East Notes: Hawks, Jalen Johnson, Hornets, LaMelo Ball, Bulls

The Hawks may be pinning their hopes on a healthy Jalen Johnson.

More specifically, Atlanta’s ceiling this season could hinge on Johnson’s growth, as written by ESPN’s Zach Kram. The forward was limited to just 36 games last year due to injuries, but when he was healthy, he joined Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Domantas Sabonis as the only players to average at least 10 rebounds and five assists.

Over the past four years, Joel Embiid is the only other name to hit those marks. Johnson isn’t suddenly an MVP candidate, Kram writes, but he may be a lot closer to All-NBA territory than most realize.

• LaMelo’s high-usage problem: Kram points out that the Hornets’ LaMelo Ball led the NBA with a 35.9 percent usage rate last season, the 23rd-highest single-season mark in league history. Typically, players with that kind of workload produce All-NBA campaigns — 19 of the 22 players ahead of him did. But Ball’s PER was the worst ever for a player with at least a 35 percent usage rate. Factor in his injury history, and it’s fair to wonder if he’s still a franchise centerpiece or just a ball-dominant guard who doesn’t translate to winning.

• Bulls stuck in the middle: According to Kram, Chicago has been the definition of average. Since adding DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso four years ago, the Bulls have gone 164-164. Now those names — along with Zach LaVine — are gone, but the front office still isn’t embracing a rebuild. Instead of taking picks in trade talks, they sought players. The likely result: another season planted near .500 with no clear direction forward.

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