Jaylen Johnson sends an urgent message in the second half to Atlanta

The second half of the season is upon us, and The Atlanta Hawks are off to a good start with a 117-107 win against the Philadelphia 76ers. From now until the end of the season, every game will become more important for the Hawks as they try to climb the Eastern Conference standings.

Currently the ninth seed, the Hawks have a chance to gain an advantage when looking at the teams above them, but they could also fall in short order, with the Charlotte Hornets right behind them.

After their win against the 76ers, Johnson shared what the Hawks are all about will have to do to continue climbing the standings as the season continues.

“If we continue to play the full 48 minutes, we’re going to put ourselves in a position to win every night. I know the guys in that locker room, the coaching staff and everything, we believe in each other,” Johnson said. “So if we continue to believe in each other, I think we’ll make a good step.”

The Hawks apparently had a team meeting the night before the game, and Johnson said one message was clear throughout the group.

“We’re ready for the second half of the season. All of our mindsets are aligned and I think we understand what’s needed and what needs to be done,” Johnson said.

It’s been an interesting season for the Hawks, as they’ve had several iterations of this team throughout the year. Six new players have been added team via trades, and it’s clear that this isn’t the same group the Hawks started this season with. That said, they had to build chemistry with the new guys while the new guys were also trying to figure out where they fit.

In the end, the Hawks still have a solid enough group to win games, and are still in position to get a higher seed before the end of the season. After playing the most road games in the league in the first half of the season, the Hawks get a rest in the second half, and have one of the easier schedules in terms of opponent win percentage.

As Johnson said, if they can keep playing all 48 minutes, they can give themselves the best chance to keep winning.