“Oh, yeah, being placed in that category already,” Hawks center Clint Capela said, “It shows how special he is, how special he can be all these years. He is so young. So to be put in categories with guys like Giannis, Jokic, Sabonis, it's pretty incredible. These guys have been All-Stars multiple times. These three guys are the main elements and are definitely the first two‚ the first on their team. And he showed he could definitely be one of those guys. And the consistency proves it, so he's one of them.
Jokic averaged 20.1 points and 10.8 rebounds in his first All-Star season after averaging 18.5 points and 10.7 rebounds the previous season. Antetokounmpo scored 22.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game to earn his first All-Star title. Sabonis scored 18.5 points and 12.4 rebounds the season he earned his first All-Star bid.
All three players also averaged at least five assists per game during those seasons.
“We play against that every day in practice,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said of Johnson before the NBA Cup semifinal matchup between the two teams. “Look at Giannis. This is who Giannis is. In many ways. I think Jalen has really grown. Just by watching his game, he improved his shooting. For me, he improved his decision making faster. It processes things much faster. I guess, in quarterback lingo, rookie quarterback to veteran quarterback.
Johnson is the only player in the Eastern Conference averaging at least 15 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block this season and is one of only two players to do so in the NBA. He is behind Jokic as the only player averaging at least 19 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and one steal per game.
“He averages (19) and 10,” Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu said. “Usually that gets you an All-Star deal. … I think he'll be an All-Star, and he deserves it.
Johnson, 23, is on pace to become the fifth youngest in NBA history to average at least 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a season, behind Oscar Robertson (who did so twice times), Bam Adebayo and Jokic.
This season, Johnson ranks among the best forwards in the NBA in almost every category. He ranks in the 93rd percentile among forwards in on/off differential, according to Cleaning the Glass. The Hawks are averaging 12.4 more points per 100 possessions with Johnson on the court compared to without him.
Johnson also sits in the 99th percentile behind Celtics forward Jayson Tatum in defensive rebounding percentage. On average, Johnson makes 20.9% of the Hawks' opponents' missed field goal attempts.
For the first time, the NBA All-Star Game will feature a mini-tournament, with four teams and three games, on February 16 at the Chase Center in San Francisco. Two teams will face each other in one semi-final (game 1) and the two remaining teams will meet in the other semi-final (game 2). The winning teams of match 1 and match 2 will face each other in the championship (match 3). For each match, the winner will be the first team to reach or exceed 40 points.
The voting process to determine the 24 NBA All-Stars remains the same. The five All-Star starters from each conference will be selected by fans (50% of the vote), current NBA players (25%) and a media panel (25%).
The seven players honored as reserves in each conference will be selected by NBA head coaches.
All-star voting ends on January 20, with TNT revealing the starters on January 23 and the reserves on January 30. A draft to determine three of the four teams will take place on February 6 just before TNT's doubleheader that evening. The fourth team will consist of the winning team from the Rising Stars Showcase championship game, which includes rookies, second-year players and G League stars.
If Johnson, along with guard Trae Young, receive All-Star nominations, it could be the first time since 2015-16 that the Hawks have had multiple All-Stars.
All-Star recognition would solidify Johnson's rise as an NBA superstar. But the fourth-year forward isn't one to talk about his individual accomplishments.
“He’s just a team player,” Okongwu said. “A quiet child. He loves to play. He loves being there and he’s a winner.
“You know how I feel about JJ and his individual recognition (and) his success,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “I think one of the unique things about him is that he threw himself into the team. And there's no better example than (Thursday) night, where he's literally making plays for other people, and then he ends up, you know, with 30 points. So it's for JJ, it continues to depend on how he plays and continues to develop his own identity as a player. And I think if that's recognized in some way, you know, over time it continues to improve.
