Jalen Johnson may be better than De'Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish

[TheNorthCydeRises]

This is a controversial and bold statement.  But it may be the truth.

Johnson's perimeter and ball handling skills can't be denied.  He's easily the better passer.  And I think he's the better isolation player, although De'Andre has vastly improved his midrange game.  Cam is potentially a better 3 point shooter, but consistency has been his issue from that range.

 

I wouldn't say that he's a better man defender than De'Andre or Cam, but he definitely has a better array of offensive skills than those two.  It's going to be VERY INTERESTING how Nate uses him.  You almost have to play him at the 3, with spot minutes at the 4.  He definitely makes Gallo expendable either during the season, or next offseason.

NBADraft.net ratings

• Athleticism      8
• Size                  8
• Defense            8
• Strength           8
• Quickness         8
• Leadership        7
• Jump Shot         7
• NBA Ready       7
• Ball Handling     8
• Potential            9
• Passing              8
• Intangibles       7

Overall                        93

 

To me, the ratings in red are ridiculous.   The guy is easily one of the 5 best athletes in this draft.  And at 6-9, his size is ideal to put at the 3 and even as a small ball 4 in a quick lineup  He didn't shoot the 3 with enough volume in college, so I can see why people may have had doubts with his long range shooting.  But I'm tempted to even bump him up here. 

He's DEFINITELY NBA ready.  I don't think few people can deny that.   And as far as intangibles, he has that too, with the way he can be a secondary ball handler and be a very good weak side defender. He's also ultra confident, which will help him adjust to the league very quickly.

Nate has a very good problem on his hands.  He has a playoff tested team that has good to great chemistry together.  And he doesn't have to rush putting the kids on the floor in expanded roles.

But how do you keep Jalen Johnson out of this rotation?  I honestly don't think you can.

At minimum, he completely takes over the Solo spot as our 3rd string SF/PF.  At maximum . . . he plays well enough to justify him being the 6th/7th man . . . or even starting, if Hunter and Reddish continue to be hampered by injuries.

And by the start of the 2022 - 23 season, our best wing may be Johnson . . . not Hunter or Reddish.

[NBASupes]

He's more of a 4 than Hunter or Reddish. He's a lot like our former 17th overall pick Josh Smith but with the feel for game like Boris Diaw. His perimeter defense far worse than Hunter or Reddish as prospects, its miles better than JC. He's more of a threat to JC than Cam or Hunter. 

[niremetal]

6 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

He's more of a 4 than Hunter or Reddish. He's a lot like our former 17th overall pick Josh Smith but with the feel for game like Boris Diaw. His perimeter defense far worse than Hunter or Reddish as prospects, its miles better than JC. He's more of a threat to JC than Cam or Hunter. 

I feel like he's just such a unique/versatile player that it's hard to cabin him to the 3 or the 4 just yet. I'm guessing different aspects of his game will stand out more and others less once he is tested by rotation NBA players at either forward position.

Like I've said...my concern remains how he'll react when things stop coming easy to him like they clearly do when he gets the rock against SL competition. If he sticks with it, I honestly don't know whether his skill set will translate better as a 3 or 4. It'll probably depend in part on how well his frame fills out and whether his passing skills can be utilized effectively as a 4.

[Carmine]

With as boring of a name Jalen Johnson has he is easily the most exciting player on the court. I agree, he has intangibles you just can't teach. I know he got flak last game for being despondent but with Sharife out and a bigger role he was much more engaged. He gonna have to get coached up in that regard. He has the potential to bring another layer to our offense, outside of Gallo who won't be here long we don't have another passing big on the roster. Like Supes said even though he's a combo forward I view him more as a 4 and may be the reason J.C doesn't see the end of his contract.

It's clear that him leaving Duke and taking the time to work on his game is benefitting him and he is showing how versatile can be. At the end of the day he didn't owe Duke anything and I applaud him not risking his body & future outlook. Going from Coach K tough love to Nate McMillan who also won't baby him, I think he'll take well to the Hawks environment as we bring him along slowly. Sky's the limit and Hawks will be competitive internally. No roster spot is given around here, you gotta earn that Sh*t.

