The Atlanta Hawks plan to use the 2025-26 season as a platform to determine if Jalen Johnson and Trae Young can thrive together on the court. Marc Stein stated on August 24 that Atlanta plans to give the pairing a significant amount of minutes together next season to determine whether they will be part of the long-term core.
“I’m told that the Hawks are eager to see more of Young alongside versatile swingman Jalen Johnson – who was limited to 36 games last season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury – as they make determinations about their big-picture future”.
Jalen Johnson’s True Strength: Scoring at the Rim
However, the Atlanta Hawks already have the answer as to how the pairing can excel on the court together. Jalen Johnson needs to be a screener for Trae Young. Before entering the league, Jalen Johnson had a history of excelling around the rim. According to NBA.com, Jalen Johnson ranked in the 87th percentile on around-the-rim in the half-court, averaging 1.39 points per possession.
Jalen Johnson continued to excel near the basket in the G League. He shot 65.5% within 5 ft of the basket in 8 career games on 7.2 attempts. Jalen Johnson’s success around the basket has not stopped with the Atlanta Hawks. He is shooting 74.2% in the restricted area on 3.6 attempts per game.
Given the statistics, the Atlanta Hawks need to prioritize finding ways to get Jalen Johnson near the basket. The easiest way for Jalen Johnson to get near the basket within the Hawks’ offense is as a roll man.
Atlanta has been in the top five in roll man possessions since the 2018-19 season, averaging 7.7 per game. Atlanta often employs a roll man because Trae Young’s preferred offensive play type is the pick-and-roll.
Throughout his nine seasons in the league, Trae Young has been a pick-and-roll ball handler on 49.5% of his possessions, averaging 12.9 per game. Atlanta has only used Jalen Johnson as a roll man on 16.9% of its offensive possessions, averaging 1.3 per game.
The Problem: Jalen Johnson as a Floor Spacer
Consequently, Jalen Johnson spent the most time in the pick-and-roll position off the ball. Similar to the rest of the league, Atlanta likes to have multiple players standing behind the arc when Trae Young is running a pick-and-roll. Therefore, Jalen Johnson has spent most pick-and-roll possessions as a floor spacer.
Unfortunately, the worst aspect of Jalen Johnson’s skill set has been shooting. Jalen Johnson shot 31.4% in the G League on 4.4 attempts per game. He has maintained a similar percentage with the Hawks, shooting 32.3% on 2.5 attempts per game.
Bulls vs Hawks
Jalen Johnson’s shooting struggles have led defenders to give him space when he is off the ball. On November 9, 2024, Johnson stood between the left corner and wing with eight minutes to go in the first quarter against the Chicago Bulls. He remained there as Young initiated a pick-and-roll possession with Clint Capela.
Due to Johnson being off the ball, his defender, Patrick Williams, gave him about 5 ft of space. Williams made this decision to pay attention to Young, who had the ball.
Williams’ decision affected Young’s plan of attack as he rejected the screen and took a couple of steps towards the basket. However, he realized three Chicago Bulls players were surrounding him, including Williams.
Consequently, Young passed the ball to Johnson, who was wide open. Williams was late getting back to him, leading Johnson to shoot a three-pointer that barely went in the basket.
These types of possessions have led the Atlanta Hawks to slightly outperform their opponents when Jalen Johnson and Trae Young share the court. The team has averaged 54.8 points, shooting 47.1% on 41.7 attempts. Over the last 3 seasons, Atlanta has outscored its opponents by 0.2 points in the 21.6 minutes that Jalen Johnson and Trae Young share the court.
Why the Sixth Man Role Unlocks Jalen Johnson
Unless the Atlanta Hawks utilize Jalen Johnson as a roll man more frequently, he should come off the bench as a sixth man. Jalen Johnson, as a six-man, increases the likelihood of him getting more ball-handling opportunities. According to NBA.com, Jalen Johnson liked to push the ball in transition before entering the league.
“One of the more unique players in college basketball, Johnson handled the ball quite a bit as a freshman, even if he started many sets under the rim as well. Generating nearly a quarter of his opportunities in transition scoring 1.00 points per transition possession [47th percentile], he showed the ability to grab and go off the glass, finish emphatically filling lanes, and find the open man in space.”
Furthermore, Johnson being a sixth man would allow Atlanta to put an extra shooter alongside Young. Consequently, there is a lower likelihood that NBA players like Patrick Williams provide defensive help on Young.
Johnson’s role will play a significant factor in determining the Atlanta Hawks’ success during the 2025-26 season. If Atlanta starts him, they will have at least two below-average shooters in the starting lineup: Dyson Daniels and Johnson.
There may be a third below-average shooter in the starting lineup, depending on who the Atlanta Hawks start at center. Either way, the opposing team has the opportunity to leave multiple players open to provide help to the young.
In this scenario, Young will have to pass the ball to a teammate, resulting in either an offensive reset or a low-percentage three-point attempt.
In conclusion, as long as Young is with the Atlanta Hawks, Johnson needs to be the sixth man.
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