Hawks hopes depend largely on Jalen Johnson

The Hawks wrapped up their third preseason game last night with a 120-111 loss to the Heat. However, the score should be taken with a grain of salt, as several of the Hawks’ key pieces did not play at all, while others played in a limited capacity.

Jalen Johnson was one of the starters who did make an appearance. He only played one half, but it was more than enough. The 22-year-old hybrid forward finished the night with 21 points on 8-9 shooting, including 4-4 from behind the arc, also chipping in five rebounds and four assists in just 17 minutes. It was a masterclass against a Heat team that was playing all of its starters and another reason to be excited about what’s to come for the Hawks when the regular season kicks off on October 23rd against the Nets.

With Dejounte Murray gone, it opens up a plethora of opportunities for the younger players to get more involved offensively. Jalen Johnson showed signs of his immense potential last season, averaging 16.0 points on 51.1% shooting from the field, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. He’s a do-it-all forward that is extremely comfortable with the ball in his hands and has showcased a much-improved three-point shot since entering the league, which was the one asterisk on his game coming out of college.

Jalen Johnson may not be the sole reason Hawks fans should have a sliver of hope that this year’s team could actually be better than last year’s despite losing Dejounte Murray. #1 overall pick Zaccharrie Risacher is also carrying a lot of hype and has looked very good throughout the preseason. Dyson Daniels is an exciting young player as well that the Hawks got in return from the Pelicans in the Murray trade. But make no mistake about it: if the Hawks are ever going to be competitive in the near future, Jalen Johnson needs to take the next step into stardom.

With no more Murray, Johnson should have a lot more opportunities with the ball in his hands to make plays, which might actually be his best attribute. His athleticism and finishing ability around the rim make him a perfect target for Trae Young, much like John Collins was before him, and Johnson’s shooting ability appears to be steadily improving with each season.

The Hawks have seen a number of really good players reach the level that Jalen Johnson played at last year, but none of them, outside of Trae Young, ever took the next step and became a superstar. The NBA is a star-driven league. If you don’t have multiple, you might as well have none. It takes at least two superstars, if not three or four, to contend. The Hawks have been desperately searching for that second piece of the puzzle next to Trae Young, and Jalen Johnson is by far their best bet to date.