[NBASupes]

8 minutes ago, niremetal said:

I feel like he's just such a unique/versatile player that it's hard to cabin him to the 3 or the 4 just yet. I'm guessing different aspects of his game will stand out more and others less once he is tested by rotation NBA players at either forward position.

Like I've said...my concern remains how he'll react when things stop coming easy to him like they clearly do when he gets the rock against SL competition. If he sticks with it, I honestly don't know whether his skill set will translate better as a 3 or 4. It'll probably depend in part on how well his frame fills out and whether his passing skills can be utilized effectively as a 4.

He's more of a 4. He doesn't really beat anyone 1v1 off the dribble. In fact, we been using him as a small ball 5

[marco102]

42 minutes ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

This is a controversial and bold statement.  But it may be the truth.

Johnson's perimeter and ball handling skills can't be denied.  He's easily the better passer.  And I think he's the better isolation player, although De'Andre has vastly improved his midrange game.  Cam is potentially a better 3 point shooter, but consistency has been his issue from that range.

 

I wouldn't say that he's a better man defender than De'Andre or Cam, but he definitely has a better array of offensive skills than those two.  It's going to be VERY INTERESTING how Nate uses him.  You almost have to play him at the 3, with spot minutes at the 4.  He definitely makes Gallo expendable either during the season, or next offseason.

NBADraft.net ratings

• Athleticism      8
• Size                  8
• Defense            8
• Strength           8
• Quickness         8
• Leadership        7
• Jump Shot         7
• NBA Ready       7
• Ball Handling     8
• Potential            9
• Passing              8
• Intangibles       7

Overall                        93

 

To me, the ratings in red are ridiculous.   The guy is easily one of the 5 best athletes in this draft.  And at 6-9, his size is ideal to put at the 3 and even as a small ball 4 in a quick lineup  He didn't shoot the 3 with enough volume in college, so I can see why people may have had doubts with his long range shooting.  But I'm tempted to even bump him up here. 

He's DEFINITELY NBA ready.  I don't think few people can deny that.   And as far as intangibles, he has that too, with the way he can be a secondary ball handler and be a very good weak side defender. He's also ultra confident, which will help him adjust to the league very quickly.

Nate has a very good problem on his hands.  He has a playoff tested team that has good to great chemistry together.  And he doesn't have to rush putting the kids on the floor in expanded roles.

But how do you keep Jalen Johnson out of this rotation?  I honestly don't think you can.

At minimum, he completely takes over the Solo spot as our 3rd string SF/PF.  At maximum . . . he plays well enough to justify him being the 6th/7th man . . . or even starting, if Hunter and Reddish continue to be hampered by injuries.

And by the start of the 2022 - 23 season, our best wing may be Johnson . . . not Hunter or Reddish.

He has tons of potential.  However, I'd like to see him in a few preseason games before saying he's definitely back end of the rotation.  If he wins a spot in the rotation from camp and preseason, then I'll be happy.  I think he'll probably have Solo's minutes or some back up PF minutes when Gallo needs a rest.  With OO being out, there will be some extra minutes to work him in.  I think he'll still spend a lot of time in College Park. 

He definitely has something different on our roster with his skillset. He's like a combination of Cam, John and Hunter.  It's an exciting time to be a Hawks fan. 

The best thing about our depth is our second and even third team may give our first team a run for their money in practices.  So much versatility everywhere. 

Edited August 15, 2021 by marco102

[JayBirdHawk]

1 minute ago, marco102 said:

Cam, Dre, and Hunter.

....

[marco102]

1 minute ago, JayBirdHawk said:

....

Fixed.  

[Sothron]

I can't imagine sans injuries how he will ever be better than Hunter. Hunter was flat out our second best player on the team when he was healthy last season. 

