How Hawks' Jalen Johnson can solidify himself as Trae Young's co-star

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The Atlanta Hawks will be coming into the season looking for a player that will complement Trae Young. The past two seasons, Dejounte Murray was that player, but it didn’t produce the results that the Hawks wanted, which warranted a trade. This season, the Hawks will be looking internally for the player Young’s co-star, and the obvious answer is Jalen Johnson.

Johnson was a breakout player for the Hawks last season, as he stepped in as the full-time starter for the first time in his career. He didn’t disappoint, averaging 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. Offensively, Johnson made a huge jump, as he averaged 5.6 points the season before, but his ability to be a playmaker was impressive.

Jalen echoed Quin's statement about him making an impact on the defensive side of the ball pic.twitter.com/BxWICt0wDB

— Malik Brown (@_MalikATL) September 30, 2024

As much as his offense matters, Johnson knows that it all starts with his defense, as he mentioned at Media Day when asked how he could take the next step.

“Defense. I'm willing to take those challenges. I understand it's more of a mindset thing with the defensive end,” Johnson said. “The offensive end comes easy, but defense, you gotta lock in and be willing to take those challenges guarding the 4s every night. I'm looking forward to that. Coach is going to hold me accountable, my teammates are going to hold me accountable, and I'm going to hold myself accountable on the defensive end this season.”

Hawks have high praise for Jalen Johnson ahead of 2024-25 season

Head coach Quin Snyder shared his thoughts on Media Day on how Jalen Johnson can take the next step this season.

“His versatility is something that is really unique,” Snyder said. “The times where he played his best basketball last year, he really let the game come to him. I think when you do have the ability to pass and shoot and handle [the ball], it gives you the chance to do that, to be able to impact the game in a variety of ways throughout the course of the game.

“The one thing we've continued to press upon him – and I think he's really embraced – is his ability to impact the game defensively as well. Whether that means defensive rebounding. When you get back to his versatility, when he grabs a defensive rebound, he's a guy that's capable of pushing it in transition, making plays for other people. With Jalen, it's less about any one thing, but I think his focus defensively is an area where he can impact winning.”

Trae Young and Johnson proved to be a successful duo playing off of each other last season, but injuries held them back from seeing their true potential together. This season, Johnson will be experimenting with ankle braces, and Young knows how important it is to have him on the court.

“For us, it's about being on the court together more,” Young said. “I think this is year four for him, but it feels like two. Even last year, he had some ankle injuries, but for me, I'm just praying he's here available for us. When he's playing, he makes our team better. When he's not, especially this year, it's going to be a big hole for us to fill, so we need him out there playing.”

If Johnson can stay healthy and improve from his season last year, the Hawks will be in good hands when it comes to a second option.

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