The Atlanta Hawks believe a healthy Jalen Johnson could be the missing piece to push them up the Eastern Conference ladder this season.
The 6-foot-9 forward is back after torn labrum surgery on his left shoulder ended his season last January. Despite playing just 36 games last year, Johnson posted career highs in points (18.9), rebounds (10.0), steals (1.6), blocks (1.0), and minutes (35.7).
“It’s been a long time since January,” Johnson said Thursday. “I’m excited to get on the court… preseason, training camp. I’m full go and fully healthy going into the season.”
Johnson trained with LeBron James this summer and focused on improving his shooting. The Hawks also added Kristaps Porziņģis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard to bolster the roster.
Coach Quin Snyder believes Johnson’s skill set will elevate the team:
“Other guys benefit from Jalen because of his play-making ability. He’s such a good and willing passer… with the new lineup he’ll get spacing to just catch and shoot. We trust him to let it fly.”
