Jalen Johnson's shot selection & 2 other X-factors as Hawks host Mavericks

Jalen Johnson is the Atlanta Hawks' second most-talented player.

Trae Young sits atop the list while. However, Johnson can realistically surpass even him if he can finally marry his physical profile with his skill set consistently.

That may be the biggest problem – and to be clear it is a good one – that the Hawks face with the 22-year-old forward. As “Locked On Hawks” host Brad Rowland pointed out, Johnson’s current shot diet is hurting his effectiveness.

Hawks need more from Jalen Johnson

“Jalen Johnson's shooting efficiency has dropped this season, including a career worst 53.1% on twos,” Rowland posted on X on November 25. “To me, it is heavily explained by taking (a lot) more floater-range shots and fewer shots at the rim.”

“Johnson is shooting a career-best 71% (59-83) at the rim this season,” Rowland posted in a reply to provide further context. “It seems to be heavily based on where he shoots from and the type of difficult, craft-based shots he takes from floater range.”

Johnson is on track for a career year across the board per game even with those struggles.

His 19.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks per outing would all be new personal bests across an entire campaign.

Johnson still boasts the best on-off differential on the team with a plus-11.0 mark, per Cleaning The Glass. With Johnson on the floor, the Hawks have a minus-1.2 net rating, which ranks in the 46th percentile.

Their rating drops to minus-12.2 without him, ranking in the 11th percentile.

Johnson, who signed a five-year, $150 million contract extension before the season, is doing so much already. And yet, he clearly has even more to offer. The Hawks certainly need it.

Home, Sweet Home

The Hawks enter their contest against the Dallas Mavericks on a two-game skid and as losers of three of their last four contests. They are 7-10 on the season but are notably 4-4 at home in State Farm Arena this season.

It is a modest source of pride to be at .500 in the friendly confines.

However, it is in stark contrast to their record away from SFA. The Hawks are 3-6 on the road, highlighting their road-heavy schedule.

That could bode well for the stretch run, especially after the trade deadline with 19 of the Hawks’ final 33 games will be in Atlanta. The big question is whether or not they will be positioned to take advantage of the favorable part of the schedule.

Health will eventually equal wealth

Hawks head coach Quin Snyder has had a full complement of players at his disposal, but it has yet to translate into wins.

Truth be told, chemistry takes time.

The Hawks have already played so many games short-handed that integrating the players who were missing back into the flow has not gone as smoothly as anyone would have hoped. There are already signs of a turnaround, though.

Bogdan Bogdanovic played in one game before missing the next 13, and the rust showed on him when he returned.

The sweet-shooting veteran averaged single-digit points over his first three games of the year.

That includes a previous season-high of 8 points before he dropped 16 points in the Hawks’ loss to the Chicago Bulls on Friday. Bogdanovic also connected on 4-of-8 deep looks in that game, shaking off his 5-for-19 clip to start the season.

De’Andre Hunter has been solid since returning from his 10-game absence five games ago, though he cooled off some as a scorer.

What the Hawks needed was for Kobe Bufkin to hit his stride quicker.

That would have helped solidify the Hawks’ backup point guard situation, which is murkier now that it is clear how much they need Dyson Daniels as the starting 2. Instead, Bufkin has struggled, which is to be expected from someone who has missed as much time as he has.