Jalen Johnson’s ‘underrated’ trait that Kristaps Porzingis loves

Jalen Johnson has transformed into an All-Star caliber player this season for the Atlanta Hawks, and he’s doing everything for them. The forward is averaging 23.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 8.4 assists, and has tried to keep the Hawks afloat for the most part this season with several injuries to some key players.

Kristaps Porzingis is one of those players who has been in and out of the lineup for the Hawks, but when he steps on the court, he makes it look easy. A reason for that is his chemistry with Johnson, as both have built a solid connection with each other to get the Hawks some easy buckets. The one thing that Porzingis loves about Johnson is his playmaking ability.

“It’s super easy to play with Jalen,” Porzingis said after a game. “He’s a super underrated passer and the way he can get out in transition, it’s not many players like him. And then obviously just playing off of each other. Understanding where he likes to get the ball and how he likes to attack, and the same vice versa. He’s really good.”

Johnson shared the same sentiments about Porzingis, and is glad that the big man has been able to return to the court.

“It’s always easy playing with KP,” Johnson said. “He’s just a big that can do so much on the court on both sides of the floor as well. I know he’s excited to be back. It just brings a different dynamic to our group that I think everybody’s looking forward to having.”

Porzingis brings a different dynamic to the court for the Hawks with his ability to stretch the floor while also altering shots at the rim. The hope is that he can continue to string along some games so the Hawks can make up some ground in the Eastern Conference standings, as they’re currently in 10th place.

Kristaps Porzingis working to stay healthy

Porzingis has missed time this season because of an illness, as some suspect it’s POTS, which kept him out late last last year with the Boston Celtics. After a recent shootaround, Porzingis shared how he’s feeling now and what he’s doing to get back in shape.

“I’m feeling pretty good, working my way back up into like really good shape, but honestly (there are) positive signs from the first games and now we’re just taking our time building the minutes back up,” Porzingis said.

Though it’s a small sample size, the Hawks have played fairly well this season when Porzingis is on the floor. He also adds depth to the frontcourt, as Onyeka Okongwu has had to play a lot of minutes this season with him sidelined. If Porzingis can continue to stay healthy, and he builds chemistry with his teammates, such as Johnson, the Hawks should be able to win more games.

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