Jalen Johnson's breakout campaign just got a whole lot better.
On Sunday night, Atlanta's young forward was named to All-NBA Third Team for the 2025-26 season. It's his first-career All-NBA selection, and while he'd certainly rather still be playing and competing for a championship, an honor like this should never go overlooked.
The way it ended was underwhelming, but the production over the course of the season was simply undeniable. In his first season as the Hawks' top option and face of the franchise, Johnson averaged 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game on just under 49% from the field.
Those numbers landed him his first career All-Star appearance, as well as his first career All-NBA selection. The way he handled his increased responsibility made him incredibly deserving of these honors.
There's no more room for denial regarding Johnson's superstar status
He's now the first player to represent the Atlanta Hawks on an All-NBA team since Trae Young in 2021-22. Young is no longer on the roster, and while his contributions will forever be appreciated by Hawks fans, there's been no issue transcending eras due to the maturity Johnson's displayed.
He wasn't supposed to be in this position entering the year. On opening night, Trae Young and Kristaps Porzingis were still on the roster. The general assumption was that Johnson would operate as the third option on a team looking to make some noise in the Eastern Conference.
The coaching staff and front office, however, could no longer ignore what was transpiring. They ultimately shipped off Young and Porzingis and gave Johnson the keys full-time; a decision that felt like kind of a no-brainer.
It's rare a player has such a breakout to the point where a transition between eras feels seamless, but Johnson did it.
Atlanta must now utilize their All-NBA forward the best they can
While his inexperience certainly showed during their recent first-round series, it'll serve as a valuable lesson for him moving forward. There were several weaknesses in his game that were exposed by the surging New York Knicks, and now he and the Hawks get a full offseason to make some corrections.
Hawks fans should be thrilled to have Jalen Johnson leading them into this new era. He's not a perfect player, by any means, but he has all the tools capable of making him the face of the franchise. This initial All-NBA selection could be looked back upon as what truly started it all.
Congrats, Jalen!
Add us as a preferred source on Google