December is here. Now is the time when players and teams begin to understand their trajectory for the season. Not even two months into the new year, Jalen Johnson and the Hawks have put the basketball world on notice, cementing their spot as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
Sitting at 13-8 after Sunday night's double-overtime thriller, the Hawks have been put to the test all year. Time and time again, they have proven that they can pull out close victories, dominate inferior opponents, and rise to the level of their competition.
While the whole roster has made an impact during this early-season run, one player in particular has once again taken his game to another level. Jalen Johnson, Atlanta's fifth-year forward out of Duke, has been on an absolute tear.
A "tear" may be putting it lightly. Johnson has been nuclear, forcing the national media to pay attention to the Hawks. Over his last ten games, Johnson is averaging 25.4 points, 11.0 rebounds, 9.1 assists, and 1.9 steals per game on unreal shooting splits of 52.1% from the field and 49.0% from deep. Atlanta is 7-3 over that stretch.
These numbers have firmly placed Jalen Johnson in the MVP race.
You heard that right: Atlanta has an MVP candidate. In two consecutive weeks, Johnson has been placed in the top ten of the NBA's official MVP ladder. He was ranked as high as seventh place before dropping to tenth last week.
The most recent rankings, however, did not include Johnson's last two outings. In a win over Cleveland, he recorded a 29-point triple-double, then followed it up with a 41-point performance in Philadelphia.
One could make the argument that these last two games were the best of his career. Next week's MVP ladder could spark some serious conversations, because a top-five placement for Jalen Johnson is not out of the picture.
MVP 🗣️ MVP 🗣️ MVP 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/85ZksTQDtm
— Zach Langley (@langleyatl) December 1, 2025
Being in the race is one thing, but bringing home the award is a whole different ball game. This ladder has been very top-heavy in recent years, as Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo continue to play at a high-level. Stealing the award (or even a vote) away from any of them would be a miracle.
As long as Atlanta keeps winning and he continues to record historic numbers, an All-Star appearance and All-NBA nod for Jalen Johnson seems likely. If all of this were to come true, Johnson could have a legitimate case for the 2026 Most Valuable Player award.