Jalen Johnson Changes EVERYTHING For The Atlanta Hawks...

The Hawks picked up a 130-126 win over the Wizards on Sunday, breaking a 4 game losing streak and stopping the Wizards from getting their second straight win. They got very high level performances from both of their backcourt stars with Trae Young dropping 40 points and 13 assists, and Dejounte Murray finishing with 32 points and 6 rebounds. But as great as these performances were, another player stood out to me. That would be third year forward Jalen Johnson, who set a career high with 24 points and 13 rebounds in the win, while shooting 75% from the field. It was just another great game in what has really been a breakout season for the former Duke star. He’s averaging 14 points and 8 rebounds per game for the season, and has earned a starting spot on the team as well. I predicted his breakout after some improved play under Quin Snyder last season, and he has made the most of the opportunity created after the team traded John Collins in the offseason. He has made drastic improvements, going from 2 points per game his rookie year, to 5.6 last year, and now all the way up to 14. But the most impressive part might be the way that he impacts winning. The Hawks are 9-9 in games that he’s played this season, however when he got injured the team started to collapse, going just 4-10 in the stretch that he missed. He’s an incredible athlete, shows a lot of hustle, and is just a solid presence on both ends of the floor. I think there’s a real argument that he’s already the Hawks second best player, due to the efficiency and defense he provides that Dejounte doesn’t anymore. For the season Johnson is shooting a wild 59% from the field, which is absurd for a non-center. He’s emerging as a star for this Hawks team, and raising their level in the process. Jalen Johnson changes EVERYTHING for the Atlanta Hawks.

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#atlantahawks #traeyoung #jalenjohnson