It’s been a rough season for the Atlanta Hawks, which have a vice grip on the 10-seed in the Eastern Conference and face a major uphill battle to try and make the playoffs. That’s especially the case with Trae Young sidelined due to hand surgery, with his potential return unknown — he’s set to be evaluated after surgery sometime soon.
If there is a major source of optimism, it exists in Jalen Johnson, who has been a revelation during his third year in the NBA. Johnson is one of the most promising youngsters in the league, as the 22-year-old forward looks like he is going to be an integral part of whatever the Hawks are going to be going forward. And on Monday night, the former Duke standout pulled off one of the most impressive dunks of the season at the expense of Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, who made a very bad decision to try and draw a charge.
Jalen Johnson leapfrogged Austin Reaves for the dunk. pic.twitter.com/qFYCCMQnkE
— Bally Sports: Hawks (@HawksOnBally) March 19, 2024
Not only did Reaves commit a foul because his feet weren’t set, Johnson just went right up and over him. He nearly cleared Reaves altogether, but we have to assume that he’s happy with this one turned out, because this is one heck of a way to score the first points of a game.