Reasons for optimism for every NBA Team, Part I

Hope springs eternal. While not every squad will compete for the 2024-25 championship, there are always reasons to follow any team. Below, I’ve compiled my sources for optimism for the first ten teams, going alphabetically; I’ll release the remainder over the next couple of weeks.

Atlanta Hawks

Jalen Johnson

Johnson was a revelation last season. After two years of spring-legged flashes, he finally carved out a consistent role as a two-way dynamo to the tune of 16 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. Johnson is most known for his monster dunks, but he also showed a knack for placing pretty passes on the move, even in traffic:

There’s a bit of fellow Dukie Paolo Banchero in Johnson’s game (or maybe it should be the other way around, given that Johnson is a year older), and I believe Johnson can be the offensive hub when Trae Young rests. He even significantly improved his three-point shooting (35.5%) and volume (3.6 attempts per game), although there’s still work to be done.

Johnson should become a terrific defender. He’s strong enough to guard all but the biggest centers and quick enough to switch out on the perimeter. Synergy puts his isolation defense in the 90th percentile leaguewide, and he averaged 2.0 steals + blocks per game.

You don’t need a bloodhound to sniff All-Star potential here, and without Dejounte Murray, plenty of scoring opportunities should be available. A big year is in store.

Boston Celtics