Trae Young’s MCL sprain has forced the Hawks to pivot their offensive identity from the Trae show to the Jalen Johnson show. While the team is not constructed to support the latter offensive identity, Johnson has been wildly impressive as a scorer and playmaker through two games in the lead role.
Johnson currently has an assist rate of 25.3%, meaning a quarter of shots made by his teammates are assisted by the former North Carolina star. This clip puts Johnson in the 98th percentile as a creator across the league (minimum 100 minutes played, equivalent to 17 minutes a game through the median of 6 games played this season).
While his game-breaking ability as a passer has jumped off the screen when watching Atlanta’s early season, this stat puts it in a new context. Johnson isn’t just filling the void left by Young; he is operating at a level that merits an investigation into how the offense should function in the future.
Johnson’s offensive heroics will save the Hawks without Young
Part of the reason Johnson is able to be such an effective passer is because of his threat as a scorer. Guys don’t just get open in the NBA; an advantage has to be created either through a play or a threat that demands the defense’s attention. What makes Johnson special, however, is his ability to quickly pivot from a scoring to a playmaking opportunity.
One of the most effective (and fun to watch) examples of this phenomenon is his passing skill in the air. He uses his dynamic slashing skillset to engage help defense, but this is not always enough to generate good looks. Even when engaged, the defenders are typically well-positioned to return to their assignment.
After Johnson touches the paint and jumps, however, defenders are no longer thinking about a pass. His leap, which is well-disguised as a shot, lulls the opponent to sleep for a fraction of a second – just enough time for Johnson to fire a pass to the now wide-open man or wrap around to hit an open cutter. Dyson Daniels and Onyeka Okongwu are the two primary beneficiaries of this, with scores of easy layups being hand-delivered from Johnson to them off jump passes.
Atlanta will have a turnover problem as it adapts to its Trae-less rotation, a problem that Jalen contributed to with four turnovers in Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. If the team can improve its ball security with increased reps, however, the offense should be in great shape moving forward. Perhaps Johnson and the offense could impress enough to demand a change in offensive identity when Young returns.