Jalen Johnson has missed two consecutive games for the Atlanta Hawks. They've won two in a row, and will be looking to make it three on Friday when the Washington Wizards come to town.
Atlanta's All-NBA forward could be set to make his return soon. Whether it's against former Hawk Trae Young and the Wizards, or during their next meeting with the Brooklyn Nets, there's a real possibility he'll return to action in no time.
It gets tricky to calculate a return with an impending back to back, though. The Hawks will face the Wizards on Friday night, with the Nets in town on Saturday. Having just faced Washington away from home, they could let him rest one more day and return against an inferior opponent on Saturday.
Do they need him back to pull off a win against Brooklyn, though?
Hawks are playing well - they don't need to rush their star forward back
Johnson has a concerning history with injuries. In each of the two seasons before last year's true breakout campaign, he suffered a season-ending injury.
Atlanta does need Johnson. There's no doubt about it. If they want to make a real postseason push, they'll need their top offensive option. Being this early into the season, though, if there's any sort of doubt regarding his recovery timeline, they may be better off letting him continue resting.
Again, back-to-backs are tricky. Does the expected reward outweigh the potential risk? Especially when Atlanta just beat the Wizards without him?
And then looking in the future, on Saturday, the Nets will be in town. At 2-6, despite solid efforts from their young weapons, as well as Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle, the Hawks are just better. Even with Johnson on the bench, they should be able to sneak away with another victory - potentially their fourth in a row.
If he plays in either of these matchups, Atlanta will be the clear favorite
Johnson shouldn't have to carry as much offensive responsibility as he entered the year with once he returns from injury.
Now that Nickeil Alexander-Walker has put together a wildly-impressive stretch of offensive performances, and Kingston Flemings is among the starting group, life could become much easier for the All-Star.
There's now a perfect mix of scoring, playmaking and defense to aid Johnson's all-around excellence. His return, whenever it may be, will be exciting.
The Hawks are building something special, and Johnson will fit right in when he's back.
Add us as a preferred source on Google