Jalen Johnson is about to get a real December exam.
The Hawks forward enters the season with the pressure that comes with being a No. 1 option over a full 82-game slate, and Atlanta’s upcoming schedule is lined up to tell us plenty about where he stands. The stretch starts with a heavyweight right away: Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on the 17th.
That first test comes with a decent runway behind it, too. It will be Atlanta’s 24th game of the season, which means the Hawks should already have a solid read on themselves before they see the former champions. Denver will likely sit as a top-five seed, and the teams split their series 1-1 last season.
Johnson has already flashed the kind of production that makes this stretch worth watching. In a 119-117 win over the Indiana Pacers on October 10, he posted 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists in just 20 minutes. Six days later against the Dallas Mavericks, he went even harder: 20 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in 25 minutes.
After Denver, Atlanta returns home for a matchup with the Orlando Magic and Paolo Banchero, a familiar measuring stick for Johnson. The two have traded blows over the last two seasons, and because both teams sit in the Southeast Division, the meetings come with some regularity.
Atlanta swept Orlando four to zero last season, and Johnson has had the edge lately. Banchero averaged 15.5 points, eight rebounds and four assists per game, while Johnson put up 17.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and seven assists.
Then comes another step up in class with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander caused Atlanta major problems last season, averaging 34.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in two games against the Hawks.
This one also puts Johnson in the middle of another serious individual challenge, with Chet Holmgren bringing elite rim protection and Isaiah Hartenstein also in the mix. It’s the kind of matchup that should say a lot about how Johnson handles a true contender.
The Thunder game is followed by a back-to-back, but at least there’s no travel involved when Detroit comes to town. The Hawks will see Cade Cunningham and the Pistons next, and that’s another useful benchmark for Johnson.
Cunningham was the No. 1 overall pick in Johnson’s draft, and the pairing gives Atlanta another chance to test its top guy against another rising star. Jalen Duren has also signed a five-year contract extension, so that core is staying together for the long haul.
Charlotte comes next, and that’s where the schedule shifts downward in difficulty. If Johnson handles Detroit, there’s every reason to think he should take care of the Hornets, especially after Charlotte traded away its only All-Star last season, LaMelo Ball, to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The month closes with a trip to San Antonio on December 27th, where Victor Wembanyama waits. Many pundits believe Wembanyama will win the 2027 MVP award, and the 22-year-old Frenchman has already validated plenty of the hype around him.
The Hawks will see the Spurs twice this season, so Johnson will get another shot at measuring himself against one of the league’s most daunting talents. If he comes out as the second-best player on the floor, that will say plenty as the calendar turns.
In Other News...
Hawks Get A Chance To Answer Last Year's Orlando Frustration
Last spring, the Hawks learned how thin the margins can be in a playoff chase when Jock Landale went down against Orlando and never made it back in time for the first-round series with the Knicks. Atlanta never quite had the size or physical edge it wanted in that matchup, and the absence of a useful frontcourt piece lingered as one of those what-ifs that can hang around long after the season ends.
Now the schedule has brought the Magic back into view, and Landale is in a far better spot heading into the rematch. He has looked much more comfortable in preseason and is expected to be available, giving Atlanta a chance to see whether a healthier, more physical rotation can help it answer some of the frustration that started in that game last year. [Read more 🡒]
Lu Dort Faces An Early Hawks Test That Really Matters
The season opener against Orlando already carries a little extra weight for Atlanta, not just because it is a divisional game, but because the Magic are one of the few early opponents whose playoff outlook looks close to the Hawks'. For Lu Dort, it is also a first real chance to show how quickly he can slot into Atlanta's plans after being brought in for the kind of rugged, position-versatile defense that can travel in any matchup.
Dort's value should be obvious right away against Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, two Orlando pieces the Hawks will need to deal with over the course of the night. The bigger question is how smoothly everything fits around him, because Atlanta has reasons to want Dort on the floor and reasons to keep an eye on what happens when his offensive game is part of the equation in a game where every possession matters. [Read more 🡒]
Nickeil Alexander-Walker Opens With A Chance To Burn Orlando Again
The Hawks are getting a familiar opening-night test, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker will have a chance to pick up right where he left off against Orlando. Atlanta starts the 2026-27 season against a Magic team that he handled well a year ago, when his rise into Most Improved Player territory helped establish him as one of the leagues more uncomfortable matchups for Orlando.
The bigger wrinkle is that the Magic are bringing back most of the same core, which makes this feel less like a fresh scouting report and more like a continuation of an old problem. The coaching change from Jamahl Mosley to Sean Sweeney adds a new voice on the sideline, but Atlanta still has reason to expect the same type of physical, familiar opener, with Alexander-Walker again positioned to set the tone early. [Read more 🡒]