Don’t look now, but the San Antonio Spurs might have the NBA’s next elite wing duo

Keldon Johnson has become the offensive fulcrum for the San Antonio Spurs.

From very early into his career, there’s been a level of trust between the Spurs coaching staff and Keldon Johnson that’s hard to find over the last two decades. His early insertion into the lineup, starting role by year two and inclusion on the most recent Team USA Basketball team shows that Popovich is heavily invested in Keldon and what he brings to the table.

It doesn’t matter that he slipped to the 29th pick in his draft, or that he’s only about 6-foot-5 playing small forward. This is a player whose demeanor, work ethic and consistent evolution make him a building block in the River City.

There are wide-sweeping improvements that Johnson showcased through the preseason into regular season games. First and foremost, he’s solidified himself as a quality three-point shooter and one of the best catch-and-shoot specialists in basketball, nailing 41.2% of his 17 attempts thus far. Johnson was two-tenths shy of 40% on 5.3 triples per game a year ago and hasn’t shown any sign of slowing down.

More importantly, his handle is far tighter than it’s been in years past. He’s now slipping between double teams and exploiting gaps in the coverage with his refined frame (Johnson dropped 20 lbs in the offseason while maintaining the mass of a barreling subway car). His passing vision is also far better than before as he’s noticing coverages and kicking out to teammates in a more productive manner than ever before.

Defensively, Johnson is more active and engaged through the early going. He’s breaking up passing lanes, anticipating movement and visibly thinking the game through more clearly. These are some of the key indicators when a player takes that next step toward producing at an All-Star level, or at least something close to it. It’s still unclear what outcome Keldon’s future ultimately holds, but with the way he’s performed since the start of his third season, there’s no ceiling on how far he can grow.