Jalen Johnson is near the league's leaders in one key area. Can he topple the competition?
Atlanta Hawks fans have been singing Jalen Johnson's praises for years. They've told anyone within earshot that this player could eventually compete for the NBA Most Valuable Player award. Few listened.
Perhaps they should have been paying attention.
Another night, another Hawks blowout win. This time, the victims were the Orlando Magic. The Hawks beat them 124-112 in Monday's action.
Another night, another Jalen Johnson triple-double. The star wing finished with 24 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists. It's something Hawks fans have grown accustomed to.
Only one NBA player has accumulated more triple-doubles than Johnson.
You probably guessed correctly. It's Nikola Jokić.
It's actually Jokić by a landslide. He's got 27 triple-doubles this year to Johnson's 12. Josh Giddey clocks in third with 11, followed by Luka Donćić with eight.
Some statisticians would call Jokić an outlier and count Johnson as the real league leader. Sadly, it won't work that way with MVP voters. Jokić is the king of the triple-double.
Could Johnson ever catch up to him?
Johnson will rack up gaudy career stats with the Hawks
It's hard to say.
As currently constructed, the Hawks give Johnson a heavy scoring load. On the season, he's averaging 23.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game. By contrast, Jokic is averaging a triple-double: 28.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.5 assists per contest.
It's possible that if the Hawks acquire or develop more players who can take on more scoring responsibilities, Johnson's scoring will decline as his playmaking increases. It's worth noting that in Monday's contest, Nickeil Alexander-Walker had a career-high 41 points. Yet, Jonathan Kuminga managed just seven. With more consistent scoring options, Johnson could find himself passing more.
That said, take another look at Jokic's stats. He averages more points and more assists than Johnson. His lofty stats are a product of both talent and usage.
A day could come when the Hawks give Johnson comparable usage. It also could not. The Hawks want Johnson to exert more energy on defense than Jokić does. He's regressed on that end with increased offensive responsibilities, but an idealized version of Johnson is a two-way player.
If they win enough games, he's already putting up MVP-caliber numbers.