Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson was on track for a breakout season last year, with some even suggesting he was playing at an All-Star level, before a torn labrum in his left shoulder cut his campaign short in January.
Now, nine months later, Johnson has fully recovered and is eager to get back on the floor, according to Bill Trocchi of The Associated Press.
“I’m just excited for a basketball game,” Johnson said. “It’s been a long time since January, so I’m excited to get out on the court, preseason, training camp. I’m excited to be full go and fully healthy going into the season.”
During Johnson’s absence, the Hawks reshaped parts of their roster, adding Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard.
For Johnson, part of training camp has been about building chemistry with those new teammates and figuring out how his versatile skill set fits into a lineup that looks different from the one he left in January.
Head coach Quin Snyder has big plans for Johnson, emphasizing his playmaking ability and the impact it has on the rest of the roster.
“Other guys on the team benefit from Jalen because of his play-making ability,” Snyder explained. “Jalen is such a good passer and willing passer that he’s ready to play-make even more. … (With the new lineup), he will be in spacing situations where he can just catch and shoot. We want him to do that, just to let it fly. We trust him in that regard.”
With his health restored and an expanded role waiting, Johnson enters the 2025–26 season determined to pick up where he left off – and possibly take another step forward as one of Atlanta’s cornerstone pieces.
Southeast Notes: J. Johnson, Daniels, T. Jones, Mann https://t.co/1UL2hSq2TQ pic.twitter.com/Pt5APDwTV3
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) October 5, 2025
