The G League Isn’t Just for NBA Long Shots Anymore

This article is a pretty nice look into Jalen Johnson’s development in the G League.

“Before Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson was an NBA Most Improved Player candidate, before he blossomed into a top-75 player and an untouchable trade target, he “didn’t really see the vision” in his team’s development plan for him.

The no. 20 pick in the 2021 draft, Johnson debuted in garbage time on opening night of the 2021-22 season, but he didn’t exceed five minutes in any game for two months. And why would he have? Atlanta was coming off a conference finals appearance; Johnson was just 19 years old with half a college season under his belt; and the Hawks were already well stocked at the forward positions, with John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, Danilo Gallinari, and Cam Reddish all ahead of the rookie on the depth chart.

So even though the Hawks were excited about Johnson’s potential, they sent him 10 miles down the road—to the home of the College Park Skyhawks, their G League affiliate, to get him more playing time. Years later, Johnson recalls his initial confusion about the move. “When you’re 19 coming in, you’re not used to that type of thing,” he says. “You don’t really see the big picture. You just get drafted, all your friends are, you know, ‘NBA! NBA!’ so you’re not really thinking about the G League.”

But unlike in Atlanta, where he couldn’t crack the Hawks rotation, Johnson thrived on the lower level of the NBA ladder. During his rookie campaign, Johnson played 760 minutes in the G League, versus just 120 in the NBA. He scored 21 points per game for the Skyhawks, with 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks, and gained the two-way confidence that paved the way for his eventual breakout on the NBA stage.

“I grew up, I matured, and I understood and really took advantage of it as I went along in the season,” Johnson says. “Sometimes you’ve got to wait your turn, you’ve got to be patient. … It’s helped me tremendously, so I’m glad it went that way.”

by DHD33