With
the 2009 NBA Summer League beginning this weekend, and the Spurs
playing their first game July 12, we here at Project Spurs will begin
to profile some players on the team. We’ll continue with Carldell Johnson.
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 180 lbs.
Position: G
Carldell Johnson is a guy the Spurs know a little something about, he’s been playing for the Toros since 2007. During his 2 years in Austin, Johnson has averaged 8 points and 5 assists in 32 minutes a game.
Positives: In his second year with the Toros, he got over double the minutes, and as you would expect, the rest of his stats went up too. Something to be noted, with all the extra minutes, his turnovers only went up .3 per game, a big accomplishment for a guy with the ball in his hands. I expect that he’ll continue to improve with more experience.
Negatives: Despite his stats going up, his shooting percentages fell, 46% to 41% all around, and 43% to 37% from 3. This could be a one year fluke though, adjusting to increased responsibility, more pressure, and it could rebound next year. More disturbing is that his shooting became nearly twice as bad in the playoffs. Again, could be the increased pressure, which he can learn to deal with.
Overall Outlook: Johnson looks like he has potential to be a 2nd or 3rd guard for the Spurs someday, but he has a lot of work to do until then, particularly on his shooting. He is 26 though, so his window of opportunity as a small guard is closing fast. Look for him to be back in Austin this year.
