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Keldon Johnson Makes Ruling on Spurs' Starting Lineup Situation
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- Keldon Johnson Makes Ruling on Spurs' Starting Lineup Situation
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The San Antonio Spurs held their annual Silver and Black scrimmage on Sunday, which is usually the last "fun" event before the preseason starts. Victor Wembanyama played for both the Silver and Black teams, swapping jerseys at halftime, since whichever team had him would boast an insane advantage.
As always, the scrimmage was for fun, for charity, and generally lighthearted. After the game, though, the players got serious and addressed the upcoming season. They've long made it clear that their Finals loss in June haunts them and are increasingly motivated to win this season.
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With the addition of Tobias Harris, Julian Champagnie is expected to move to the bench. Dylan Harper, meanwhile, is vying for the starting point guard job, although that role currently belongs to De'Aaron Fox. One of their teammates couldn't care less about "roles."
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Keldon Johnson Makes Strong Spurs' Lineup Point
In his second NBA season, back in 2020, Keldon Johnson earned a spot in the Spurs' starting lineup. The following season, he broke out, and his scoring production continued to increase into the 2022-23 season.
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After that, though, his inefficiencies caught up to him, and Gregg Popovich moved him to the bench. At the time, Johnson cited the demotion as a low point, but he bounced back and became a key bench player.
It all culminated in him winning Sixth Man of the Year last season. With some hardware on his shelf, Johnson doesn't want to hear anyone mope about minutes, he just wants to see them make the most of them.
"We just want to win," summed up Johnson. "We're a team, we're a pretty tight group. Whether it's starting or coming off the bench, our main objective is to win. Win as many games as possible and put ourselves in the best situation to win, so whatever's asked of us, I know of myself, we go out there and do it no questions asked and get the job done."
With Champagnie poised for a demotion and Harper publicly saying he wants to start, Johnson has stepped up as the team's veteran. Normally an energy guy, he is the longest-tenured player in San Antonio and is expected to be a leader. By tampering down any would-be drama and harping on team success, Johnson is doing exactly what the coaching staff wants.
As long as the Spurs are winning, Harper and Fox's roles will be a secondary story, and Johnson wants everyone to focus on what actually matters.
