Jalen Johnson All NBA? Hawks Surge Sparks Debate

Merlin sees a cornucopia of bold late-season forecasts that could rewrite narratives before the playoffs. The piece pegs players for award pushes and role bumps: Jalen Johnson for All-NBA, Traoré rising in Brooklyn, Kon Knueppel and Ryan Kalkbrenner on All-Rookie lists, and Jayson Tatum admitting "I'm not Superman" as he warms back up. Victor Wembanyama throws down a challenge in the MVP conversation, saying "I think right now, there is a debate. There should be, even though I think I should lead the race." Merlin thinks the final weeks will reward teams that win and managers who manage minutes well. Young players can vault into cornerstone roles, and small lineup moves or a single scoring outburst could flip award ballots and playoff seeding.