Jalen Johnson Has To Show 'He's Ready For The Moment' For Hawks
With the NBA’s regular season set to end this weekend, the Atlanta Hawks picked up their second straight loss on Wednesday as they were defeated by the Cleveland Cavaliers 122-116, marking the first time suffering consecutive losses since February.
And while the loss did not knock the Hawks out of fifth place in the Eastern Conference, they are now just a half-game ahead of the Toronto Raptors, who are in sixth place, and a game ahead of the Orlando Magic, who currently sit in seventh in the conference standings.
So while still in a good position to reach the playoffs and avoid the play-in rounds of the post-season, with the Cavaliers in town on Friday ahead of their season finally against the Miami Heat, who sit in 10th in the conference, concerns in regards to Jalen Johnson were front and center for 92-9 The Game’s Carl Dukes and Mike Bell.
“Last night, you saw what a star does in the second half versus what an up and coming, I think he can be a star does,” Dukes said as he referenced Donovan Mitchell propelling the Cavaliers with 13 points in the third quarter, helping them outscore the Hawks 44-20 in the period to overcome a 67-60 deficit at halftime, while Johnson, who finished with 12 points, was held scoreless in the quarter.
“For us, JJ [Jalen Johnson] was not that guy last night,” Dukes said of Johnson’s. “I think Jalen Johnson’s a really good player but as I’ve said to you guys, I don’t know if he is a star yet. I’m not going to anoint him that,” Dukes continued. “I have to see Jalen [Johnson] show up in these big games,” Dukes said.Can Jalen Johnson answer the call for Hawks?
Can Jalen Johnson answer the call for Hawks?
