Getty Images
San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson will miss the start of training camp this week due to a dislocated shoulder, according to The Athletic. He is expected to return for the start of the season, according to Charania. Johnson just signed a four-year, $74 million extension with the Spurs earlier in the offseason.
Johnson is coming off of a strong third season in which he averaged a career-best 17 points per game for the Spurs. That growth followed a surprising stint with Team USA at the Olympics, and his time spent around many of the NBA’s best players clearly benefitted him.
He’ll need to take the lessons learned with Team USA and apply them to a Spurs team that sorely needs leadership. San Antonio traded All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray this summer after dealing Derrick White at the deadline and DeMar DeRozan last offseason. In addition, fellow veterans LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Gay and Patty Mills have all departed fairly recently.
Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe.
Thanks for signing up!
Keep an eye on your inbox.
Sorry!
There was an error processing your subscription.
The Spurs are in the middle of one of the NBA’s most extreme youth movements, and Johnson is one of its centerpieces. Without an experienced point guard, he will be expected to carry an enormous scoring burden on offense. Of course, he’ll only be able to do that if he’s healthy. For now, he isn’t, and with so much youth on this roster, San Antonio will likely exercise an abundance of caution in bringing him back. The Spurs need to keep him healthy for the long haul, so getting him back to 100 percent now is critical.
