Hawks ahead Jalen Johnson has been recognized with a torn labrum in his left shoulder and shall be sidelined for the remainder of the season, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes. Confirming the report, Shams Charania of ESPN says Johnson will bear surgical procedure to restore the tear.
Johnson suffered the injury final Thursday within the second quarter of a recreation vs. Toronto whereas defending Raptors ahead Scottie Barnes.
It’s an especially unlucky flip of occasions for the Hawks and for Johnson, who had averaged 18.9 factors, 10.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks in 35.7 minutes per recreation thus far this season.
The fourth-year ahead, who made 50.0 p.c of his pictures from the sector in 36 outings this season, appeared like a borderline All-Star candidate and a contender for Most Improved Participant votes.
Johnson was a key contributor for an Atlanta workforce that exceeded expectations within the first half of the season. The Hawks had been 22-19 on the halfway level. Nonetheless, they’ve misplaced their final six video games in a row and now sit ninth within the Jap Convention at 22-25.
Whereas they nonetheless appear to be a robust candidate to be a play-in workforce, not having Johnson for the remainder of the season will put a damper on the Hawks’ probabilities of making the playoffs. It might additionally influence how the entrance workplace approaches the commerce deadline, although the workforce doesn’t management its first-round choose, which shall be despatched to San Antonio, and received’t be motivated to lose video games.
With Johnson unavailable for the remainder of the season, the Hawks determine to lean extra closely on forwards Zaccharie Risacher and De’Andre Hunter, with David Roddy and Larry Nance Jr. among the many reserves who might transfer up the depth chart and see extra common enjoying time. Nonetheless, as Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks tweets, there’s nobody on the roster able to stepping in and replicating what Johnson did for the membership on each ends of the ground.
Atlanta received’t be eligible to use for a disabled player exception to interchange Johnson because the deadline to request a DPE was Jan. 15.
Johnson would have been eligible for restricted free company this coming season if he hadn’t agreed to phrases on a rookie scale extension with the Hawks simply forward of the October deadline. He signed a five-year, $150M deal that can go into impact for the 2025-26 season.
