EXCLUSIVE: Dominique Wilkins on Jalen Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks’ Post-Trae Young Era
Posted on: February 24, 2026, 12:50h.
Last updated on: February 24, 2026, 12:50h.
- Wilkins couldn’t be happier for Jalen Johnson and his All-Star Weekend honors
- The nine-time NBA All-Star is confident that the Atlanta Hawks can make a playoff run
If you’ve earned the respect of Dominique Wilkins, you know you’re doing something right. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer is one of the greatest players ever and certainly one of the best players in Atlanta Hawks history. Wilkins is well-known for his matchups against Michael Jordan in the Slam Dunk Contest, but Wilkins was one of the best players and scorers of his era.
The 66-year-old went to nine straight All-Star games and was a seven-time All-NBA selection. He also led the NBA in scoring with 30.3 points per game during the 1985-86 season.
Fast forward to the present day and the Hawks are led by a new young phenom in Jalen Johnson. The 24-year-old went to his first All-Star game this year in the midst of his breakout season. The former first-round draft pick is averaging 23.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game this season and has put the Hawks in play-in position for the playoffs.
Wilkins, who matched up against Chicago Bulls great Scottie Pippen during their heyday, compared 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 told Casino.org in an exclusive interview. “Pippen was a point forward, and was very effective at the position. This guy Jalen, he brings even another element, because the way he rebounds, the way he passes, and he flirts with a triple-double every single night.
“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 said he has a “great” relationship with the 24-year-old star, saying that he knows Johnson’s parents.
“I look at Jalen like someone like your brother in a sense,” Wilkins said. “I have a great relationship with him. I have a great relationship with his mom and dad. I saw the growth in him two years ago, and I said to his parents, ‘Don’t worry, he’s gonna do very well in this league, and he’s gonna be a great player in this league. Just be patient.’ And now look where he’s at.”
Wilkins: Johnson can become lethal scorer, improve on defense
Two years ago, Johnson averaged 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. All three averages across the board have skyrocketed, especially in regard to the assists per game.
Wilkins’ advice to the new franchise face, Johnson, is to take things gradually and not look too far ahead.
“Jalen Johnson has developed quicker than a lot of people have given credit for or expected,” Wilkins said. “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 asked in what areas can Johnson improve, Wilkins didn’t specifically think of one area. However, he said you can always get better as a player and mentioned scoring and improving defensively as Johnson continues to grow 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 said. “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 move’ in East with retooled roster
The Hawks are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference and looking to clinch their first postseason appearance since the 2022-23 season.
Wilkins has confidence that this team can 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 said. “You have to make up some ground, because you’re right there. The Eastern Conference is very close, and we have a very good young team: Jalen Johnson, you got Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels.
“Now you bring over Jonathan Kuminga, and you got Onyeka Okongwu, who’s come along now, and young Zaccharie Risacher, so you got all these younger kids now developing on the job. I think that’s the way it should be done.
“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 great once again reiterates that the team has something “special” and believes it can emerge as an annual playoff contender the way the franchise was during Wilkins’ prime.
“We have something special and we can be that new young team that makes a difference in that Eastern Conference,” Wilkins said. “I look for us to make a difference now. Not waiting for next year, because we are right there. In this league, it’ll only take you a month to get hot.
“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 special’
The Hawks are clearly in a new era with Johnson as the face of the franchise. The previous face of the franchise, Trae Young, was traded to the Washington Wizards.
The four-time All-Star had a notable tenure with the Hawks, leading the franchise to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance while leading the league in assists during the 2024-25 season. However, Atlanta had hit hard times as of late, failing to clinch a playoff berth over the past two years.
Young was limited to 10 games this season due to a sprained MCL injury and has yet to make his debut for the Wizards. Wilkins commented on the trade, saying that sometimes “things don’t work out.”
“Sometimes in life, things don’t work out, and it’s time,” Wilkins said. “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.”
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