The Atlanta Hawks have looked like a much better team to begin the 2023-24 season, with head coach Quin Snyder doing wonders for a team that had gone stale over the past two seasons. Snyder, armed with plenty of experience in how to make a backcourt with two players in need of the ball sing to perfection, has looked to utilize Trae Young in more dynamic screening actions instead of running a stagnant spread pick-and-roll that defenses have learned how to stop.
Armed with a 4-3 record in the early goings of the season, there's still plenty of room for the Hawks to grow. Young, in particular, has plenty of room for positive regression, while Onyeka Okongwu is showing flashes of being a swiss-army knife a la Bam Adebayo at the center position. Dejounte Murray has been rock-solid as well.
But among all the positives in the Hawks' first seven games thus far, there may not be a more pleasant surprise for the team than the emergence of third-year forward Jalen Johnson.
Jalen Johnson might be the Hawks' long-term solution at the four
Entering the 2023-24 season, there were plenty of questions for how Hawks head coach Quin Snyder would divvy up the minutes at the four in the aftermath of trading away John Collins. Collins has been a mainstay in Atlanta for years, although it was clear that he had overstayed his welcome in a team that wasn't in much need of his skillset.
Thus, it wasn't a surprise when, according to the rumor mill, the Hawks heavily pursued Pascal Siakam in the offseason due to the uncertainty they had at the four. Siakam is an All-Star talent with a more versatile skillset than Collins; not only can the Toronto Raptors forward handle the rock, he also has a better playmaking feel and a better perimeter game than Collins, making him a greater connective piece to tie the rest of the Hawks roster together much more tautly.
Alas, the Hawks reportedly refused to include Kobe Bufkin, nixing any potential deal between them and the Raptors. So they entered the season with a platoon of Jalen Johnson and Saddiq Bey at the four. Johnson, prior to the 2023-24 season, hasn't gotten plenty of burn, and aside from being a hustle player with great athleticism, he hasn't exactly put up consistent stretches of rotation-worthy basketball. Meanwhile, Bey is more of a small forward, but he's a much better floor-spacing option than Johnson is.
And to start the year, Snyder rolled with Bey. And Bey, to his credit, has been outstanding in his role. He's shooting 40.6 percent from three this season, capitalizing on the stellar playmaking of the Hawks' talented backcourt and seizing the opportunity as he settles into more of a supporting role, driving up his efficiency from his days as a miscast primary weapon in Detroit.
But it's Jalen Johnson who has stolen the show for the Hawks at the four. Sure, he may not be a threat from deep (he's shooting just 31.6 percent from three on 2.7 attempts per game), but he has more than made up for it with his contributions in other areas.
Johnson has been a highly-efficient scorer who doesn't need much touches, unlike John Collins, whose efficiency was dropping by the season. Moreover, his athletic gifts have allowed him to be quite the versatile defensive weapon; not only is he mobile when it comes to guarding the perimeter, he has also matched up well against big men such as Julius Randle, Zion Williamson, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
And this is without going yet into his playmaking feel. Offensive sets with Collins felt stilted, and he wasn't exactly much of a playmaking hub in the short roll or the high post. Meanwhile, Johnson has been a top-notch connective piece for the Hawks. The 21-year old power forward is always keeping the ball moving, and he's displayed incredible basketball IQ and decision-making with the ball in his hands, throwing lobs to either Clint Capela or Onyeka Okongwu while knowing when to recycle possession and go into a dribble handoff with his talented playmakers.
Taken with the 20th overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, it has taken Jalen Johnson some time to establish himself as a legitimate keeper for the Hawks. But now that he's here, he's been everything the Hawks have hoped for and more. It's important to note that he's only 21 years old as well (the same age as some rookies), so the sky may very well be the limit of Johnson. Now, the next step in his progression in becoming a more well-rounded player is becoming a more threatening weapon off the catch-and-shoot, as teams can still dare him to shoot given his lackluster percentage from deep.
Follow Us
Subscribe