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Jalen Johnson's biggest leap may come in an area Hawks fans don't expect

Related Topics: Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu

Jalen Johnson captured the attention of basketball fans last season with his impressive growth as a scorer and playmaker. The fifth-year player has experienced two consecutive breakout seasons, but both were cut short due to injury.

With a new supporting cast, Johnson has a slightly different role this year. This change will primarily come on the defensive end of the floor, where he is now playing next to Kristaps Porzingis. While Porzingis is a strong defender in the paint, he isn't as agile as an Onyeka Okongwu, creating a need for both mobile perimeter defense and secondary rim protection at the four.