NBA: Predicting a 2021 breakout player for every team in the Western Conference

NBA Draft prospect James Wiseman (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
NBA Draft prospect James Wiseman (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
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NBA
NBA San Antonio Spurs Keldon Johnson ( Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)

San Antonio Spurs

Keldon Johnson

The Spurs have a ton of young talent at the wing position, but I think Keldon Johnson has the highest ceiling and could be a soon-to-be-superstar. This guy caught my eye last year at Summer League when I coincidentally watched two Spurs games and Johnson was the best player on the floor in both those games by a mile.

At a stout 6-foot 5 with a good blend of athleticism and strength, Keldon Johnson seems to be on a constant path of improvement since being drafted last year out of Kentucky. He impressed with the Spurs G-League team last year (20.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG) to the point where he earned himself regular-season minutes with the Spurs in the bubble. Johnson continued to flourish down in Orlando, averaging 14 points a game (an absurd shot 65% FG and 64% 3FG) and was a +5.5 on the floor for the Spurs. This included two back-to-back 20-point games where he, once again, was the best player on the floor.

The key to Johnson’s career (as with every prototypical three and D player) will be his ability to continue knocking down the open shot. If he can shoot around 40 percent from 3 and finish some plays around the basket, there’s no reason for Johnson not to be a 30 minute-a-night starter for a long time.