The Atlanta Hawks have had a disappointing 2023-24 season, and now, it looks more likely that their season will end in the play-in tournament given the unfortunate developments they've had on the injury front. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, two of the Hawks' most crucial frontcourt players, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu, will be out for multiple weeks due to their respective injuries, keeping them out for the rest of April.
Johnson, the breakout forward for the Hawks, has suffered yet another ankle injury, this time a Grade 2 lateral right ankle sprain that would keep him out for a minimum of three weeks. This is the third time Johnson has sustained an ankle injury this season, and the Hawks are approaching the 22-year old's latest knock with extreme caution.
Meanwhile, Okongwu, who missed 13 games for the Hawks leading up to and following the All-Star break, has been sidelined since March 23 due to sprained big left toe. Okongwu, according to Stein, “underwent a non-surgical procedure to address ongoing inflammation” in his injured toe, sidelining him for a minimum of four weeks.
With two games left in the season and the Hawks going nowhere fast seeing as they're 10th in the Eastern Conference and they're unlikely to get past the Chicago Bulls in the 9/10 play-in tournament matchup, let alone make the playoffs, it's safe to say that these injuries will mark the official end of Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu's 2023-24 campaigns.
Injury halts Jalen Johnson's breakout season
The Hawks had supreme confidence that Jalen Johnson was going to fill the power forward left behind by the trade that sent John Collins to the Utah Jazz. And the Hawks were right; Johnson, from the get-go, flashed his incredible athleticism, all-around offensive game, and dynamite two-way presence.
Johnson then missed 14 games from November to December after spraining his wrist, but after that, it was business as usual for the Hawks' breakout star. Alas, the Hawks have fallen way off the playoff pace since then, and then the last two months of the 2023-24 season has been a nightmare for him to deal with.
Jalen Johnson's ankle is crying out for help these days; he twisted his ankle in a gnarly landing on March 8 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He then returned after three games, returning to his usual level of production. But he proceeded to injure his ankle yet again on March 18, keeping him out for six contests.
At least, Johnson is known for healing quickly; but now, after five games played, he injured his ankle yet again, this time on April 9 against the Miami Heat.
With the Hawks having nothing to play for but pride, Johnson's season officially closes due to injury. And what a season it has been for him. He averaged 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 56 games, and he's only 22, so he's only getting better. He would have been one of the best contenders for the Most Improved Player award had he been healthy enough to suit up in the minimum number of games required to be in the running.
Will the Hawks finally turn over starting duties to Onyeka Okongwu next season?
Onyeka Okongwu, the sixth overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, might be way overdue for a shot at a breakout role as the starting center for the Hawks. The 23-year old is defensively more versatile than Clint Capela, and he has flashed some sort of a workable three-point shot as well.
For now, Okongwu's season ends on a whimper. He looked like he was casting a stranglehold on the Hawks' starting center job when he took over amid an injury to Capela, but he then sustained an injury shortly thereafter. He has missed 24 of the Hawks' past 26 games, and he's now a lock to miss their final few games of the season.
It'll be interesting how the Hawks maneuver their center situation moving forward and whether they trust Okongwu to be the man moving forward as he recovers from his toe injury.
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