LAS VEGAS — To earn his contract, Keon Johnson had to get out of his earn-a-contract mindset.
The young winger has developed since his rookie season in Portland, where current Brooklyn assistant Steve Hetzel first coached him.
He spent most of last season in the G League and has only improved since playing with the Nets.
Friday’s controlled performance, including a decisive goal to win a tough game, proved the maturity is still continuing.
And it would be a big step for the unrestricted free agent, who is looking to earn a new contract with Brooklyn.
“I’m happy. I’m very happy. He’s growing. He’s maturing as a player,” said Hetzel, a Nets assistant who also serves as head coach for the Las Vegas Summer League. “The game’s slowed down for him, he’s been able to slow it down on the court and be positive.”
Johnson had 16 points and six assists in a 97-95 win over Indiana in Friday’s summer league opener, including a hard-fought comeback run down the baseline.
But that maturity was also evident in other ways, including Johnson’s defense and willingness to do the dirty work.
He is very athletic, but is learning to play with more control as well as fit into the team’s concept offensively.
“There was a period on Long Island where he was just playing with a ‘I’m going to score my own points’ mentality. That’s the biggest improvement he’s made is trying to make the right play, not just score points,” said Noah Clowney, who played with Johnson in the G League.
“And watch the game [Friday]”He tries to make a lot of the right plays and he was the best defender on the team. If you want to play, you have to be one of the best defenders. If you want to play, if you want to get minutes, you have to play defense.”
Johnson did just that, grabbing five rebounds, blocking three shots and recording two steals.
Something both Hetzel and head coach Jordi Fernandez have emphasized is combining better defense with his athletic talents on offense.
“For me, [Fernandez] “We’ve always stressed to him that he’s an underdog defensively,” Johnson said, “just going out there and playing physical. … He’s been sending us little bits and pieces of practice work and saying he’s got to get better at the little things, and I think he’s been able to show that so far in summer league.”
Said Jalen Wilson: “He was aggressive, but he was controlled. His speed and his ability to jump when he can, he can do a lot of different moves. His mindset was to make a catch on someone 94 feet away, get up close to the cup on the other side and make a tough shot like the one that sealed the game. His mindset was great.”
The winner was a difficult 12-foot shot on the baseline.
The contest was good, but the execution was even better.
Johnson signed a two-way contract last season but only made five cameo appearances in Brooklyn.
But he shone offensively with Long Island, averaging 18.2 points and 6.4 rebounds while shooting .478/.379/.803 in 26 G League games.
Johnson averaged 16.7 points in 15 Showcase Cup games.
“I feel like I’ve slowed down a little bit, but I think I’m starting to put myself in good positions to showcase my abilities with and without the ball,” Johnson said. “Every day this summer I’ve gotten better at playing in space without the ball, and I think that’s something I’ll be able to showcase a lot in this summer league.”
He hopes he’s strong enough to return to Brooklyn, whether that be two-way or not.
“Right now I’m just focused on summer league. This is the only opportunity I have right now,” Johnson said, “so I’m just focused on playing summer league and showing what I can do and hopefully I’m here. I’m just giving myself the best opportunity for my career.”
The Nets have no plans to add any talent to their front office.
But B.J. Johnson, who ran the draft as director of player evaluation, is one of several executives expected to be promoted internally, sources told The Post.
