Keldon Johnson Ready to Fit in With the San Antonio Spurs

This offseason, no one was included more in offseason rumors for the San Antonio Spurs than Keldon Johnson. Seemingly every mock trade had him included, and it appeared that fans were ready to part ways with the once-promising forward.

Johnson is under contract through the next three seasons and has shown flashes of being an excellent NBA player, but his inconstancy and inefficiency in recent seasons have made it hard for him to find a reliable role on the roster. He has bounced between the bench unit and the starting five, and his fit next to Victor Wembanyama is questionable.

However, Johnson spent the summer making sure he fit in. He lost weight, his conditioning looks better than ever, and he has placed an increased emphasis on the defensive end. In the Spurs' recent 126-120 preseason win over the Utah Jazz, Johnson was a bright spot.

The sixth-year forward offered a team-high 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the floor, and added two steals and a block, with only a single turnover.

An area of focus for Johnson, and the rest of the young Spurs, has been cutting down on costly, repetitive mistakes. Johnson credited a changed mindset with his preseason success.

"Different mentality this year, which I think everybody's responding well," he said of both himself and the team. "That's just building the right mindset so that we can go out there and win. Knowing that you can't have repeated mistakes and expect to get a great result. You got to be locked in, focused."

Johnson has been, in seasons past, a dead-eye shooter and a physical force on offense, but his defense has never really caught up to where it was expected to be. That doesn't mean he can't turn it around, as he is only 26 years old.

"He's had a great summer," said Gregg Popovich. "He's really taken care of his body and come back real committed at both ends of the court. And he's feeling his oats, he's a pretty aggressive individual, and he's playing very confidently."

Johnson's weight loss was one of the biggest storylines heading into the preseason, and his increased athleticism and speed bodes well for the Spurs, especially when he can work in space or during a fast break.

Related: 3 Overreactions to the San Antonio Spurs Preseason Games

With a new number, a slimmer frame, and a better mindset, Johnson is ready to prove the naysayers wrong and continue to improve and find his role in the Wembanyama era of Spurs' basketball.