It’s never easy to win games when your superstar is out of the lineup. But as Trae Young has continued to remain out for the Atlanta Hawks, other players have been able to step up and produce at a high level.
Onyeka Okongwu has been shining while starting in place of Kristaps Porzingis, and even when coming off the bench. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been admirable as the starting PG. Biggest of all though, has been the incredible production of emerging superstar Jalen Johnson.
When healthy, few players have the impact that the former Duke Blue Devil product has had.
31 points. 18 rebounds. 14 assists. Seven steals. What didn’t Johnson do? The team has won their last four games, and it’s been their star forward at the forefront.
Jalen Johnson Making It Look Easy
Jalen Johnson isn’t playing at a high level by accident. He had to wait his first year, hardly getting on the floor. He didn’t start much in year two, and averaged just 5.6 points per game. Patience paid off, because as soon as the starting spot opened for him in year three, Johnson just absolutely started to take off.
In that third season, the forward averaged 16 points, nine boards, and three assists per game. The numbers went up further in year four. And last season, pre-injury, Johnson was poised to be an NBA All-Star for the first time. He had been averaging 19-10-5 on 50% shooting, with 1.6 steals and just over a block per night.
The stat-line that we saw from Johnson in Atlanta’s win over the Utah Jazz on Thursday night has never been posted before. There was not a single thing that he wasn’t doing right on the floor. He nearly had a quadruple-double.
Through his first 11 games of this season, Jalen Johnson is putting up averages of 22 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and 1.8 steals a night. 58% of his shots are dropping. What is he not doing? Making mistakes. That’s it. Literally.
Jalen Johnson: Unstoppable Force
Looking for a weakness in Jalen Johnson’s game is a hapless task. It can’t be found right now. The team as a whole has won four games in a row. Led by the fifth-year forward, things have been going awfully well for the Atlanta Hawks.
Look at these highlights from Thursday night’s game. It’s simply ridiculous how dominant he’s been.
Of course, Onyeka Okongwu dropping 32 points and hitting eight threes does help. How many (fill-in) starting centers are putting up numbers like that? Maybe Aron Baynes in 2020.
As a team, Atlanta knocked down 24 triples. Vit Krejci hit six of them and has been another player looking like the best version of himself as of late. Luke Kennard buried four triples too. He’s been a steady option in his first year with the team.
Of course, the defense did allow Lauri Markkanen to score 40 of his own points. He has been on a tear for the struggling Jazz. Most other things seemed to work in the 132-122 victory, though.
Getting back to Johnson, it’s been clear that most teams have struggled to slow him down. Having a playmaker that’s 6’9 and can run the floor off his own rebounds is lethal. The team has clearly enjoyed having him as the leader, and he’s inspired his teammates to play their best basketball.
It will be another few weeks, at the least, before Trae Young returns. And as things currently stand, Ice Trae would be joining a legitimate squad in the East.
All aboard the Jalen Johnson hype train. It’s still got room for more folks to hop on.
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