The Atlanta Hawks have arrived. As much as the mainstream media would probably like to, they're becoming impossible to ignore.
Late-season excellence is the reason why. Over their last 16 matchups, they've picked up 14 wins. That stretch alone has propelled them past the Play-In Tournament and into the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
This turnaround doesn't rest on the shoulders of one individual, but someone's at least had to lead the way. That particular someone is Jalen Johnson. In his sixth NBA season, the 6'8" forward's taken his game to new heights, immediately raising his franchise's ceiling as they progress into a new era.
On the year, Johnson's averaging a career-best 22.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game, knocking down 49.3% of his field goal attempts. This unreal season-long production earned him his first-career NBA All-Star nod.
Many, many more selections are to come, and the same can be said for some other eye-opening accolades. Not only is he looking to lead the Hawks to the greatest success they've seen, but his individual dominance could soon place him into conversations for the best player in the world.
In fact, they've already begun. It'd be foolish to give that mark to Johnson this early-on, but if his current trajectory is any indicator, he'll be there soon. The league is starting to take notice.
This recent stretch has put Jalen Johnson in some elite company.
Every week, the NBA releases a new MVP Ladder, where they rank the top ten candidates for the end-of-season award based off recent trends and lasting production. Now, in two consecutive weeks, Johnson's been in that top ten.
He's not ten, he's not nine and he's not even eight. That's right, Atlanta's young forward is seventh in this year's MVP Ladder, staying at that spot for two weeks straight. His combination of eye-opening numbers and impressive team wins have given him an undeniable case.
Jalen Johnson remains seventh in the NBA’s most recent MVP Ladder.
— Zach Langley (@ZachLangleyNBA) March 27, 2026
The three players in the top ten who he's ahead of are Anthony Edwards, Donovan Mitchell and Kawhi Leonard, all of whom are in the midst of remarkable individual seasons. Leonard, in particular, is arguably having the best campaign of his career.
Johnson's just behind Cade Cunningham, who's led his red-hot Pistons team to the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Him likely being sidelined for the rest of the regular season, however, has allowed Johnson to creep up on him in the MVP Ladder.
He's not going to bring home the award this season, but the league needs to be on watch, as Jalen Johnson could easily cement himself as a top candidate as early as next year.