The Jalen Johnson hype train is full-steam ahead
Posted: Fri Nov 3, 2023 1:01 pm
Sir Charles in ChargeThe Jalen Johnson effect
One of the biggest revelations of the NBA season so far has been the emergence of Jalen Johnson for the Atlanta Hawks. While Hawks fans have been clamoring about the potential of Johnson and for him to get more minutes for the last two years, he is getting those minutes so far this season and is making the most of [them].
Through 5 games, Johnson is averaging 13.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, two assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 62.2 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from 3-point range. He’s been a menace in transition so far this season and already has several highlight-reel dunks.
Johnson has a unique skill set with great athleticism and play-making to go along with good size and defensive potential. He can be a true difference-maker for this Hawks team that is trying to re-create the magic of their 2021 playoff run.
You also have to remember that this isn’t completely out of nowhere. Johnson was a five-star prospect out of High School who went to Duke with a lot of one-and-done lottery hype. However, he played just 13 games at Duke before opting out for the rest of the season (while also dealing with injuries), which hurt his draft stock. The Hawks took a chance on the former top prospect though and drafted him No. 20 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft.
For the last two years, there has been a ton of hype surrounding the now 21-year-old forward, but for his first two NBA seasons, it was mainly just that…hype (with a few flashes of his potential, but nothing really consistent). One of the biggest complaints from the Hawks fanbase towards previous head coach Nate McMillan was a lack of devoted playing time for youngsters such as Johnson.
Hawks fans were beating the drum for Johnson to get a lot more run this season, and flashes started to show in the preseason. Through the first five games of this season, the breakout seems to be happening. Johnson is now playing 28.4 minutes per game, has appeared in all five of the Hawks games so far, and has even started two of them.
On top of the quality per game numbers, Johnson has been consistent through the first five games, with no real off-night. In game one, he put up 21 points and seven rebounds on 9-of-13 shooting. In game two, he had 11 points and nine rebounds of 5-of-8 shooting. In game three, it was 14 points and seven rebounds on 6-of-10 shooting. Then against Minnesota, he had 12 points, five rebounds, and three assists on 5-of-7 shooting. Then against the Wizards, Johnson put up eight points, 11 rebounds, and two assists on 3-of-7 shooting (his worst night of the year scoring-wise, but he tied his career-high in rebounds).While you have to remember that we’re just five games into an 82-game season, it’s hard to ignore Johnson looking like a Most Improved Player Award candidate and a burgeoning breakout player. While we’ll have to wait and see whether he’ll keep up his level of play, Johnson has been one of the NBA’s best stories of the first two weeks of the NBA season.Spoiler: