Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) shows emotion with forward John Collins (20) and forward Solomon Hill (18). Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Trae Young believes Hawks are 'ready to win in the playoffs'

The Atlanta Hawks look like they are destined to reach the playoffs for the first time since drafting Trae Young in 2018. The third-year point guard says that as the team approaches the postseason, it won't just be happy to make it — it'll be looking to win.

"Right now we're in a good spot of being in the playoffs and maybe even hosting it, so when I get back that's just where I'm going to continue to focus on," Young told CBS Sports. "And not just get there, we want to be able to be ready to get there and win some rounds and win some games. I think that's the mental approach — not being OK with just getting to the playoffs, but being ready to win in the playoffs."

Young is currently recovering from an ankle sprain but is expected to be healthy in time for the playoffs. The 22-year-old acknowledged that as someone who has never been to the NBA playoffs before, he does not "know what a championship team looks like" yet, but he hopes the Hawks have " a championship foundation type of team already."

The Hawks currently hold the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, and if the season ended today, they would face the New York Knicks in the first round.

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