Do Trae Young, Hawks Have ‘Real Shot’ To Win East?

Don’t sleep on the Atlanta Hawks in 2025-26.

Atlanta’s young studs on the wing, Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels, are only getting stronger, and the Hawks could emerge as an East power this season now that the conference is significantly weaker (Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum and Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton are both expected to miss the season).

Oh, and don’t forget that Trae Young is still only 26 years old. Atlanta has enough offensive firepower to score with anyone, and they have the defensive dogs to make up for Young’s shortcomings on that end.

The Hawks might be in for a successful season, which makes it unsurprising that Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes insinuated on Thursday that Atlanta could finish with the best record in the East.

“Massive leaps up the standings seem to be