Throughout the last decade, the Atlanta Hawks front office has been committed to developing young players into quality talents at the professional level. This strategy has seen players like Trae Young, the most prominent name on the list, rise to become one of the best guards in the NBA. The former first-round pick, Jalen Johnson, follows in Young’s footsteps as the next potential superstar under State Farm Arena.
From the moment he walked across the draft stage, Atlanta fans saw something special in Johnson. In his time with the Duke Wildcats, he proved he could fly high and throw down dunks while also being able to stretch the floor and make an impact defensively.
The tables turned drastically when the door opened for Johnson, who developed into one of the Hawks’ main options. He put in the work and showed up with a vengeance last season, posterizing some of the NBA’s best superstars with a ‘never-back-down’ mentality. Johnson is now regarded as an untradable piece for the Hawks franchise.
Jalen Johnson will make the all-star cut for the Atlanta Hawks next season.
Jalen Johnson has always been a great defender, but his offensive arsenal opened up for the Atlanta Hawks last season. He displayed incredible poise and confidence in his jump shot, making him a significant threat alongside the playmaking superstar Trae Young.
Last season, Johnson finished as one of the league’s top rising stars for the city of Atlanta. The former five-star recruit recorded impressive statistics, averaging 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists with a 51.1 field goal percentage.
Johnson will often receive the ball with Dejounte Murray on the New Orleans Pelicans. Head coach Quin Snyder will draw up many plays, creating more opportunities for the two-way wing to score. Johnson will also be Young’s primary lob threat on fast breaks and half-court sets.
Once Johnson meets the all-star expectations, the Hawks front office will be ready to propose a max-contract extension. This is the right move, as Johnson has proved to be a building block for Atlanta’s future. He will play a massive part in the team’s window of winning a championship in a rugged Eastern Conference.
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