The Atlanta Hawks find themselves in a bit of a pickle at power forward. They entered last night's matchup against the Hornets already down John Collins due to injury, but to make matters worse Danillo Gallinari left the game due to a right bicep contusion. Nate McMillan was on with the Midday Show on Tuesday to discuss the possibility that Jalen Johnson could hear his name called.
As it stands currently, the Hawks have looked to some combination of DeAndre Hunter, Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot, and Kevin Knox to shoulder the load. This team is in the midst of a push to the playoffs and after last night's 116-106 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, there needs to be a greater sense of urgency.
All options are on the table for the Hawks, and that could - and should - include bringing up Jalen Johnson to the active roster.
McMillan specified that it could be a possibility if Gallinari remains out for any significant period. But even in a bench role, the team would be better off bringing up Jalen Johnson to fill minutes. Hunter is needed elsewhere and we've seen what we need to see from Knox and TLC.
The team will be looking to get John Collins and Danillo Gallinari as quickly as possible, but in the meantime, Johnson has flashed some dramatic upside with College Park and he needs to be on this roster. The rookie forward has averaged 21.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game for the College Park Skyhawks. Just last night, Johnson flashed his tremendous upside by nearly accounting for a double-double by halftime. He finished with an astounding 29-19-8 stat-line.
Even in a reserve role, he offers so much more than anyone else on the roster. The Hawks will have to wait and see on Gallo, but with John Collins out for the foreseeable future, now is the time that Johnson should get the call.