Hawks coach Quin Snyder sees undeniable potential in Jalen Johnson and Jonathan Kuminga playing together, highlighting their combined versatility on the court.
The Atlanta Hawks are enjoying the All-Star break at the moment but are set to return to action Thursday night when they take on the Philadelphia 76ers. The Hawks will hope to get the services of Jonathan Kuminga, who has been out with an injury since being traded from the Golden State Warriors.
A very interesting development with this Hawks team is how Jalen Johnson and Jonathan Kuminga, two versatile forwards, will play alongside each other.
Quin Snyder recently spoke to the media about what Jalen Johnson and Kuminga can bring to the table when they are on the floor at the same time:
"Absolutely, you can see them playing together," Snyder said. "Those guys have a level of versatility."
Johnson has emerged as Atlanta's best playmaker and the player that the offense runs through, but adding Kuminga adds another layer of solid forward play for this Hawks roster.
"Obviously, Jonathan hasn't played for us yet, but certainly, you studied him and are familiar with him as a player," Snyder said. "I think the thing about both of those guys in my mind is that I'd like to see them just continue to work and to commit to the things that can help our team be successful."
Onsi Saleh had a really active trade deadline as a GM, as the Hawks made the most total trades in the NBA, and Synder touched on his vision with the Jonathan Kuminga trade:
"I think we have a lot of guys who are capable of making each other better, whether it is playmaking or attacking the rim and getting fouled," Snyder said. "I think what Onsi is referring to, too, is not only getting into the paint and at the rim but also being able to find people. That is something that is a big point of emphasis for us and will be with Jonathan as well."
Sitting at 26-30, and in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, Atlanta will need the services of Kuminga to pick up the slack a little bit on defense, and also to provide efficient scoring.
Kuminga has played in just 20 games this season and is averaging 12.1 points on 45% shooting. There was some clear disconnect between Kuminga and the Warriors, which led to him being dealt, but the hope is that Jonathan Kuminga can find his scoring rhythm again while with Atlanta.