Spurs Breakthrough Forward Injures Shoulder

Expected to take over as the new star player on the San Antonio Spurs this season, it wasn't the best way to head into training camp for breakout forward Keldon Johnson. 

The Spurs have announced Keldon Johnson has suffered a right shoulder posterior dislocation during open gym.

Although he will miss San Antonio’s preseason slate, he is expected to be ready to start the regular season.

— Noah Magaro-George (@N_Magaro) September 24, 2022

Johnson suffered a dislocated shoulder during open gym workouts. He'll miss the start of training camp and likely all of the Spurs' pre-season games. 

League source says Keldon Johnson is confident he’ll be ready for the start of the season after suffering his shoulder injury two weeks ago.

— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) September 24, 2022

Reports indicate that Johnson is expected to be ready for the start of the season. 

The 22-year-old forward is one of the Spurs' young guns they're building around—in fact, the main man—after a breakthrough season. He improved his scoring significantly for the 3rd straight year, averaging 17 points (up from 12.8) while shooting it from distance at a 39.8% clip (up from 33% the previous season).

And with high-volume ballhandler and scorer Dejounte Murray gone, Johnson is expected to take another giant leap this season, particularly in the playmaking and shot-creation areas of the game. 

He signed a 4-year, $74M contract extension this offseason.

Hopefully, for the Spurs, he'll be back, good as new, when the regular season opens in less than a month.

Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports, Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports