After narrowly beating the Charlotte Hornets (4-13) on Monday, 113-110, the Atlanta Hawks (11-7) have now captured their 7th win in their last nine games, pushing them to the no.5 seed in the Eastern Conference, and they are already in a fantastic position despite not having Trae Young due to an MCL injury. This seemingly good start to their 2025-2026 campaign is mainly due to their top two contributors, the defensive menace Dyson Daniels and the breakout star Jalen Johnson.
Hawks Escape the Hornets at Home, but Issues on Offense are Evident Without Trae
Atlanta faced Charlotte without Trae Young and Kristaps Porzingis but still managed to pick up the victory. They were just coming off a blowout win against the New Orleans Pelicans yesterday, so it was understandable that the usually uplifted young Hawks squad would be a little bit sluggish in facing a weaker team. The Hornets almost stole a road win had the Hawks failed to ignite their offense late in the game.
Jalen Johnson was a couple of rebounds shy of recording a triple-double after putting up 28 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds. Johnson already has 15 straight games where he logged at least 15 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds, making him the first player to do so in Hawks franchise history. Meanwhile, Dyson Daniels broke a record of his own and was doing all sorts of damage against the Hornets on both ends of the floor. The 2024 All-Defensive First Team member and DPoY runner-up scored a season-high 22 points, his first 20-point game this season. On top of that, Daniels also dished nine dimes, grabbed nine rebounds, and had two steals—his 70th straight game recording at least one steal and making him one of the only four guys in NBA history.
Big Man Onyeka Okongwu also chipped in 20 points, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 23 of his own, including a clutch steal and free-throw at the final seconds of the game.
After Young was forced to sit out early in November, the Hawks found themselves struggling to switch in positioning and adapt to their opponents’ defensive schemes, so head coach Quin Snyder had to adjust. Fortunately, it worked, and they have been on a roll and have gone 8-3 since November 5.
Jalen Johnson’s All-Star Season Incoming
As expected, Jalen Johnson is already poised for a breakout in the 2025-2026 season. From only scoring 2 points per game in his rookie year to becoming the current leading scorer for Atlanta with 22 points per game while also raking in 6.7 assists, 9.7 rebounds per game, and shooting 40.8% from range, it’s already safe to say he’s on the right track
After consistently showing up as the team’s interim best player, the 23-year-old forward is already getting the nod of possibly being selected in the 2026 All-Star Game. By putting the Hawks in a higher seed and perhaps in a position where they can finally compete in the East, Johnson just might get his first All-Star selection after five seasons in the league.
