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Jalen Johnson - WELCOME TO THE HAWKS!


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On 10/14/2021 at 6:41 PM, Spud2nique said:

Mature kid knows what he wants. Go Jalen!

Great interview. The guy asking questions did a good job to making him feel comfortable answering questions. He didn’t ask those “gotcha” questions but had some good ones in there. 

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The College Park Skyhawks, the team’s G League affiliate and the team Johnson has played almost all of his minutes with, has primarily used him as a big. Johnson is filling the box score for the SkyHawks by averaging 18.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, one block and one steal per game.

Coach Nate McMillan has been consistent with his messaging though. Johnson likely isn’t going to get consistent minutes unless John Collins or Danilo Gallinari goes down with an injury. There’s thought that Johnson could be a versatile defender one day where he can guard both wings and big men interchangeably. That time isn’t now.

The Hawks do not want to give Johnson his first extended run in the NBA at a position they deem him not ready for just yet. So, patience is needed from Johnson and for fans eager to see the rookie get his first meaningful stint with the Hawks. Unlike in past seasons when the Hawks were rebuilding, rookies were given loads of minutes immediately, even if they weren’t necessarily “deserved.” They were allowed to play through their mistakes, and winning wasn’t the ultimate goal. That’s not the case anymore.

 

Since you’ve been with the Hawks organization, what have you realized that you need to get better at daily? It could be on the court or off of it.

It’s been a lot. Overall, I do feel like I’m doing well. There’s not one thing in particular that sticks out. I just need to continue sharpening myself in all areas. I need to get better understanding of concepts, pick-and-roll coverages, guarding the wing and bigs. I just need to get better at understanding the ins and outs of the game. I do feel like I’m getting better every day because I watch a lot of film. Those are the things I’m focusing on right now.

Solid interview with Jalen.  He stuck to his message.

This quote is concerning. I'd like the coaching staff to communicate with him about things he needs to work on.

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What has the organization told you anything specific about how they view your development and where you are right now? Have they told you what you need to do to get minutes here?

I’m not too sure. That’s up to them. I know I have to understand concepts better. I need to get better with that. I haven’t heard much from them as far as the coaching staff goes.

 

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36 minutes ago, marco102 said:

as far as the coaching staff goes

Key words.

 

At this early stage and with the coaching staff's legitimate day-to-day first priority being the players who actually are going to carry us to whatever pinnacle the Hawks can actually reach, I wouldn't expect that of them, me.

I would expect that to be the responsibility of, obviously, his G-League coaches (who one would presume has some occasional contact with McM, a relationship going back to when they were with the Pacers together) as well as some number of the basketball operations/player development side of the house... any of Schlenk all the way down to.... wait... who's that guy at the bottom of the list???

 

(I missed that news apparently.)

 

 

 

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From ESPN Insider:

The first-round picks and G League standouts ready to be called up

Jalen Johnson | 6-9 | Forward | Atlanta Hawks | Age: 20.0 | No. 20 pick

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Johnson had an up-and-down showing in Vegas, posting big box score numbers with 19 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals in an overtime win over Memphis while proving he has room to improve as a shooter (0-for-2 from 3), finisher, team defender, and decision-maker (8 turnovers). When at his best, Johnson is a rarity at the G League level - a 6-9 forward who can impact the game all over the floor on both ends when engaged and not trying to do too much. The fact that Johnson is shooting 38% from 3 on almost 50 attempts is a welcome sign for his long-term outlook. He's not out of place physically in an NBA game either, which bodes well for his potential to earn spot minutes after the new year.

With that said, as we saw glimpses of during his 15 minutes of action against the Knicks on Christmas Day, Johnson (now in COVID-19 protocols) still isn't a consistent threat in spot-up situations, either struggling to make shots or turning down open looks and gravitating toward the dunker. He still has room to grow into the versatile defender his tools suggest, also, even if he's proven capable of checking players ranging from Julius Randle to RJ Barrett over the course of a game. If Johnson can continue growing in those two areas, particularly his shooting, he certainly has the physical ability and talent to evolve into an eventual rotation player for the Hawks.

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1 minute ago, bleachkit said:

No, Cam wanted a change of scenery and you can't pay everybody.

I think they would have paid everyone, if they were accepting of their roles and fair compensation for those roles.  Cam apparently wanted a bigger role and more money.  Oh well...

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59 minutes ago, marco102 said:

I think they would have paid everyone, if they were accepting of their roles and fair compensation for those roles.  Cam apparently wanted a bigger role and more money.  Oh well...

I don't think they could have.  In fact, I think the current situation will actually demand another move.  Under no circumstance are they going to pay Gallo 20M next year, in my opinion.

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Money could be a factor for Cam leaving, but most of all TS understands chemistry and he's not going to pay someone who was unhappy with their role and doesn't want to be on the team. When you have a deep team with championship aspirations, the last thing you need is a cancer in the locker room not putting the team first. 

It's possible that since JJ left Duke early, he is looking to build back his reputation and thus could be buying into our development process better than Cam did. If so and JJ is patient with his development, his potential could definitely make the decision to trade Cam easier. JJ needs a lot of development time before he becomes impactful at this level, but if he continues to work hard on both sides, his skill sets could bring another dynamic to our core.

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