Unveiling the Surprising Contenders for NBA’s Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year: Could Keldon Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker Shock the League?
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Pick: Nickeil Alexander-Walker to win Most Improved Player (2 units)
Sixth Man of the Year: Keldon Johnson (-200)
From 2020-21 to 2022-23, Keldon Johnson was starting every game for the Spurs, but in 2023-24, he started sliding to the bench, playing fewer minutes, scoring less points, and taking a minimal role with a team that was ready to improve drastically. That move has paid off for not just Johnson, but also the Spurs.
In four consecutive seasons, Johnson averaged 28 to 32 minutes per game, but this year, he’s recorded 23.2 minutes per game and flourished in that span. Johnson is averaging the best field goal percentage (53.2%) since his rookie season and the fewest shot attempts (9.5). Johnson is knocking down the three-ball at a 38.2% clip and posting the best free-throw percentage of his career (79.4%) to go along with 5.3 boards per game.



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