[thecampster]

39 minutes ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

This is a controversial and bold statement.  But it may be the truth.

Johnson's perimeter and ball handling skills can't be denied.  He's easily the better passer.  And I think he's the better isolation player, although De'Andre has vastly improved his midrange game.  Cam is potentially a better 3 point shooter, but consistency has been his issue from that range.

 

I wouldn't say that he's a better man defender than De'Andre or Cam, but he definitely has a better array of offensive skills than those two.  It's going to be VERY INTERESTING how Nate uses him.  You almost have to play him at the 3, with spot minutes at the 4.  He definitely makes Gallo expendable either during the season, or next offseason.

NBADraft.net ratings

• Athleticism      8
• Size                  8
• Defense            8
• Strength           8
• Quickness         8
• Leadership        7
• Jump Shot         7
• NBA Ready       7
• Ball Handling     8
• Potential            9
• Passing              8
• Intangibles       7

Overall                        93

 

To me, the ratings in red are ridiculous.   The guy is easily one of the 5 best athletes in this draft.  And at 6-9, his size is ideal to put at the 3 and even as a small ball 4 in a quick lineup  He didn't shoot the 3 with enough volume in college, so I can see why people may have had doubts with his long range shooting.  But I'm tempted to even bump him up here. 

He's DEFINITELY NBA ready.  I don't think few people can deny that.   And as far as intangibles, he has that too, with the way he can be a secondary ball handler and be a very good weak side defender. He's also ultra confident, which will help him adjust to the league very quickly.

Nate has a very good problem on his hands.  He has a playoff tested team that has good to great chemistry together.  And he doesn't have to rush putting the kids on the floor in expanded roles.

But how do you keep Jalen Johnson out of this rotation?  I honestly don't think you can.

At minimum, he completely takes over the Solo spot as our 3rd string SF/PF.  At maximum . . . he plays well enough to justify him being the 6th/7th man . . . or even starting, if Hunter and Reddish continue to be hampered by injuries.

And by the start of the 2022 - 23 season, our best wing may be Johnson . . . not Hunter or Reddish.

He is 3 months younger than JC was when he played Summer League. The important thing here is patience. If he grows any more, he'll be at least a PF.  Comparing him to Hunter and Reddish might be the wrong target. I've been trying to put my finger on a target comparison for him. He's smoother than Aaron Gordan but not quite as explosive. He's a better shooter than Josh Smith and has smoother handles but is not as strong. He is an excellent passer but does try to force passes he doesn't need to. Far too graceful for his size and length, good instincts rebounding around the basket but relies on his hops over technique. I really haven't been able to come up with a good comparison. He has a little Kukoc in him but is a better leaper. He really is kind of a unicorn. 

If I have any concern about him after 4 summer league games is that he may be too unselfish. It was a super quiet 25 today. In the flow of the game but lacked the instinct to take over the game like he is capable. He may be too polite to ever live up to his gifts. Weird, I know.

[NBASupes]

2 minutes ago, thecampster said:

He is 3 months younger than JC was when he played Summer League. The important thing here is patience. If he grows any more, he'll be at least a PF.  Comparing him to Hunter and Reddish might be the wrong target. I've been trying to put my finger on a target comparison for him. He's smoother than Aaron Gordan but not quite as explosive. He's a better shooter than Josh Smith and has smoother handles but is not as strong. He is an excellent passer but does try to force passes he doesn't need to. Far too graceful for his size and length, good instincts rebounding around the basket but relies on his hops over technique. I really haven't been able to come up with a good comparison. He has a little Kukoc in him but is a better leaper. He really is kind of a unicorn. 

If I have any concern about him after 4 summer league games is that he may be too unselfish. It was a super quiet 25 today. In the flow of the game but lacked the instinct to take over the game like he is capable. He may be too polite to ever live up to his gifts. Weird, I know.

Lamar Odom is a name that appears. 

