Jalen Johnson is rapidly becoming the engine of the Trae-Young-less Atlanta Hawks and his head coach believes he’s still only scratching the surface.
Johnson recorded his second triple-double in as many nights on Saturday, posting 30 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in the Hawks’ 131–116 win over the Washington Wizards. It was his fourth triple-double of the season, all coming at a time when Atlanta is without four-time All-Star Trae Young, sidelined since late October with a sprained right MCL.
The 23-year-old is averaging 23.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists, all major jumps from his breakout 2024–25 campaign.
“It reflects a guy who’s done a lot of work and who we need to make a lot of plays for us,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “The triple-doubles are great, but he wants to win and there’s more there. He can be even more efficient, because we need him to be.”
Johnson’s back-to-back performances were historic.
On Friday, in a one-point loss to Denver, he logged the second-fastest triple-double in NBA history, hitting the mark in just 16:44, behind only Nikola Jokić’s 14:33.
Saturday’s effort made him only the second Hawk ever to post triple-doubles on both ends of a back-to-back, joining Bob Sura in April 2004.
“Yesterday was cool, but tonight was more important because we got the win,” Johnson said. “It was a great group effort. My teammates make the game easier for me.”
With Young out and the Hawks reshaping their identity, Johnson’s rise has been essential — and if Snyder is right, the frightening part for the rest of the league is that he still has room to grow.
