Jalen Johnson has seen a steady rise in production ever since entering the league in 2021.
From the G League to stardom, there isn't a much more inspiring path to greatness than the one he's currently on. Now, after finally reaching All-NBA status, as long as Johnson stays the course, he'll earn league-wide recognition as a superstar-caliber player. Maybe that's all Atlanta needs to jump into contention.
The thing is, people are already beginning to catch on. In ESPN's latest player rankings for the 2026 season, Johnson was ranked as the 22nd-best player in the NBA, 22 spots ahead of where he was the year prior (44).
They kept it honest about Johnson while still singing his praises
The best form of NBA analysis is one without bias. In either direction, really.
When an outlet, at any point in an ongoing career, is proven to be too high or too low on a player, it can become easy for them to never change their perception. It's refreshing to see ESPN be truthful about Johnson's undeniable rise, while still admitting he has areas he needs to improve.
If there wasn't clear promise that he could eventually become a franchise player, Atlanta wouldn't have been so confident in transitioning between eras.
Their first half-season with Johnson as the group's leader went pretty well, confirming their initial belief.
His regular season output was incredible. Averaging north of 22 points, ten rebounds and seven assists a night is no small feat. Especially in a player's first season at the helm. However, when it came to playoff time, many of Johnson's weaknesses as a young player were exposed.
ESPN's Ben Golliver understood that when ranking Johnson at 22, noting that Atlanta's young star "must prove his game can fully translate to the postseason after an underwhelming series against the Knicks."
The recent postseason was a learning experience for Johnson
The only way to get playoff experience is to, well, get playoff experience.
Even though he struggled to match the pace and physicality of normal postseason play, that was expected. It's difficult to fully grasp exactly what an NBA playoff environment is like without being there.
There are certainly some things he needs to freshen up before his sixth NBA season gets going. His halfcourt creation must be refined, and there needs to be a major emphasis on adjusting to physicality.
If he makes the correct advancements in his game before the new season begins, who knows, maybe he'll enter the 2027-28 season as a top ten player in the league.
It would be silly to rule out the possibility.
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