How the 22-year-old forward became Atlanta’s X-Factor and what his return means for the rest of the Hawks season
By: Corey Knapp
Before the Hawks played the Bucks in Milwaukee on Oct. 29, forward Jalen Johnson sat in the first row of the baseline seats, his mother to his right and father to his left. In Atlanta’s third game of the season, Johnson was about to make his first start, in his home state, and his parents had made the trip to watch live.
“It was good, being able to go back home and play in front of family and friends,” Johnson said in an interview with Hawks.com earlier this month. “And then we won that game, so it was good to do that as well.”
In front of his loved ones, Johnson put up 14 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block as Atlanta defeated Milwaukee 127-110, earning its first win of the season. After the game, he tweeted about his parents’ presence:
“They’re the reason why I work so hard,” Johnson said. “Everything they sacrificed for me to be able to be in this position and put myself in the position to provide for them and continue playing the game I love. None of this is possible without them, so I always keep that in the back of my head and thank them for that.”
That special night propelled Johnson into what has become his breakout season in the NBA. The third-year forward started 12 of the next 13 games, during which the Hawks put together an 8-5 record.
His stats during that stretch nearly mirrored what he put up in that game in his home state: Playing about 30 minutes a game, Johnson averaged 14 points, 7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and shot nearly 60% from the field and 41.5% from 3. All marked career highs.
Those numbers combined with the overall athleticism, versatility, and dynamism that Johnson put on display on both ends of the court clearly showcased that he was developing into (or arguably, had already become) the Hawks’ X-Factor, complementing star guards Trae Young & Dejounte Murray on offense while at the same time providing size, defense, and rebounding to De'Andre Hunter, Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu on the frontline.
“Many of the things that he does are unique for our team,” Head Coach Quin Snyder said. “Someone that can play a number of different roles and fits with a lot of different players.”
Nearly every game featured some kind of highlight-reel moment for Johnson, whether grabbing a rebound and going coast to coast for a bucket, soaring for an alley-oop dunk, or using his vision and playmaking ability to find an open teammate for an easy basket.
“He’s a smart player,” Trae Young said. “He can score, he can dribble, can rebound, can do a lot of things.”
“He got so much better,” Clint Capela said. “He can push the ball, and he can pass, can finish. In transition he’s a pure athlete.”
Asked if he did anything different during the offseason that contributed to his jumpstart to the season, Johnson answered simply: “Nah.” Instead, he attributed his rise to a trio of keys:
“My teammates, my coaches, and just my hard work,” Johnson said. “All 3 of those things played a huge part in that good start to the season. Looking to continue to build on that when I get back.”
But it’s the focus of that last sentence – an injury -- that threw a wrench into Johnson’s season. Easily already an NBA Most Improved Player Award candidate, the only thing that could have slowed his ascension was an injury. And on November 25 in Washington D.C., after a hard foul on a fastbreak, Johnson braced his fall with his arm and sustained a left distal radius fracture.
Despite an attempt to stay in the game by shooting his free throws with only his right hand, Johnson ultimately exited with the broken wrist would keep him sidelined for multiple weeks.
It was a tough blow to Johnson personally as well as his team, given the variety with which Snyder was using him and the level at which he was producing. Over the next 14 games, Atlanta went 4-10 and saw its points scored per game decrease by almost 5 and its points allowed per game increase by almost 3, nearly an 8-point swing.
That’s a significant margin anyway but especially for a team that has played the second-most "clutch" games (defined by a game being within 5 points with less than 5 minutes left) in the NBA (19).
“It definitely hurts not being out there with my teammates and my guys, being able to help and contribute to winning – that’s been the toughest part,” Johnson said.
As is often the case with X-Factors on any team in any sport, it can be easier to see his or her impact more by what happens when they don’t play than when they do.
“Obviously he’s a big part of what we do, “Snyder said. “And it’s not hard to look at some of the results when he’s been out to see his importance.”
“We definitely miss him right now and what he brings to our team,” Young said.
