Hawks' Jalen Johnson gets crucial injury update from Quin Snyder
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The Atlanta Hawks have come into the new year without one of their key players, as Jalen Johnson has been sidelined with a right shoulder injury. During the Hawks’ West Coast road trip, Johnson only played in one of their six games, and they ended up going 2-4 on that stretch.
Before their game against the Phoenix Suns, head coach Quin Snyder gave an update on Johnson’s progress.
“I think he's progressing, and hopefully, we'll have him back soon,” Snyder said.
Johnson was recently seen at Hawks’ practice putting up shots, so he may be progressing as Snyder says.
It’s safe to say that the Hawks are stuck in no man’s land when Johnson doesn’t play, and they’re 2-4 this season when he’s not on the court. He’s responsible for a lot of the Hawks’ success and what he brings to the court, and he serves as a great option alongside Trae Young.
You can say that Johnson is having a breakout season for the Hawks, averaging 19.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. Last season he played well as he got his first real minutes of his career as a starter, but injuries throughout the season stopped people from seeing what his true potential could be on the team.
Jalen Johnson proving to be big key for Hawks
The Hawks were without Jalen Johnson for a long period of the season last year, and Quin Snyder thinks that the team learned from that experience. Nonetheless, he knows that it’s hard to replicate what Johnson brings to the floor, and it’s going to take a group effort.
“We went through this last year when Jalen hurt his wrist,” Snyder said. “It wasn't pretty. We learned from that, this is a new year. I don't think it says anything negative about the rest of our team. Some of the things he's done for us. It's hard for other people to push it the way that he does, defensive rebound, his height, his athleticism. You look to the rest of the group to do that collectively. The key is to do it over a long period of time.”
The Hawks have had trouble staying healthy throughout the season, but when everyone is available, they’ve played some of their best basketball. Before their road trip, the Hawks were clicking on all cylinders and were fifth in the Eastern Conference. Since then, the Hawks have fallen to ninth in the standings and are looking to find the groove they were once in.
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