Jalen Johnson’s breakout season is over. The Atlanta Hawks forward will have season-ending shoulder surgery, the team confirmed Wednesday.
Johnson, 23, suffered the shoulder injury during last Thursday’s 122-119 loss against the Toronto Raptors. In 36 appearances this season, he averaged 18.9 points 10.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals in 35.7 minutes, all of which are career highs. Johnson is in the mix for an All-Star spot; the reserves will be announced Thursday.
This is a massive blow for the Hawks, who are 22-25 on the season and ninth in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta has lost six straight games, including the game in which Johnson got hurt and the three games that followed.
The Hawks’ recent injury issues have extended beyond Johnson. In their 100-96 loss against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday, they were without Zaccharie Risacher (left adductor injury management), Clint Capela (back spasms) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (personal reasons). Bogdanovic didn’t play in their 100-92 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, either, and they were also missing Trae Young (hamstring) in that game. Larry Nance Jr. had surgery on his fractured hand in late December and returned to the lineup in their 117-94 loss against…
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