One of the brightest young stars of the 2023-24 NBA season is going to be sidelined for an extended period of time due to injury. Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks due to a wrist injury, according to Shams Charania.
Hawks F Jalen Johnson out for 4-6 weeks
While the Hawks will sorely miss Johnson's scoring and athleticism on the wing, it's good news that Johnson's injury won't require surgery and that no fracture occurred during the game against the Wizards where Johnson sustained the injury. Wrist surgery likely would have sidelined Johnson for the season, so Atlanta should be relatively pleased with the 4-6 week timetable for the third-year player from Duke.
Jalen Johnson has been one of the most pleasant surprises in the league so far this season. After the Hawks traded John Collins to the Utah Jazz, Johnson has stepped in as a highly efficient (59.4 percent from the field) scorer who has been able to stretch the floor as well (42.5 percent from three). Johnson was averaging over 14 points and 7 rebounds a game for the Hawks through the first 15 contests, making him a very realistic Most Improved Player of the Year award candidate after playing minimal minutes for the Hawks last season.
Johnson averaged just shy of 15 minutes per game last year with Atlanta's second unit, scoring only 5.6 points per game. Jalen Johnson's blossoming game has been a big part of Atlanta being over .500 for the year, but the Hawks will now have to find ways to replace his production as Johnson rests his wrist injury for the next 4-6 weeks.
It's a tough blow for the Hawks, but Johnson will most likely return from his wrist injury near the beginning of 2024 as Atlanta pushes for another postseason appearance.
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