At first he gave a crooked smile. Before revealing its teeth more widely, like a predator ready to pounce on its prey.
Asked if he was ready to completely explode this season, after a revelation third campaign with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists last year, Jalen Johnson preferred to play it humble.
Work pays
Arriving in the NBA quite raw in 2021, upon leaving Duke as a “one and done” (11 points and 6 rebounds on average), Jalen Johnson spent most of his time on the bench during his first two years at Atlanta. It was only last season, under the leadership of Quin Snyder, that the young Hawk was able to really spread his wings to take flight!
“I expected it because I had done the work beforehand,” he explained during the Hawks media day. “It wasn't a surprise to me to see what I could do on the field. Afterwards, the stats themselves were more a function of the matches and the rhythm of the team. But I'm looking forward to continuing to progress and building on what I did last year. »
It must be said that the statistical transformation was most impressive, going from 6 points and 4 rebounds in 15 minutes on average for his second season, to 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in 34 minutes (and 52 starts in 56 appearances). last year! Now Jalen Johnson therefore wants to confirm.
Lots of videos on the menu this summer
“I want to take on the defensive challenge this season. As the coach said, it's above all mental in defense. The attack comes by itself but in defense, you have to give yourself the means to take up the challenge and concentrate on your duels against the wingers. This year, I really want to dedicate myself fully to it and whether it comes from the coaches, my teammates or myself, I will accept the criticism and challenge myself to assume my share of responsibilities on this side of the field. »
Extremely dangerous in the role of screen setter who rolls fast, and very high, at the level of the circle, Jalen Johnson can still improve on his outside shooting, at only 35% at 3-points in this case last year.
And the former Dukie did his vacation homework this summer to avoid ending the season in April…
“For me, it was very important to concentrate on the videos to progress. To see different types of defense, or see how certain players defend and teams' defensive adjustments [contre nous]it allowed me to understand some important things. We made a lot of videos with my coaches this summer, whether to improve in defense or more generally to work on certain aspects of my game, including pick and roll. »
| Jalen Johnson | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2021-22 | ATL | 22 | 6 | 53.7 | 23.1 | 71.4 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 2.4 |
| 2022-23 | ATL | 70 | 15 | 49.1 | 28.8 | 62.8 | 0.7 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 5.6 |
| 2023-24 | ATL | 56 | 34 | 51.1 | 35.5 | 72.8 | 1.3 | 7.4 | 8.7 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 16.0 |
| Total | 148 | 21 | 50.6 | 32.8 | 69.4 | 0.9 | 4.5 | 5.4 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 9.1 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
