Johnson expecting to build on his ‘country strong’ body
Spurs forward Keldon Johnson entered the league last season with an Nbaready body that he has put to good use in an impressive sophomore season.
But that doesn’t mean the 21-year-old Virginian can’t get even stronger.
“He is country strong right now,” Spurs guard Derrick White said.
In a Zoom interview with reporters last week — before the Spurs went on a COVID-19 hiatus — Johnson acknowledged he has “a lot of room to grow and get stronger.”
“I trust our strength coaches and the plan they have laid out for me,” he said. “At the end of the year, we are going to go back to the grind.”
White expects Johnson to come back even more powerful next season.
For now, though, Johnson is sidelined while going through the NBA’S health and safety protocols along with White, Rudy Gay, rookie Devin Vassell and Quinndary Weatherspoon.
“I am excited for his future,” White said. “I see the way he works, how he wants to get better. That’s a big thing. I try to help him as much as I can. I love playing with him. Like I’ve said this whole time, he’s just got a lot of energy and passion.”
With his muscle-packed, broad-shouldered 6-foot-5, 220-pound frame and relentless nature, Johnson has been a beast on the boards, averaging 7.0 rebounds per contest. Only point guard Dejounte Murray (7.2) has a better per-game output for the Spurs.
Johnson averages 1.7 offensive rebounds per game to rank second on the Spurs behind 7-1 center Jakob Poeltl’s 3.0 average.
“He is a hell of a rebounder, offense, defense,” White said of Johnson. “In traffic, it seems like he always comes down with it. He and Dejounte, they are crazy good at it. It’s big for us as a team.”
G League gives players a boost
When second-year forward Luka Samanic and rookie point guard Tre Jones hit the court for the Spurs, coach Gregg Popovich should see a difference in the two youngsters, Austin Spurs coach Matt Nielsen said.
Short-handed after four unidentified players tested positive last week for COVID-19, the Spurs recalled Samanic and Jones from the G League on Sunday, where the two have thrived as a powerful onetwo punch, propelling Austin to a 6-1 start.
Nielsen was asked after the Austin Spurs’ 122-108 loss to the Delaware Blue Coats on Sunday night what Samanic and Jones might be taking back with them to San Antonio.
“Probably a bit of confidence,” Nielsen said. “They have obviously played some really good basketball while taking on defenses fully focused on them.”
In six appearances at the G League bubble in Florida — he missed one game with
a sprained finger — Samanic leads Austin in scoring (21.8 points per game) and rebounding (11.3).
In seven games, Jones averaged a league-best 9.8 assists per game to go along with 18 points and 5.0 rebounds.
Nielsen said Jones benefited from getting to play “Spurs-style basketball,” while Samanic made strides in his “consistency and resilience.”
“I hope they take that up there (to the Spurs) and use it with confidence,” Nielsen said.
Foundations to assist Food Bank
With Black Restaurant Week underway, Spurs Give and the Tim Duncan Foundation have shared their official contribution, with both organizations pledging $100,000 to the San Antonio Food Bank, funding 1.4 million meals to help feed those in need.
Launched in 2019, the weeklong event focused on Black-owned businesses will feature more than 30 restaurants and food trucks. The 2021 installment, which began Sunday and will run through Feb. 28, will have a give-back component supported by Duncan and Spurs Give, the official nonprofit of the team.
“Providing food to people does so much more than feed someone a meal, it provides dignity and hope,” said Jennifer Regnier, Spurs Give executive director, via a release.
With the coronavirus pandemic in its first months last spring, Spurs Give and the Tim Duncan Foundation each donated $100,000 to the Food Bank as part of the Spurs Cafe initiative. The $200,000 allowed the Food Bank to deliver 25,000 meals to families living in low-income apartment complexes across San Antonio, according to a Spurs release.