Could the Hawks manage to send multiple players?
In the lead up to the start of the 2024-25 NBA season, we had some big questions about this Atlanta Hawks team that need answering.
This is the fourth of many roundtable topics we here at Peachtree Hoops are weighing in on. The previous one can be found here.
How many All-Stars will the Hawks have this season?
Wes – You heard it from me first: Jalen Johnson makes a huge leap (again) this season. He’ll be named as a replacement All-Star as other Eastern Conference All-Stars sit out, joining Trae Young in the Bay Area in February.
Malik – Trae Young will be the only All-Star this season. Jalen Johnson would have been my second pick, but the forward room is stacked in the Eastern Conference.
Graham – Jalen Johnson is a budding star, but it’s a bit too early for the rest of the league to vault him in the discussion here. Realistically, if he’s getting in it’ll be as a reserve and unless you’ve had a mega season, usually with a narrative, it’s hard to get through to the other coaches first time like this especially when there’s another top dog on your team. Unless the Hawks have a really strong record and Johnson is absolutely killing it, I don’t see it happening for Johnson this season, but his work this season can set up his All-Star chances for next season and beyond when coaches consider reserves.
I think Trae will make it. Whether that’s as a reserve or an injury replacement, the stats will be too good to ignore.
Joe – The optimist in me wants to say two. The realist in me says one. Trae was averaging 27 points and 11 assists entering the All-Star break last season and didn’t make the original cut. I would love to see Johnson make it, but I think it would be as a replacement. In this scenario, the team would also need to be well above .500 for anyone to consider putting two Hawks in the All-Star game.
Hassan – Between Trae Young and Jalen Johnson, Atlanta could have at least one representative at the 2025 NBA All-Star game — but it’s far from a lock.
Young has made three All-Star appearances in his six seasons in the league, and serving as the undisputed no. 1 option this season, he is sure to put up some gaudy offensive numbers. Still, the crop of guards in the East is as deep as ever, and as long as Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey, Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard and Derrick White are still hooping*, the competition is going to be fierce for the five All-Star guard slots in the Eastern conference. Young made it as an injury replacement last season and for me, his scoring efficiency, assist-to-turnover ratio, and impact on winning are a few areas that could make or break his candidacy this season.
*Not to mention sleeper candidates such as Immanuel Quickley (Toronto), Darius Garland (Cleveland), and Cade Cunningham (Detroit).
As for Johnson, he was incredibly productive during the pre-season, posting mouth-watering per 36 marks of 26 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.1 steals to go along with a jaw-dropping 82.5% True Shooting percentage. If he can sustain anything close to that level of play during the regular season, it will be hard to keep him off of All-Star ballots come February.
That being said, with only seven front-court spots available, and established superstars in Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, Giannis, Jaylen Brown and Bam Adebayo likely to make strong bids for five of those slots, Johnson could be competing with the likes of Scottie Barnes (Toronto), Paolo Banchero (Orlando), Karl Anthony-Towns (New York), Evan Mobley (Cleveland), Jarrett Allen (Cleveland), Paul George (Philadelphia), OG Anunoby (New York), *takes deep breath*… Jimmy Butler (Miami), Pascal Siakam (Indiana) and Mikal Bridges (New York) for just two frontcourt spots, meaning that nothing less than his ‘A’ (maybe even ‘A+’) game is going to cut it if he intends to make the first All-Star appearance of his career in 2025.