Hawks fans have known for some time that Jalen Johnson is special. Not just a quality role player with potential to develop into something greater, but a natural star who could reach superstar level upon unlocking certain aspects of his game.
It was only a matter of time before he was handed the keys to the franchise. While moving off of Trae Young was an incredibly tough decision, considering all he's done for the organization, Johnson's inevitable breakout made it much easier to fully introduce a brand new era.
In Atlanta's first season with Johnson as their top option, they exceeded expectations. Now, it's not just Hawks fans taking notice. HoopsHype's latest ranking of the NBA's best power forwards confirms it.
Johnson is among incredibly elite company for the first time in his career
Entering the 2026-27 season as the second-best power forward in the NBA... Jalen Johnson.
Frank Urbina had this to say about Atlanta's star:
"A freak athlete, Jalen Johnson, after showing strong flashes in the previous two seasons, broke out fully in 2025-26, putting up an unreal 22/10/7.5 stat line and becoming the unquestioned franchise building block for the Atlanta Hawks, who decided to trade Trae Young and continue building around Johnson instead."
He concluded his assessment of Johnson by noting that if he finally hones in on his outside jumper, he'll be able to take that long-awaited next step into superstardom.
And to be fair, he's no poor outside shooter, by any stretch of the imagination.
While 35% isn't necessarily elite, it's solid. It's all he needs to be considered a real threat from out there, which is more of a tag than many who share his position are given.
If he develops into a 38% or above shooter from long-range, a 25-28 point per game average isn't at all out of the picture. A terrifying thought for the rest of the Eastern Conference.
Hawks expect another leap out of the second-best power forward in the world
As they should.
Nothing Johnson's shown over the course of his five-year NBA career alludes to his development suddenly pausing ahead of year six.
A big reason why the Hawks didn't go out and acquire a superstar-level player this offseason is because they truly believe they have one on their hands.
Only time will tell if they're correct in their assumption, but clearly those around the league believe they may not be too far off.
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