At the end of his 12-minute roast of Patrick Beverley, Trae Young revealed just how excited he is about this new look Atlanta Hawks team, saying, "So, I ain't got time for this anymore. Jalen Johnson about to make his first All-Star appearance. Kristaps [Porzingis] is over here now on the squad. We got Nikeil [Alexander-Walker]. It's about to be a season, man. Just make sure you watch. Make sure you're doing your thing. Continue to be great in the podcast field."
What was most important about this closing sequence was Young's confidence in Johnson. The forward is entering his fifth year out of Duke and has had two consecutive breakout seasons. Both years ended prematurely due to injuries, but Johnson established himself as one of the most promising swingmen in the country with these performances.
In 36 games last season, Johnson averaged 18.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.0 blocks, and was the only player in the league to reach these averages. Johnson simply cannot be ignored in any facet of the game.
Johnson is set to break out this season barring injuries
Johnson's skill set is a critical one for a contending team in the modern NBA. The "do-it-all four" has become an essential piece of playoff rotations, with Chet Holmgren, Pascal Siakam, P.J. Washington, and Aaron Gordon all playing key roles on Finals-contending rosters over the last three seasons.
What makes Johnson so unique is the synergy of his talents, and his fast break ability is the ultimate display of the culmination of his skills. His length and athleticism enable him to secure rebounds, steals, and blocks to start a fast break. Once he has the ball, he either drives the empty space or passes to a guard. He then continues to charge at the rim, usually finishing with an electrifying dunk.
Young and Johnson fit together perfectly, with each player elevating the other's game. Young's tantalizing isolation and pick and roll offense creates pressure on opposing defenses. When defenses collapse to prevent Young from scoring, Johnson uses his high basketball IQ to cut to the open space and convert with his elite interior finishing.
Likewise, Johnson's own individual scoring threat creates space for his teammates. What separates him from similar players, however, is his ability to correctly read the defense and hit the open man. Johnson played a point-forward role in college, which pays dividend for Young and other teammates.
Johnson's nagging injury history has been the biggest challenge he's faced in his career. He suffered injuries to his shoulder, ankle, and wrist over the past two seasons, all of which sidelined him for significant periods. While his injury record is concerning on paper, only his ankle injury has shown signs of recurrence.
If he can stay healthy, the sky is the limit for Johnson and the Hawks.