Hawks' Forward Jalen Johnson (shoulder injury) ruled out for remainder of season
Jalen Johnson, a forward for the Atlanta Hawks, is set to have surgery on his injured left shoulder and will not play for the remainder of the season, according to multiple reports on Wednesday.
The injury occurred when he blocked a layup attempt by Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors in the second quarter of the Hawks' 122-119 loss last Thursday.
Johnson, who is 23 years old, had previously missed five games due to a problem with his right shoulder. He returned to play on January 18.
He currently leads the Hawks with an average of 10.0 rebounds per game. In 36 games, he ranks third on the team in scoring (18.9), second in assists (5.0), and second in minutes played (35.7). These are all career highs for Johnson.
The Hawks drafted Johnson with the 20th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft from Duke University. Throughout his four-year career, he has averaged 11.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 23.6 minutes per game over 184 games (94 starts).
Currently, the Hawks (22-25) are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, but are only two games behind sixth place, which guarantees a spot in the playoffs.
The Hawks have lost their last six games and will face the top-ranked Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday in Cleveland.