Atlanta Hawks: Pro comparisons for Jalen Johnson

When the Atlanta Hawks drafted Jalen Johnson with the 20th pick in the 2021 NBA draft, they took a player with tremendous upside. It looked like another proactive move from the franchise as they could be in a battle with a large number of teams in the NBA to secure the services of restricted free agent John Collins.

The joy of any preseason is that every team has a chance to be the champion, any player has a chance to make their mark. As the season goes on, this changes but right now, Jalen Johnson is a good chance to make the all-rookie team. He could even become rookie of the year.

It is this hope that drives the teams, gets the hopes up of fans, and generally keeps the industry that is the NBA going. It is an exciting time, started with the draft, and then for a younger player, summer league comes around fast and you need to make an impression on the coaching staff.

The Atlanta Hawks have high hopes for Jalen Johnson.

It certainly was a surprise that Johnson fell all the way to the 20th pick in the draft. The Hawks pounced on this opportunity as it may help alleviate some of the loss of Onyeka Okongwu for the time that he is out of the squad due to his shoulder surgery.

However, each rookie has to start somewhere and Johnson has shown during college and the draft combine the type of player that he is. He is a tremendous transition player who struggles a little in the half-court setting. Let’s take a look at three players who Johnson can be compared to who have made a name for themselves in the NBA.