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Hawks List Areas of Improvement For Breakout Star

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Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder on the court sideline during the game

Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson isn’t just a home team favorite anymore, as his breakout is making him household name for fans around the league.

This season, the 22-year-old is averaging 20.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game. These are all career-highs. Even more grand is the fact that he’s currently the only player posting at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal per game. If it holds, he’ll join the company of Hall of Fame forwards like Larry Bird, and Kevin Garnett by achieving this feat.

However, while Johnson has gotten off to a great start, the work isn’t done.

Hawks List Areas of Improvement For Breakout Star Jalen Johnson

“I’m always on him about his defense. He knows that,” Hawks head coach Quin Snyder tells RG.org’s Spencer Davies. “…He’s gotta continue to just focus and get better in that area — like any young guy. As you’re playing in this league over the course of time, when you’re taking on the matchups that he’s taking on, that’s something that’s really important. And I know it’s important to him.”

“Just consistency,” Hawks center Clint Capela adds when asked what Johnson can improve. “He’s gonna be better by shooting threes, by finishing at the rim getting stronger, by finding a way to find his teammates even more often and more consistently. That’s why I think his ceiling’s gonna be even higher.”

“He’s young, so he can get better in everything honestly,” teammate De’Andre Hunter muses. “He still has a lot of room to grow.”

With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility

Defense. Finishing. Shooting. Consistency. Everything.

To some, those words may come off as an indictment of Johnson’s ability. If he has so much to work on, how can he be as good as people say? However, as many know, the players with the highest expectations are often the ones with the most potential. That’s the case with Johnson, who has been compared to four-time NBA MVP, LeBron James.

To his coach and teammates’ credit though, it’s not like they pulled their answers out of thin air. Johnson has proven himself to be an all-around player who can score in volume and efficiently. With that being said, he does need to refine his technique as a defender, scorer, and playmaker.

Refining His Game

At the defensive end, Johnson has the physical tools necessary to guard multiple positions and has made an impact as an off-ball as well. Yet, his awareness hasn’t always been up to par, leading to ugly miscues. Overall, he’s a good defender, and opponents shoot 3.9 percent below their season average against him.

Still, he can be better.

At the offensive end, Johnson is being tasked with a role that highlights his athleticism, court vision, and passing ability. The point-forward excels when attacking in transition, averaging 1.20 points per possession. However, he also has a knack for finding the open man. In fact, he’s such a solid facilitator, he’s often able to dole out assists in a halfcourt setting.

Like anyone, he makes his mistakes. To that point, Johnson’s assist-to-turnover ratio (1.68) ranks 216th among players averaging at least 15 minutes per game. His turnover ratio (12.1 percent) ranks 333rd among players averaging at least 15 minutes per game. The hope is just that as he continues to get reps in a high usage role, his decision-making improves.

In many ways, he’s like a smaller (and less explosive) version of Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo though. Despite his comparisons to James, he hasn’t been able to find his shooting stroke, converting 35.2 percent of his threes and 37.9 percent of midrange attempts. Unlike Antetokounmpo or James, Johnson doesn’t excel finishing under-the-rim either, and has made just 44.4 percent of his driving layups.

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