Jalen Johnson & AJ Griffin Need Time From Next Head Coach

The next Atlanta Hawks coach must play Jalen Johnson and AJ Griffin.

The Atlanta Hawks have fired head coach Nate McMillan after a disappointing 29-30 start to the season. Atlanta is hitting the ground running, trying to find a replacement to lead this team. One failure of McMillan's tenure was the development of his young guys. 

Jalen Johnson and AJ Griffin are both young players who show great potential. Unfortunately, they weren’t given enough opportunities to grow throughout their professional careers. 

Griffin has had more playing time than Johnson, but it still feels like they should be getting more. Those two young players can’t solve all of Atlanta's issues, but they should get more time on the court to make an impact.

Griffin has been a blessing for Atlanta after being snagged with the 16th selection at the 2022 NBA Draft. The rookie made a big splash against the Milwaukee Bucks filling while Trae Young was out that game. Griffin showed right away he has the potential to be an outstanding player in this game. Some may say even a budding star. 

Now it’s difficult for the 19-year-old to crack the starting rotation with Young and Murray in front of him. However, he should at least be the sixth man and get a bulk of the bench minutes. 

McMillan would ride Young, Murray, and Bogdanovic heavy minutes while Griffin languished on the bench. The old-school coach sometimes took Griffin out when he was hot or just started getting a rhythm. With McMillan gone, it's Griffin's time, and we can see how good he really is. 

Jalen Johnson and AJ Griffin defend Nick Richards / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Johnson spent most of his rookie season in the G-league, where he excelled. This year he has on the main NBA roster but on the fringe of McMillan's rotation. Early in the year, it felt like Johnson was trying to find a role and his confidence. But building confidence required time on the court. 

As this season progressed, Johnson showed flashes of his potential. He is a solid passer, rim runner, athletic, and strong defender. The 21-year-old can play point forward and even be a center in a small ball lineup and be very effective. Unfortunately, McMillan never let Johnson cook, even after strong performances in a limited time. 

After this season, Johnson will enter his third year in the league. He will want his role to increase as contract talks quickly approach. The hope is that his role will expand under the new head coach, and we can see what he can do. 

Atlanta's front office is looking for their next coach to be someone who values player development. That could mean good things for Griffin and Johnson next year. It will be interesting to see what Joe Puntry does with them in the last quarter of the season. Atlanta's next head coach must prioritize the two young Hawks' development and makes them a central part of the rotation going into next season.