NBA Legend Talks Jalen Johnson, Trae Young, Hawks’ Trajectory

Posted on: February 24, 2026, 12:50h.

Last up to date on: February 24, 2026, 12:50h.

• Wilkins could not be happier for Jalen Johnson and his All-Star Weekend honors
• The nine-time NBA All-Star is assured that the Atlanta Hawks could make a playoff run

If you have earned the respect of Dominic Wilkinsyou realize you are doing one thing proper. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer is without doubt one of the biggest gamers ever and definitely the most effective gamers in Atlanta Hawks historical past. Wilkins is well-known for his matchups towards Michael Jordan within the Slam Dunk Contest, however Wilkins was the most effective gamers and scorers of his period.

The 66-year-old went to 9 straight All-Star video games and was a seven-time All-NBA choice. He additionally led the NBA in scoring with 30.3 factors per recreation in the course of the 1985-86 season.

Fast ahead to the current day and the Hawks are led by a brand new younger phenom in Jalen Johnson. The 24-year-old went to his first All-Star recreation this yr in the midst of his breakout season. The former first-round draft decide is averaging 23.4 factors, 10.8 rebounds and eight.1 assists per recreation this season and has put the Hawks in play-in place for the playoffs.

Wilkins, who matched up towards Chicago Bulls nice Scottie Pippen throughout their heyday, in contrast Johnson to the six-time NBA champion.

“Well, I must say he’s a little bit of Scottie Pippen as far as being a point forward,” Wilkins instructed Casino.org in an unique interview. “Pippen was some extent ahead, and was very efficient on the place. This man Jalen, he brings even one other ingredient, as a result of the way in which he rebounds, the way in which he passes, and he flirts with a triple-double each single night time.

“I love Jalen Johnson. The way he plays, man, and he’s so deserving of this honor that he received during All-Star weekend. I couldn’t be happier for him.”

Wilkins stated he has a “great” relationship with the 24-year-old star, saying that he is aware of Johnson’s mother and father.

“I look at Jalen like someone like your brother in a sense,” Wilkins stated. “I’ve an amazing relationship with him. I’ve an amazing relationship along with his mother and pa. I noticed the expansion in him two years in the past, and I stated to his mother and father, ‘Don’t fear, he’ll do very nicely on this league, and he’ll be an amazing participant on this league. Just be affected person.’ “And now look where he’s at.”

Wilkins: Johnson can grow to be deadly scorer, enhance on protection

Two years in the past, Johnson averaged 16.0 factors, 8.7 rebounds and three.6 assists per recreation. All three averages throughout the board have skyrocketed, particularly in regard to the assists per recreation.

Wilkins’ recommendation to the brand new franchise face, Johnson, is to take issues steadily and never look too far forward.

“Jalen Johnson has developed quicker than a lot of people have given credit for or expected,” Wilkins stated. “But they always say, take care of your business at hand. Don’t worry about too much down the road right now. Worry about what you’re doing now. You take this one game at a time, one month at a time, one year at a time.”

When requested in what areas can Johnson enhance, Wilkins did not particularly consider one space. However, he stated you may all the time get higher as a participant and talked about scoring and enhancing defensively as Johnson continues to develop as a 24-year-old.

“He’s still a young guy, so it’s a few different areas where he can get better, and he will get better,” Wilkins stated. “He will get better defensively. He will get better as far as different ways he can score. As a young guy, you can always get better. You can always add new things to your game to make you an even more lethal player. Being 24 years old, he’s still learning right now.”

Wilkins: Hawks can ‘make a transfer’ in East with retooled roster

The Hawks are in ninth place within the Eastern Conference and trying to clinch their first postseason look for the reason that 2022-23 season.

Wilkins has confidence that this workforce could make a playoff run following its high-profile in-season trades.

“What you’re trying to do right now in this part of this season is continue to build some chemistry, and once you build that chemistry — hopefully sooner than later — we still have a chance to do a lot of damage, because there’s still 30 games left in the season,” Wilkins stated. “You should make up some floor, since you’re proper there. The Eastern Conference may be very shut, and now we have an excellent younger workforce: Jalen Johnson, you bought Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels.

“Now you deliver over Jonathan Kuminga, and you bought Onyeka Okongwu, who’s coming alongside now, and younger Zaccharie Risacher, so you bought all these youthful children now growing on the job. I feel that is the way in which it must be finished.

“I look for us to make a move as far as the way we play and try to win games in the second half of the season, because now coming out of this All-Star break, now you really refocus yourself on winning games.”

The Hawks all-time nice as soon as once more reiterates that the workforce has one thing “special” and believes it could possibly emerge as an annual playoff contender the way in which the franchise was throughout Wilkins’ prime.

“We have something special and we can be that new young team that makes a difference in that Eastern Conference,” Wilkins stated. “I search for us to make a distinction now. Not ready for subsequent yr, as a result of we’re proper there. In this league, it’s going to solely take you a month to get sizzling.

“You look at the Charlotte Hornets. They won 10 of the last 12, so they got hot at the right time going into the All-Star break, coming into the second half of the season. You need a quick run like that, maybe not eight or nine games, but you get on a five or six-game winning streak, that changes things.”

Wilkins: Trae Young stint in Atlanta was ‘very particular’

The Hawks are clearly in a brand new period with Johnson because the face of the franchise. The earlier face of the franchise, Trae Young, was traded to the Washington Wizards.

The four-time All-Star had a notable tenure with the Hawks, main the franchise to an Eastern Conference Finals look whereas main the league in assists in the course of the 2024-25 season. However, Atlanta had hit arduous occasions as late, failing to clinch a playoff berth over the previous two years.

Young was restricted to 10 video games this season as a result of a sprained MCL harm and has but to make his debut for the Wizards. Wilkins commented on the commerce, saying that generally “things don’t work out.”

“Sometimes in life, things don’t work out, and it’s time,” Wilkins stated. “We all have been through it. I’ve been through it, and it’s nobody’s fault. It’s just the way the business is running, how it’s done. Trae was a tremendous player in an Atlanta Hawks jersey. No one could ever take that from him. What he did was very special.”