John Collins peaked for the Hawks in the 2019-20 season, putting up 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, looking like a future star to pair with Trae Young. But, that February, looking to shore up their interior defense, the Hawks traded for Clint Capela.
Over the next few seasons, Capela's rim protection became an essential counterweight to Young's defensive shortcomings. Capela increasingly became the pick-and-roll partner for Young, marginalizing Collins on offense and eventually shrinking his role to nothing but static spot-ups in the corners.
Last season, Collins averaged just 13.1 points per game, the fewest since his rookie season, and shot under 30 percent from beyond the arc. After a multi-year run of endless trade rumors, they finally dealt him to the Utah Jazz, returning nothing but Rudy Gay and a second-year pick.
While the Hawks did a terrible job maximizing Collins as a player and trade asset, they found themselves the perfect replacement to plug in.
Jalen Johnson is the player the Hawks needed John Collins to be
Over the last two weeks, third-year forward Jalen Johnson has entrenched himself as the Hawks' fifth starter. He's averaging 14.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.9 blocks per game, shooting 61.1 percent from the field and 46.9 percent from beyond the arc.
The most obvious difference between Johnson and Collins is at the defensive end. Both players have similar builds and athletic tools but Johnson is a much more polished defender. He's still learning the roles and responsibilities in a team context but, individually, he's already incredibly impactful.
According to the NBA's playtype statistics, opponents are shooting just 3-of-15 against him this season in isolations and just 4-of-13 on post-ups. He's quick, long and physical, he doesn't shy away from contact or confrontation and his body control is fantastic.
Johnson's combination of size, mobility, switchability and disruptiveness make him the perfect frontcourt partner for Capela's paint-anchored rim protection. The Hawks are allowing just 109.0 points per 100 possessions with Capela and Johnson on the floor together.
On offense, he's nowhere near as polished a volume scorer as Collins but his skill set is much more versatile and much better suited for a complementary role.
Johnson almost certainly won't continue hitting better than 45 percent of his 3-pointers but that's every reason to think he can continue to be a solid and reliable spot-up threat. He's an excellent cutter, finisher and offensive rebounder, the other ancillary skills that are needed in a system built on a non-stop diet of Trae Young pick-and-rolls. He's also more than comfortable taking larger players off the dribble, making him valuable in attacking the basket closeouts or driving against a bent defense.
But the biggest difference between him and Collins is his passing ability and the dimension he gives them in advancing the ball and finding shooters from the middle of the floor. He does a great job in the short roll, taking advantage of 4-on-3 situations in a way none of the Hawks' bigs have ever been as equipped to leverage.
His handle and vision also make him a real threat in grab-and-go situations, against something that is new for the Hawks offense where in years past their bigs were simply looking to get the ball into Young's hands as quickly as possible.
Even with Trae Young shooting at historically anemic levels, the Hawks are 6-5 with the 10th-best point differential in the league. They've been better than last season at both ends of the floor and the addition of Jalen Johnson to their regular rotation has been one of the biggest reasons why.
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The Big Three: Chris Kline on the struggling Cavs, Tyrese Maxey, trade rumors and more
Chris Kline is a staff writer for FanSided and our regular NBA Draft expert. I asked him three big questions about what's working and isn't in the Eastern Conference.
Which team should be more worried about their rocky start — the Milwaukee Bucks or the Cleveland Cavaliers?
Probably the Cavs. It's really a talent question, yeah? Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard remain superstars, even if Lillard has been a bit inconsistent in his new home. The Bucks have a lot to figure out defensively, but there's a marked difference between 7-4 and 5-6, and I'm inclined to trust the Bucks' core (it is, however, time to be very worried about Khris Middleton). That doesn't mean the Cavs should panic either. Donovan Mitchell has been exceptional and Darius Garland deserves some time to get back up to speed. But, given all the noise around Mitchell's future, compounded by the difficult finish to last season, Cleveland probably has to feel a bit antsy right now.
With Tyrese Maxey breaking out, is this the best supporting cast the 76ers have had around Joel Embiid?
I hesitate to use the term "best" when he once played with Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, and prime Ben Simmons. That Sixers team was on the verge of beating Toronto and probably winning, or at least competing for the championship. That said, Philadelphia's wing depth has never been better. The bench isn't perfect — one more ball-handler, please — but the Sixers have long struggled to field enough wings who can both shoot and defend. Now, the roster is full of them. Combine that with Maxey's breakout, another Joel Embiid leap, and the obvious benefits of Nick Nurse's new system, and the Sixers haven't been this well-positioned to contend (or at least make a move to get closer to contention) since Butler left and the franchise momentarily imploded.
Which fringe contender most needs to make a trade and who should they be targeting?
Circling back to the Cavs. Cleveland certainly has the firepower to contend and it might benefit the front office to poke around the trade market. Their assets are limited after the Mitchell trade, but maybe it's time to see what kind of player and picks Jarrett Allen can return. Also, OKC. The Thunder are deep and well-balanced, but Sam Presti literally has too many first-round picks to use. At some point, it's malpractice not to cash in. The Thunder can put together a superstar package and still have double-digit first-round picks left in the chamber. When it comes to the Zach LaVine noise, I'd highlight the Lakers, Heat, and Magic as the most intriguing, reasonable fits. If Alex Caruso gets dealt, just about every team will want in, but he would really help the Sixers upgrade the Patrick Beverley minutes (and then some) and he would drastically improve the Bucks' shoddy second unit if Milwaukee can find the assets.
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