Jalen Johnson is a force to be reckoned with when he has a head full of steam and space to attack on the open floor.
That being said, the halfcourt offense that he commands with the Hawks as the lead initiator just doesn't find the same degree of success. Time and again last season, Atlanta was forced to accept one painful truth - Jalen Johnson needs a co-captain to steer the ship in a halfcourt setting.
While the Hawks ultimately found their perfect lineup this spring, it took a while to get the wheels turning - they also posted a catastrophic polar opposite of a lineup earlier this year, bereft of one key piece.
Stagnant offense without one key piece in the A
Amongst lineups posting at least 250 possessions last season, the Hawks achieved not-so-desirable honors, earning the 6th worst lineup in terms of net rating when they trotted out the five-man lineup of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Vit Krejci, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu.
Notice anything unusual about that squad?
It's the exact same four-man lineup flanking Krejci that later became Atlanta's death lineup later in the season, save for substituting Krjeci for CJ McCollum.
This isn't a knock on Vit, far from it - Krejci is an incredibly talented player with the ability to drain long-range shots, handle the ball on a string, and hold his own on the defensive end of the floor. So what changed?
Krejci simply doesn't have the halfcourt initiation ability that McCollum does, and that partially comes down to scheming too. With Vit on the floor, Jalen was tasked with initiating the offense far more frequently than he was when he shared the court with CJ after the trade deadline. As a result, Johnson was able to capitalize more in the area he's best - transition.
Conversely, CJ was able to capitalize in his strongest area - halfcourt initiation ability. The only problem for the Hawks now: who steps up to fill CJ's shoes next?
After McCollum's inevitable departure, who fills the void?
McCollum is entering his 14th season in the NBA. Having just signed a one-year extension with the Hawks, both parties seem to agree on one thing - he won't be sticking around too much longer - at least, not with the Hawks.
The answer is obvious - the Hawks' 8th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Kingston Flemings, was specifically picked with one goal in mind - learn as much as possible from CJ during the time they have together, and step up to take the mantle not too long afterwards.
I have a supreme amount of faith in Flemings to do exactly this. Not only did Kingston dominate against elite competition in the NCAA as a Houston Cougar, but he also possesses some of the best playmaking feel and elite burst that I've ever seen from a point guard prospect.
The Hawks are in great hands - so long as they continue to pair Johnson with a lead initiator that he's proven he's most effective at sharing the court with.
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