Former Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague is a big fan of Jalen Johnson.
The one and only Jeff Teague recently said on his podcast that he would start a team with Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson over Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton.
Check it out:
Haliburton led the Pacers to the NBA Finals last season. Indiana lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 and Haliburton tragically tore his Achilles tendon in Game 7. The All-Star point guard won't play this season.
Meanwhile, Johnson has taken his game to another level this season, especially after the Hawks traded Trae Young to the Washington Wizards. Johnson, who made his first All-Star team this year, is averaging 22.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game while shooting 49.2% from the field, 35.4% from beyond the arc and 78.6% from the free-throw line.
Since Johnson is younger than Haliburton and didn't tear his Achilles, it's safe to say that many people around the NBA would start their team with Johnson over Haliburton. However, we shouldn't forget how special Haliburton was last season.
As of this writing, the Hawks are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Johnson and Co. would face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs if the regular season ended today.
Young led Atlanta to the conference finals in 2021. It will be fascinating to see how far Johnson can take the Hawks in the playoffs this year.
The odds of the Hawks making the NBA Finals this year are very, very low. However, we said the same thing about Haliburton and the Pacers last year. Anything can happen in today's NBA.