Can the Hawks' second option elevate himself into the frontrunner for the MIP award - and possibly an All-Star berth?
The development of Jalen Johnson is arguably the most important part of the Atlanta Hawks' future. It could be the key to keeping Trae Young in Atlanta while also giving the Hawks one of the hardest-to-acquire talents in the game: a two-way forward who can play good defense and score 20+ points per game. The Boston Celtics having two of these players undoubtedly played a role in their 2024 championship run.
As a 6'9 power forward, Johnson is best when he's going downhill. He is likely the most explosive athlete on Atlanta's roster and it shows when he goes up for a dunk. He finished the year with aon shots within 0-3 feet of the rim while upping his volume on those attempts. He also more than doubled his 42 dunks from the previous year, recording. By practically every metric, Johnson took strides as a finisher at the basket to become one of the better play finishers in the NBA.
As a defender, he is the Hawks' best option on that end of the floor. His combination of size and speed allows him to truly guard 1-4 and hold up against centers in certain spots. I think he can be even better this year in the minutes he gets with Dyson Daniels and a presumably healthy DeAndre Hunter. Both can be solid perimeter defenders and allow Johnson to focus on shutting down his matchup.
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