to the rim at will. To be clear, he had plenty of strong games last season, though he really didn’t play well during the first half of last year.

To his credit, he played much better post-All-Star break. Even then, his 3-point shooting wasn’t especially good. Instead, he relied on being super efficient by taking almost all of his shots within five feet of the basket.

However, he has shot well from three during the preseason, with his shooting form looking better than it has in recent seasons. Johnson shooting around 37% on decent volume, say three 3-point attempts per game, would make a dramatic impact.

Keldon Johnson could be a potential Sixth Man of the Year candidate

He would suddenly go from being a capable Sixth Man who can have big games here and there to being a far more reliable offensive threat. That would allow him to punish teams both inside and out, which he has done thus far in preseason.

The Spurs desperately need more shooting, and his going from being penciled in as a non-threat from outside to someone who can drain, say, 100 threes off the bench would be a huge help. It would not only raise the Spurs’ offensive ceiling but raise his as well, not to mention help his potential Sixth Man of the Year candidacy.

All in all, Johnson has played surprisingly well during the preseason, partly thanks to his 3-point shot reemerging as an offensive weapon. If that shot continues to be a weapon, then Johnson’s value to the Spurs skyrockets, with him potentially becoming a more consistent offensive player and possibly even a Sixth Man of the Year candidate.