2023-24 Atlanta Hawks Review: Jalen Johnson

During the 2022-23 season, Jalen Johnson had an opportunity to move into the rotation after barely participating in his rookie season. During this season, he really showed his potential – culminating in a standout performance coming off the bench in a Play-In win over the Miami Heat. Over the summer, Johnson had an opportunity to take the next step: starting forward John Collins was traded and the starting forward spot was up for grabs. In fact, it was Johnson’s development over the course of the season that helped prompt the Hawks front office to make the Collins trade in the first place.

“Really, Jalen’s progression, especially defensively, over the last season, really gave us a lot of hope this year where we were like, ‘OK, can you put him in the four-man lineups, which ‘it starts or not, and add some of these.’ defensively as well as his playmaking ability,” general manager Landry Fields said at last season’s media day. “We’re excited about his growth this year.”

Johnson battled with Saddiq Bey for the starting role, Bey initially won but combined with two losses to start the season and strong performances from Johnson off the bench prompted Hawks head coach Quin Snyder to insert Johnson into the starting lineup. When both were healthy, the conversation quickly became about who should be the one to start in the lineup: Jalen Johnson was an emerging star on the Atlanta Hawks.

In a larger role, now as a starter, Johnson’s improved play was unleashed. On his driving and the way he attacks the rim:

On his athleticism to put pressure on the rim or finish with authority:

(Who could forget this play, the opening play in Los Angeles where Johnson crushed Austin Reaves?):

His improved jumpshot:

His game :

And his rebound where he can take over the board and lead the attack or find an outlet pass:

Not to mention his defensive impact, whether as an on-ball defender or as a rebounder:

You could spend quite a bit of time watching Jalen Johnson highlight compilations: he made an impact in almost every facet of the game. In the end, Johnson averaged 16 points per game on 51% shooting, 35 % from three, 73% from the line on 2.6 attempts, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals in 33 minutes per game.

The team became more and more confident in Johnson’s abilities and trusted him more and more as the season went on.

“Whether you want to call him a player or a facilitator, I think he’s getting more and more comfortable — and our team is getting more and more comfortable — with the ball in his hands,” said Snyder on Johnson after a game against the OKC Thunder. “Whether it was in transition or in situations tonight where they were coming in double-teamed and impacting our guards. He is able to make games and make games for other people as well. You’ve seen him do that in practice, but I think his comfort and confidence doing those things in a game against a good team, that’s something that’s unique to him with his size and athleticism.

That confidence came from both ends of the court.

“He’s a very versatile defender,” De’Andre Hunter said of Johnson after an impressive defensive performance against the Los Angeles Lakers. “He can guard one to four, sometimes even all five. He’s always in the passing lanes, he’s athletic, he blocks shots. Having someone like that on your side gives you the confidence to be a better defender and also gives the team the confidence to defend better.

In a season full of disappointments for the Atlanta Hawks, Jalen Johnson was, by far, the brightest and most encouraging spot of the 2023-24 season. With his play, Johnson solidified himself in the eyes of many as one of the players that would be worth keeping and building around. He was the only Hawk the team could trust almost every night on both ends of the floor.

Johnson set several career highs throughout the season, with his best mark being 28 points against the Thunder in January and the Pistons in April. Johnson also recorded his first triple-double in that same game in Detroit.

I’ve written several times this season that Jalen Johnson is quickly becoming the most important player (not to be confused with the “best” player) on the Hawks because of his ability and value to do so many different things including Hawks really need it. : rebound, defense, versatility. He was described by Snyder during the season as a “Swiss army knife,” and it’s an exact analogy. It was almost worrying how quickly the Hawks became so dependent on him in his first season, and when he was absent, the Hawks were never able to make up for what they missed in Johnson thanks to a rotation player – which is a testament to Johnson’s quality and versatility.

Without Johnson, the Hawks’ rebounding in particular really suffered as well as their defense and defensive options, with Johnson being only second to Clint Capela in defensive win shares for the Hawks. Unfortunately, the Hawks almost had to get used to not having Johnson as well as having him in the lineup.

Johnson has played in 56 games this season, with two injuries in particular keeping him sidelined for extended periods: a wrist injury in a November game against the Wizards that sidelined him for a little longer of a month. Johnson has had various ankle issues that have also caused him to miss game time, but a game-changing ankle injury occurred during the Hawks’ game, a double-overtime loss to the Miami Heat on April 9, from which Johnson did not return. as the Hawks’ season ended in the Play-In game in Chicago. If he hadn’t missed so much time, Johnson would have been a very serious contender for Most Improved Player: his improvement this season has been among the greatest strides in the NBA.

These injuries slightly marred what has been an extremely impressive season from Johnson, who has strengthened his position ahead of contract extension discussions when the Hawks and Johnson can agree on an extension later this year as Johnson begins his fourth season.

At the end of it all, during the Hawks’ exit interviews, Snyder detailed Johnson’s season, his growth and his path in his development.

“You want one thing? I can tell you a lot about Jalen! » Snyder joked during the Hawks exit interviews. “I think he had a great year. He was a guy who was dealing with some things he couldn’t control, like some ankle injuries and when he got upset in Washington when he broke his wrist. One of the things he did last year was he really worked, he worked on some things that he really wanted to get better at. I expect him to do it again this summer. As Jalen progresses in his career, I think he is someone – because of his mindset – that we will see continue to improve.

“Last year, the focus was on his technical work, including his passing and shooting management, as well as his health, body and health performance. I think we saw progress in both cases, even when he sprained his ankle, how he handled the treatment and how he recovered. Obviously the biggest thing I think for him, because of his game sense, is that he’s in a lot of different situations where he has to read what’s the best option, and you’re not always going to get a clear idea of ​​what is the best option.

“There’s a continuum there, it’s a high percentage shot, it’s a higher percentage shot, you know, there’s so many things that come into play, it’s a good pass, It’s a better pass. When you have someone who can make plays like that, there’s a layer to the game that you have to prepare yourself mentally and physically to be able to make all those decisions in a way. really effective. I think he will continue to become more and more efficient, play better and defend better.

Johnson himself hasn’t elaborated as much as Snyder, but is setting himself a different challenge for the coming summer.

“Everyone thinks it was a good year, I think it can be better,” Johnson said during exit interviews. “That’s my mindset heading into summer.”

A worrying warning indeed; What heights can Jalen Johnson reach? Based on the evidence from this season, they could indeed reach lofty heights…