Jaylen Johnson has a half-hearted look at the season in Atlanta

The Atlanta Hawks they are about to start their regular season, and it starts with a match against the Toronto Raptors. For the past few months, The Hawks received a lot of praise for what they did during the offseason, bringing in players like Kristaps Porzingis, Nikhil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard to help improve the team.

They also have their core group returning from last season, and many are excited about how they can continue to improve individually. Jalen Johnson is a key part of that core group, and the Hawks were on the rise last season earlier he suffered a shoulder injury it put him out for a year.

Johnson is now back and healthy, but he wants to focus on the present instead of what the Hawks did last season.

“I don’t want to look at last year anymore,” Johnson told reporters. “I want to keep focusing on this season, but I think we’re going in the right direction. We’ve got a lot of guys involved. They’re all bought in, and they’re all focused on one common goal. I think if we just keep that mindset through the ups and downs of the season, I think we’ll be fine.”

The Hawks have high expectations for them this season, and they have the talent on the team to achieve that success.

Jaylen Johnson ready to return

Before Johnson went down last season, the Hawks were among the top six teams in the Eastern Conference and playing good basketball. The young forward was a big reason for that success, because he carried the offensive load next to Tree Young, and at the same time was a solid defender on the other end of the floor.

There is one specific reason why Johnson is ready to go when the season starts, and he may have the game circled on his calendar.

“I’m excited to play again,” Johnson said. Toronto was the game I got hurt in last year, so that gives me a little extra motivation. We are all excited. We’re ready to go.”

Johnson averaged 18.9 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 36 games last season, and if he can get back to those numbers, the Hawks should be in good shape. He’ll have some more help this season, but it’s imperative that he sets the tone for the Hawks and gets them going with his ability to push the ball, finish in transition and make plays for his teammates.

If he plays well and the Hawks are near the top of the conference, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him as a potential All-Star this season.