Atlanta Hawks urged to move on from former first-round pick

The Atlanta Hawks are planning on second-year ahead Jalen Johnson having a sizeable position this season. That’s already off to a considerably rocky begin because the 20-year-old was unable to make the journey with the crew over to Abu Dhabi for his or her first two preseason video games towards the Milwaukee Bucks.

Atlanta obtained the win in a 123-113 affair.

However, with a lot using on this season, there are questions on Johnson’s potential to step into a significant position even coming off of the bench. The Hawks moved on from 4 bench rotation gamers this previous offseason together with Danilo Gallinari and Delon Wright.

Robust showings from a rotation of De’Andre Hunter sliding up, Onyeka Okongwu coming off of the bench, and even Frank Kaminsky behind John Collins additional cloud the problem.

Jalen Johnson may wish a commerce from the Atlanta Hawks to thrive

“After including All-Star guard Dejounte Murray on the expense of three first-round picks this summer season, the Hawks entered win-now territory,” suggests Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, “or win-very-soon land, a minimum of. Which means developmental minutes might be even tougher to search out, which is dangerous information for Jalen Johnson after he not often ventured off of the bench as a rookie.”

Buckley factors to the aforementioned rotation at energy ahead in addition to the presence of Clint Capela at middle – the opposite place Johnso figures to contribute most at – as explanations for why he may end equally to final season when he had simply 120 whole minutes in 22 video games.

Johnson averaged 2.4 factors and 1.1 rebounds in these video games.

Within the G-League with the Faculty Park Skyhawks, nevertheless, Johnson averaged 20.1 factors and 11.8 boards whereas additionally chipping in with 4.1 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.3 blocks.

“These roadblocks haven’t budged, that means Johnson, the No. 20 choose in 2021, may have simply as laborious of a time discovering the ground as he did as a freshman. He may be extra helpful to the Hawks as a commerce chip that brings again a extra established participant at a larger place of want.”

Regardless of fixed commerce rumors, Collins is certainly nonetheless with the Hawks.

Capela was by no means going anyplace and Okongwu is seen as his eventual alternative which actually may depart Johnson and not using a clear-cut pathway towards a starter’s position.

He was uncooked when he got here in so it made sense for him to spend a 12 months a minimum of within the G-League to develop. However, sooner or later he must get that growth on the NBA stage and, if it isn’t going to come back with the Hawks, maybe it might be higher to get him someplace that it’ll. After all, it takes two to tango.

It may be tougher to persuade the Hawks to maneuver him than it might be to discover a taker.

As Buckley factors out, the Hawks traded three first-round picks to the San Antonio Spurs for Murray. Johnson, together with fellow former Duke Blue Satan, rookie AJ Griffin, represents a bridge between two timelines.

They provide the Hawks the choice to package deal younger expertise together with an enormous contract similar to Capela’s or that of Bogdan Bogdanovic to reel in one other huge fish by way of commerce.

However, because it stands, the Hawks don’t have any incentive to actively hunt down a brand new residence for the gifted 6-foot-8 ahead. Even when it has appeared – and will as soon as once more this season – that he might be higher utilized.