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The biggest problem I’ve seen from Jalen Johnson so far is that he’s not always playing to his offensive strengths.
Can he hit step back threes? Sure, but that is not his game. At this stage shot attempts like this are not ideal.
These are all clean looks, but you can see there is hesitation before each shot attempt. Almost like he doesn’t actually want to take the shots but is taking them just because of how open he is. But is giving the D what they want. Particularly when matched up with Cockburn.
Against a player like Cockburn, Jalen should take him to the rim every time. Players like that shouldn’t be able to guard him.
This is the Jalen Johnson I want to see more of moving forward. He’s a problem when driving to the rim. Makes it hard for the defense not to foul.
Here he takes Cockburn to the rim which he can do any time he wants against bigger players. As a result, he gets to the line.
The outside shot isn’t there yet but he’s got good touch near the rim and when he gets into the painted area. All of these positive things happen when he’s not settling.
He’s a superior athlete and excellent passer. When he drives, it’s tough for any defender to stay in front. Also opens up the opportunity for him to kick it out to open teammates. He’s not a BI/Tatum/Jabari type scorer but can be great in his own way.
I’m still extremely high on what Jalen Johnson is going to be this season. He’s certainly not lacking in talent. As he puts it together, he’s going to be scary good. We’re going to see a completely different version of Jalen by March.