[JayBirdHawk]

I haven't quite figured out exactly who he reminds me of as yet....he's a blend of several players with his skillset, size and athleticism.

[thecampster]

1 minute ago, NBASupes said:

Lamar Odom is a name that appears. 

Hmm...let me think on that.

[thecampster]

8 minutes ago, Sothron said:

I can't imagine sans injuries how he will ever be better than Hunter. Hunter was flat out our second best player on the team when he was healthy last season. 

Well he is 4 years younger with Dre having 2 pro years, 2 college years and 1 redshirt year on him over his 13 games at Duke. Its hard to compare them.

[NBASupes]

He reminds me of Smoove. He just has a lot less flaws but like Campster said, Smoove was stronger at this stage and he was more athletic but JJ got a nice touch on his shot. He's really comfortable on the ball on the block like Smoove or faceup. His handle while isn't great is far stronger than Smoove. He just feels the game so well. I don't scratch my head at a lot of his decisions. That said, he's risky with the rock and them shaky handles get him in trouble

[NBASupes]

3 minutes ago, thecampster said:

Well he is 4 years younger with Dre having 2 pro years, 2 college years and 1 redshirt year on him over his 13 games at Duke. Its hard to compare them.

Hunter love is real but funny as last year at this time. Everyone had Cam ahead of him. Let's say Cam is massively better than Hunter, are we now down on him? What I am saying is, these kids are generally young. Let them continue to grow. 

[marco102]

10 minutes ago, thecampster said:

He is 3 months younger than JC was when he played Summer League. The important thing here is patience. If he grows any more, he'll be at least a PF.  Comparing him to Hunter and Reddish might be the wrong target. I've been trying to put my finger on a target comparison for him. He's smoother than Aaron Gordan but not quite as explosive. He's a better shooter than Josh Smith and has smoother handles but is not as strong. He is an excellent passer but does try to force passes he doesn't need to. Far too graceful for his size and length, good instincts rebounding around the basket but relies on his hops over technique. I really haven't been able to come up with a good comparison. He has a little Kukoc in him but is a better leaper. He really is kind of a unicorn. 

If I have any concern about him after 4 summer league games is that he may be too unselfish. It was a super quiet 25 today. In the flow of the game but lacked the instinct to take over the game like he is capable. He may be too polite to ever live up to his gifts. Weird, I know.

The only passes I've seen him force are the behind the back ones.  Other than that, he's very patient in the half court setting, but like you, I think he's too unselfish and should be more aggressive at times. 

[kg01]

If Hunter or Reddish played SL, they'd be wreckin dudes.

[hawkman]

Something I've noticed about Jalen during Summer League is that the hitch in his shot that he had at Duke is gone. He's still not "money" from outside but he doesn't look out of place shooting the three or the midrange jumper. That improved shooting was evident in today's game. Hopefully that holds up when the games actually mean something. As for comparisons, I'm sticking to a slightly less explosive Josh Smith with a respectable outside shot. 

[MarylandHawk]

10 minutes ago, thecampster said:

He is 3 months younger than JC was when he played Summer League. The important thing here is patience. If he grows any more, he'll be at least a PF.  Comparing him to Hunter and Reddish might be the wrong target. I've been trying to put my finger on a target comparison for him. He's smoother than Aaron Gordan but not quite as explosive. He's a better shooter than Josh Smith and has smoother handles but is not as strong. He is an excellent passer but does try to force passes he doesn't need to. Far too graceful for his size and length, good instincts rebounding around the basket but relies on his hops over technique. I really haven't been able to come up with a good comparison. He has a little Kukoc in him but is a better leaper. He really is kind of a unicorn. 

If I have any concern about him after 4 summer league games is that he may be too unselfish. It was a super quiet 25 today. In the flow of the game but lacked the instinct to take over the game like he is capable. He may be too polite to ever live up to his gifts. Weird, I know.

That is what will earn him a ton of minutes this year. He can come off the bench for Dre, JBap, and even CC and put up good numbers without plays being run for him.