The Atlanta Hawks are set to open training camp on Tuesday following media day on Monday. Ahead of that, we got an update from Travis Schlenk on the health of the roster. There were quite a few surprises, including both Kevin Huerter and Clint Capela set to be limited, at least to start things.
We also go the less surprising update on De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic. Both are also going to be brought along slowly while still healing from injuries that either hindered or knocked them out of the playoffs.
Two players who could benefit the most from this are forwards Cam Reddish and rookie Jalen Johnson, the 20th overall pick in July’s draft.
Atlanta Hawks forwards Cam Reddish and Jalen Johnson have a big opportunity ahead of them
Reddish has dealt with doubt since he entered the league with COVID and an Achilles injury contributing to inconsistency. But in a four-game showing in the playoffs, the former Duke Blue Devil showed what made him such a tantalizing prospect. He went off for 21 points and shot 6-for-7 from deep.
His length and athleticism make him an asset on defense when he’s locked in.
This offseason, it’s been trade rumors that have seemed endless with it peaking around the draft. But there have been no indications the team is interested and, to the contrary, they have publicly called for him to be more consistent this coming season.
Surely he wants that as well as he is fast approaching the time for his next contract to be discussed.
Johnson’s doubts and subsequent draft slide were largely self-inflicted. Quitting both his high school and college teams while often being coy about his reasoning did not endear him to many, as reflected by his being available to the Hawks despite being considered a top-10 talent at the least.
We got a showcase of those skills during Summer League when Johnson averaged 19.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while being named to the All-Summer League First Team.
Questions about his fit and development on this roster were valid but also a good problem to have. As we saw last season, and at least to start this coming one, injuries are one of the few guarantees in sports.
The opportunity would be bigger for Johnson as Reddish has started games and has a spot in the rotation.
Both players would stand to benefit from the extra playing time though. Reddish for the chance to show he’s healthy and can be counted on. Johnson, who has gotten good reviews in intrasquad scrimmages, can make it difficult for Head Coach Nate McMillan to keep him on the bench even when everyone is back in action.