The Atlanta Hawks' season has drastically changed over the last couple of weeks after losing their second-best player, Jalen Johnson. He suffered a season-ending torn labrum after an All-Star-caliber season. At just 23 years old, he was averaging 19.6 PPG, 10 RPG, and 5.5 APG. Losing Johnson came at the expense of their leading rebounder and second-leading scorer behind Trae Young.
As soon as Johnson left the lineup, the Hawks' offensive execution suffered mightly, and now, when Young is on the bench, they can barely function without their star duo. Johnson has taken full responsibility as the secondary playmaker behind Young, and his absence has given Dyson Daniels an increase in playmaking responsibility mid-season after being the starting shooting guard for 45 games.
It will be challenging to replicate what Johnson brings, and Atlanta has already felt the consequences of his injury. When Johnson injured himself on January 23rd, the Hawks were on a two-game losing streak, and six more losses followed with Johnson out of the lineup. They managed to snap the losing streak, but it required Young to produce 34 points, 9 assists, and a game-winning shot to secure the victory, 132-130, over the Detroit Pistons.
Even though it was just one victory, it was vital for the morale of the young locker room. The following two weeks are treacherous, and multiple superstars who have previously given the Hawks issues are on their schedule. From February 10th to the 28th, they will face Paolo Banchero, Giannis Antetokoumpo, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and MVP front-runner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
After Unexpected Roster Changes, New Heroes Must Rise.
For them to salvage the rest of the season, unexpected heroes must rise, and one of them is the No.1 overall pick in Zaccharie Risacher. His recent performances show that he is finally hitting his stride and should perform way better in the second half of the season. Over his last six games, he has averaged 16.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 1.8 APG. He is the prime candidate to replace some of Johnson's scoring production with his skillset.
Risacher has experienced his fair share of ups and downs this season, but after five months in the NBA, he is finally becoming comfortable. Even though he has struggled beyond the arc in his first few months, he shot 40% from three during his three-year career in the LNB. The struggles could be accredited to a multitude of factors, such as anxiety, underlying injuries, and an overall feel for the game.
His usage has increased exponentially, and now that Hunter & Bogdanovic have been traded, he will receive even more shot opportunities. Bogdanovic was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for Terance Mann and Bones Hyland, who was waived shortly after. Hunter was traded to the Cavaliers for Caris LeVert and Georges Niang. The former Cavs are shooting 40% from three this season and are great perimeter defenders.
Improving their shooting was vital for the mid-season retooling after shooting 34.8% as a team through the first half of the season. The boost in scoring helps soften the blow of losing Johnson, and Mann adds much-needed playmaking off the bench, replacing the injured Kobe Bufkin, who is out for the season with a left shoulder injury.
All three contributed to the 125-111 win over the Washington Wizards, especially Niang, who shined with 16 points, shooting 6-10 from the field and 4-7 from three. LeVert had nine points, and although Mann only had four points, he performed well on defense. Their playstyles complement the roster and Quin Snyder’s system.
They also provide a fabulous veteran presence for the young locker room, and with the improved depth, the franchise has a new outlook for the rest of their season. Losing Johnson and suffering an eight-game losing streak almost spelled the end for the Hawks, but trading Hunter for three solid role players helped in a multitude of ways for the team, even though it was truly unfortunate to see Hunter leave, especially during the best season of his entire career.
It was a strategic maneuver after losing their second-best player, and it has changed the trajectory of Atlanta’s season after a drastic fall appeared to be on the horizon. Now they are on a two-game winning streak, and franchise centerpiece, Trae Young, just received his fourth All-Star selection as Giannis Antetokounmpo's replacement in the 2025 NBA All-Star game. The next step for the Hawks is to solidify a comfortable Play-In spot after slipping to the ninth seed and hopefully catch a winning streak with 29 games left in the season.