Jalen Johnson has adapted rather nicely to his new role as the leader of an NBA franchise. He not only made the All-Star Game but also earned All-NBA honors. He followed it up this summer by helping his supporting cast as well.
The Wisconsin native brought his new teammates, Kingston Flemings and Zuby Ejiofor, to Los Angeles for training sessions with world-renowned basketball trainer Chris Johnson.
Training with the league's best while out west
All three participated in a dynamic five-on-five scrimmage featuring LeBron James, Peyton Watson, DeMar DeRozan, Jaren Jackson Jr., Noah Clowney, Isaiah Collier and Deandre Jordan.
It was a beautiful display of basketball at a reduced pace, and the Hawks benefited from the exercise. The game saw many positive moments for everyone involved, starting with Jalen’s pull-up three at the beginning of the scrimmage.
The game came with certain rules, and one of them was no threes for the opposing team. Johnson embraced the challenge and cashed a smooth pull-up three at the 10:34 mark. It was in the face of Clowney, the 6’10 forward for the Brooklyn Nets, and gave Hawks fans a taste of what's to come this season.
One of the keys to Atlanta’s success this year will be Johnson’s offensive progression. He averaged 22.5 points per game while shooting 35.2% from three, so it’s only natural he takes another leap this season.
His scoring will be the key to leading Atlanta to their first 50-win season since 2015. If the 6’1" Trae Young could lead the Hawks in scoring with 28.4 points at the peak of his powers, then the 6’9" Johnson can surely replicate a similar statistic.
Young himself has praised Johnson for years and continues to do so from his new home in Washington, D.C. It’s poetic since Jalen is preparing Young’s replacement in Flemings, and the 19-year-old learned some valuable lessons during the scrimmage as well.
Valuable lessons for Atlanta’s lottery pick
Shortly after Johnson cashed the three, he was awarded a free throw, which he cashed after a smooth release. The entire sequence revealed increased confidence on offense, and Flemings’ confidence on defense was boosted the next play.
At the 12:55 mark, Jackson Jr. started shoving his shoulder into Kingston’s chest, forcing the rookie point guard to stand his ground. He absorbed the contact well and forced the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year to pass off to James, who drilled a three-ball.
Right after the possession ended, Flemings took the reins on offense and tried to penetrate with his patented speed. He settled for a mid-range pull-up, and it clanked off the rim, leading to a transition three for Jackson Jr.
Johnson took matters into his own hands on the next possession and drove to the rim for a smooth finish over Clowney. It was an indirect teaching moment for Flemings on how to be decisive and aggressive when attacking the rim.
Of course, Johnson has way more experience than the 19-year-old, but the NBA will show no mercy on Kingston's young frame. Experiences like these are crucial for his acclimation to the NBA.
Promising takeaways from the star-studded scrimmage
The next possession saw LeBron and Kingston face off. James posted up the rookie and shot a fadeaway that hit the backboard. Flemings hasn’t even played a regular-season game yet, and he’s already defending a legend one-on-one.
It happened at 16:39, and the rest of the scrimmage featured more buckets from Johnson down the stretch, but Hawks fans should be thrilled after what they saw at 24:01.
All three Hawks linked up for a beautiful play as if Quin Snyder were there in person. Flemings passed it to Ejiofor, who passed it to Johnson, who cashed a three-pointer from the top of the key. It was a play that could easily happen in a regular-season game, especially with the way Jalen is playing.
The 24-year-old is pulling the trigger more than ever, and he was aggressive all game. Whether abusing a mismatch, driving to the rim, pulling up for three, or playmaking for others.
Although Ejiofor didn’t make an impact like the other two, he still absorbed some valuable knowledge from the veterans and trainers. It’s crucial for him since he’ll have to step up even more in light of Henri Veesaar’s season-ending ACL tear.
His rookie year is closer than ever, and training with Chris Johnson is excellent preparation for his first NBA training camp. We are officially less than a month away from the Hawks' season opener, so the boys don’t have much time left to prepare.
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