Jalen Johnson showed the world just the star he could become in Wednesday night’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings, where the Hawks won 133-100. Johnson dropped 24 points on 9/10 from the field, 2/3 from three, and 4/4 from the free throw line in a nearly flawless scoring performance. This didn’t interfere with his signature all-around output, as he tallied 10 rebounds, 8 assists, and a steal in just 24 minutes, resting during the fourth as the Hawks led by upwards of 30.
The Kings were without Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, and Malik Monk – their three best shooters. As you would expect, their offense struggled to get anything going against a clearly superior Hawks squad. Still, Johnson’s offensive dominance is what Hawks fans have been waiting for.
Johnson is capable of being a player who regularly goes off for monster games like he did in Sacramento; Hawks fans have seen this player before. But he hadn’t shown this yet through nine games despite a larger offensive role with Trae Young sidelined.
This game could give Jalen the momentum to hit his stride this season
For Atlanta to achieve postseason success with this core, Jalen Johnson will have to elevate his game. He isn’t the only one who will have to take a leap, but he hasn’t proven he can be the second-best player on a championship-caliber team. The difference between him and, say, Pascal Siakam is subtle but critically important in the postseason.
Johnson’s statistical profile is similar to Siakam’s on the surface. You could even argue the Hawks' star had the better box score output last season. But Siakam has a second gear that Johnson hasn’t shown – a second gear that led to three 30+ point performances against the Knicks that were critical to the Pacers’ Cinderella run to the Finals. Trae Young isn’t Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Nikola Jokic; he will need occasional help from Johnson.
But there is no reason to believe Johnson can’t become a Siakam-caliber player. He possesses the physical tools to dominate in all areas of the game; he has an incredible feel for the game that shines in transition; he has an elite offensive trait, his finishing, that generates easy offense and can be consistently relied upon.
Johnson already possesses the requisite talent to become the player Atlanta needs him to be. Sometimes, all a player needs is the confidence to unleash their fullest ability. His performance against the Kings, Atlanta’s three-game win streak, and his temporarily increased role without Young could create the perfect storm for Johnson to take the leap we all know he can.