The Atlanta Hawks missed Jalen Johnson during the five straight games he missed with shoulder inflammation.
He showed a little rust in his return to the floor in the Hawks’ 119-115 win over the Boston Celtics on Saturday, finishing with 14 points on 5-for-13 shooting with 13 rebounds, three assists, 1 block, and 1 steal.
Johnson’s most important showing came the day after the game, though.
The Hawks released their day-before injury report on Saturday. And while Johnson was listed, he was given an encouraging “probable” designation.
An @emoryhealthcare injury report for tomorrow’s game at New York:
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 19, 2025
Jalen Johnson (right shoulder inflammation): Probable
Trae Young (right Achilles tendinitis): Probable
Kobe Bufkin (right shoulder surgery): Out
Larry Nance Jr. (right hand surgery): Out
Zaccharie Risacher (left… pic.twitter.com/ACdCCRcfz8
Given how long Johnson was out, it is good news that he is expected to play after seeing more than 37 minutes against the Celtics. The Hawks went 3-2 without him during this most recent string of absences.
However, they are 4-4 – and quite simply a different team for the worse – without.
Jalen Johnson essential to the Hawks’ long-term success
Johnson, 23, is averaging 19.7 points, 10.2 boards, and 5.2 dimes per game. He has not been as efficient as he was last season, with his effective field goal percentage dropping from 56.2% to 55.2%, though his increased usage rate (19.1% to 22.4%) is partly to blame.
His biggest shortcoming has been from beyond the arc, shooting 32.8% after a 35.5% mark in 2023-24.
Still, Johnson boasts the top on-off differential on the team this season, per Cleaning The Glass.
His absence was amplified by the Hawks also missing Larry Nance Jr., and this marks the second year in a row where a nagging injury has forced Johnson to miss multiple games. That is another reason his ability to suit up two games in a row is encouraging.
Perhaps the outlook would be different, say, on the second night of a back-to-back. It was already encouraging that Johnson returned during a road trip, though.
The same could be said about Trae Young, who was also listed as probable for the game.
Young has not missed nearly as much time as Johnson has this season; just three games total so far. But with the three-time All-Star boasting the second-best on-off mark this season, his presence is just as vital.
The Hawks are 2-1 without Young, but that is more a testament to their depth stepping up, such as Daeqwon Cook and Keaton Wallace, a pair of 2-way contract players, have this season.
It will all look even better when they are fully healthy, hopefully ahead of a postseason run.