At first glance, seeing Jalen Johnson's explosive first step, head full of steam charging towards the rim, and lengthy strides resulting in a stellar look at the rim might lead you to believe he's a force to be reckoned with at the rim.
Somehow, this couldn't be further from the truth - Johnson ranks 10th worst in the entire NBA in relative driving field goal efficiency over the last three seasons, largely behind 6'2 and smaller guards boasting nowhere near the same level of physicality and size he does.
As we approach Johnson's most important season in the NBA where he'll either prove himself worthy of being a #1 option or not, fixing his woes under the basket is a vital piece he'll need to remedy.
Johnson's unusual weakness hurt by his most troubling narrative
By now, we all know how elite Johnson is in a full-court setting.
Unfortunately, his halfcourt offense has always been called into question, and failing to convert on his drives is yet another piece of evidence that supports this growing problem.
When your star player not only has trouble creating advantages in a halfcourt setting (see the 2-4 series loss against the Knicks as a prime example) as well as failing to capitalize on vital looks around the rim, it's not exactly the proof in the pudding you want to see if you're Onsi Saleh when choosing your primary option for the long-term future.
While it's true that the Hawks tend to play more team-oriented, less star-driven basketball than the majority of the NBA after the Trae Young trade this January, the question has to be asked - is Johnson a true 1A option on a title-contending team?
Is JJ ready to take the reigns as the Hawks' true leader?
The good news for Johnson is the Hawks likely won't be contending for a championship next year.
However, after what's shaping up to be an incredibly exciting 2027 NBA offseason in the A, Onsi Saleh is running out of time to make a difficult decision - should he pair Johnson with another offensive engine (perhaps one less ball-dominant than Trae Young was), or let Johnson be the alpha on a team with aspirations for a title?
I'm confident that Jalen will continue to improve his game - and that begins right under the basket. Look for Johnson to steadily improve his efficiency at the rim, especially with an upgraded interior presence this summer with the additions of Zuby Ejiofor and Henri Veesaar.
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