Atlanta Hawks: 3 goals for Jalen Johnson for the 2021-22 season

Atlanta Hawks season goal for Jalen Johnson No. 2) Stay switched on defensively.

One of the biggest knocks on Johnson during the entire draft process is that he is not switched on for every defensive possession. This is an issue when a team’s season can be decided by a single possession this is not something that the Hawks would want.

The good news for the Hawks is they have an incredibly defensively-minded coach who has gotten Young to play solid defense during games. He will drill into Johnson the value of defense, particularly when he plays alongside Clint Capela.

The Swiss pivot has been the leader of the Hawks’ defense since he hit the court in the second game of the 2020-21 NBA season. The influence that he has had over the game of John Collins on defense is like night and day. When Capela missed games, it was Collins who was the voice of the defense, something he had not previously done in his career.

Johnson has all the tools to succeed on the defensive end. His length helps with rim protection in the paint as well as getting into passing lanes for deflections and steals which will get him out into transition.