Hawks' Jalen Johnson a rising star on and off the basketball court

If you are Jalen Johnson, you do not simply follow up a breakout season by making notable gains on the court, you also make your mark off of it.

Johnson, in his fourth season after the Hawks made him the No. 20 overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, is averaging career-high marks with 19.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game this season.

He ranks 10th in double-doubles and is firmly in the conversation to be an All-Star.

That is not all, though. Johnson is also the face of a new Nike ad campaign hyping the brand's 2024 City Edition jerseys.

Johnson tallied 28 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block in the Hawks’ loss to the Dallas Mavericks as they debuted their city edition uniforms on Monday. 

Johnson signed with Nike as a rookie in 2021. Interestingly, Johnson’s footwear became a story for a different reason at the end of 2023-24.  The forward dealt with a nagging injury that sidelined him for two separate stints. 

Johnson had worn Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James’ signature shoe to that point.

He switched for more ankle support. Here he is rocking the Nike Air Zoom Hustle GT 3 in October.

Jalen Johnson can emulate Sixers’ Tyrese Maxey

Johnson's growth from Year 3 to Year 4 is not as pronounced as his leap from Year 2 was when he was an early candidate for Most Improved Player before injuries and missed games made him ineligible. 

He can still follow a similar path to Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey who earned the award and made his first All-Star appearances last season.

Johnson’s scoring has not risen as much as Maxey's did en route to his honors. 

However, the breadth of his progress has been greater. The biggest issue Johnson faces in trying to double dip is out of his control. The Hawks are looking like a backend Play-In Tournament team right not.

Hawks' lack of success could hold Jalen Johnson back

Hawks fans are well-versed in this, but the team's overall lack of success stands as the greatest threat to Johnson getting the recognition that he deserves. The Hawks are 7-11 on the season, have lost three straight, and have been losers in four of their last five outings.

Similar circumstances are part of why Trae Young is only a three-time All-Star.

At any rate, Johnson has been great. He's been so good that his 33.8% mark from beyond the arc has largely been ignored in the discourse.

It helps that he is shooting over 40% over his last 10 appearances. But the Hawks cannot let Johnson’s talent waste away in relative anonymity. The same has been true about Young. Getting the team back on the winning track.