The Atlanta Hawks suffered a close-fought loss to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday evening. In short, it followed a similar script to the team’s road loss in Minnesota on Monday. The Hawks failed to convert open looks for most of the night and, while the team excelled on defense, it wasn’t quite enough for Atlanta to secure an upset victory.
For most of Wednesday morning, Atlanta’s sixth straight loss would have been the lead story of the day, but word soon broke that Jalen Johnson’s left shoulder issue is going to require season-ending surgery. Chris Haynes broke the news originally, and it was soon confirmed by multiple sources that Johnson would be gone for the year.
In short, this is a brutal blow for the Hawks.
Johnson is one of Atlanta’s clear top two players alongside Trae Young, and the Hawks have been approximately 10 points worse per 100 possessions with Johnson off the court this season. No one on the team’s roster can approximate his contributions on either end of the floor, and his absence will be felt throughout the remainder of the campaign.
The latest edition of the Locked On Hawks Podcast will dive into the fallout in more depth, but it is a tough day for the Hawks and for Jalen Johnson.