In addition to resting and rehabilitating his wrist, Johnson spent his month on the sidelines soaking up as much information he could, in regard to his own game and that of the league as a whole.
“I’m watching, seeing things, understanding how the game goes, picking up those things, and locking in,” Johnson said. “I learned that I need to trust myself and stay patient.”
It’s not the first time either in his short career that he’s had to exercise that patience.
The Hawks drafted Johnson with the 20th overall pick in 2021, but with several more experienced and established players at multiple positions in front of him on the depth chart during his rookie season, steady game minutes were very hard to come by. The Hawks assigned him to their G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, so he could play regularly.
“I didn’t really see the vision at first,” Johnson admitted. “When you’re 19, you’re naïve to those things and don’t really see the big picture. You just get drafted, all your friends, it’s ‘NBA, NBA!’ So you’re not really thinking about the G League.”
Quickly, though, Johnson learned that the Skyhawks were going to be a crucial piece of his development. He embraced it, and his performances showcased his buy in and his talent.
Across 21 games with College Park, Johnson played 36.2 minutes per game, averaged a double-double of 21 points and 11.2 rebounds, added 4.3 assists, swiped 1.7 steals, and blocked 1.3 shots, while shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 36.7 from three.
“It helped me tremendously,” Johnson reflected on his G League run. “I’m glad it went that way. You grow and you mature, you understand why those things happened, and I felt like that was a great situation and opportunity for me to play basketball, continue to get better, and work on my game…really took advantage of it.”
While of course not ideal, Johnson noted that the time off the court has helped him to appreciate the basketball journey that he’s been on so far in his career and enjoy seeing the fruits of his labor.
“Everything that I’ve been through up until this point, it’s all happened for a reason,” he said. “Everything that I’m doing – continue to do it because I’m elevating and keep getting better.”
And his fellow Hawks recognize it too. Snyder and Capela mentioned how they’ve seen and continue to see Johnson work hard, from the summer to this recent stretch of time out injured. As a result, they just want Jalen Johnson to be…Jalen Johnson.
“Be myself,” Johnson responded when asked what his directive is going into any game. “My teammates and coaches do a great job instilling that inside my head: Be you. Trust yourself. Trust your game.”
Johnson emphasized how meaningful that trust from star and veteran players has been for him and credits it as another important ingredient in his big leap this year, on and off the court. Snyder also noted how it’s not only Johnson’s size and athleticism that sets him apart but also his feel for the game.
In Year 3, Johnson says the game is slowing down for him, an important step for any young player.
“Every game I feel like I’m getting better at something, picking up something, certain tactics,” he said. “That’s one of my strengths too: my IQ.”
All of his skills will once again be on display at State Farm Arena when Johnson plays his first home game in more than a month on Dec. 29 vs. the Sacramento Kings.
“I’m just excited to play in front of the fans again,” he said. “That excitement on gamedays that I get, those jitters, I'm excited to get those back and just continue to keep the ball rolling.”
“He can only help our team,” Young said. “I just want him to be healthy when he comes back…and we can all go out there and have fun playing.”
“Everybody should be really excited for him,” Capela said. “I know I’m excited for him too.”
One month and one day after his injury, Johnson returned to the Hawks lineup against the Bulls on Dec. 26. Once more, for a road game in the Midwest, his parents made the trip.
Late in the third quarter, Hawks fans got another full glimpse of what makes Jalen Johnson so special: after a missed shot, Johnson soared in from the opposite baseline for a monstrous one-handed putback dunk.
The play alone was spectacular, but what made it even more special was the broadcast cutting to his dad in the stands behind the Hawks bench, going absolutely crazy cheering for his son, hopping up and down the aisle.
The Hawks are going to need plays like those -- full of hustle, explosion, and aggression -- every night from Johnson. They’re also going to need the ones that are more subtle but are simply the “right play,” which Capela noted he is adept at making too.
Those opportunities to impact games and make winning plays are what he’s most looking forward to about his return:
“Winning streaks, getting hot. Doing whatever this team needs to win those close, tight games.”