ATLANTA — After an offseason of roster reshaping and moves aimed at strengthening the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks are positioned to make an impact this season.
While four-time All-Star Trae Young remains the team’s centerpiece, a second star will need to emerge to help the Hawks reach their full potential. That player could be Jalen Johnson.
The Hawks’ 6-foot-9 forward is entering his fifth NBA season out of Duke after recovering from a torn labrum in his left shoulder, which required surgery last January and ended his breakout campaign. Johnson averaged career highs last season in points (18.9), rebounds (10.0), steals (1.6), blocks (1.0), and minutes (35.7) over 36 games before the injury.
“I’m just excited for a basketball game,” Johnson said at the team’s practice facility Thursday. “It’s been a long time since January, so I’m excited to get out on the court, preseason, training camp. I’m excited to be full go and fully healthy going into the season.”
Johnson trained with LeBron James this summer after being cleared for basketball activities. He emphasized that his conditioning is strong, and he has been working extensively on his shooting. The early days of training camp focused on integrating Johnson with new Hawks additions such as Kristaps Porziņģis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard.
Coach Quin Snyder highlighted how Johnson’s playmaking complements the new lineup:
“Other guys on the team benefit from Jalen because of his play-making ability. Jalen is such a good passer and willing passer that he’s ready to play-make even more. With the new lineup, he will be in spacing situations where he can just catch and shoot. We want him to do that. We trust him in that regard.”
Johnson shot 35.5% from 3-point range in 2023-24, dropping to 31.2% last season. Improving his outside shooting will enhance his driving ability, an area where he excels, particularly in transition scoring.
Snyder noted Johnson’s defensive focus and maturity in training camp:
“The key for any young player in getting better is to embrace the things they need to work on… He’s done a real good job in the portions of the season he did play and has applied what he’s worked on.”
Johnson, who has yet to complete a full season due to prior injuries, expressed excitement about the Hawks’ roster and their prospects:
“We’ve got a lot of things rolling in the right direction. We’re just looking to continue to build on arguably the best roster on paper that this team’s had in a couple of years.”
With Johnson returning fully healthy, the Hawks hope his growth and performance will be a crucial factor in their 2025-26 NBA campaign.