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Hawks Notes: Trae Young NBA Leader, Hawks Exciting Matchups, N'Faly Dante Signing Official
Feb 9, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) warms up on the court prior to the game against the Phoenix Suns at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Hawks Notes: Trae Young NBA Leader, Hawks Exciting Matchups, N'Faly Dante Signing Official

Originally posted on Atlanta Hawks on SI
By Kahlil McCuller  |  Last updated Aug 19, 2025 10:24 AM ET

The Atlanta Hawks have arguably one of, if not the best, point guards in the NBA with Trae Young at the helm. Young is consistently at the top of the league's assist lists as he can play make at an elite level, thanks to his ability to draw defenses out of place and create mismatches on pick-and-roll, as well as his shooting abilities.

This past season, Young had his best assisting year yet as he set the Atlanta Hawks franchise record in assists per game and total assists with 880, which was also good enough to be the NBA's league leader in that category. His assist per game was at a career high of 11.6. He had a game where he had 22 assists versus the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he was the first player in Hawks history to have a 30-point, 20-assist game against the Los Angeles Lakers in December of 2024. Yesterday, all this led to Young being announced as the NBA's leader in points created off assists, showcasing his elite playmaking abilities.

Despite all of the success Young has had as a playmaker, the Hawks consistently found themselves struggling to win games, which in turn led to them making some significant moves this summer. Adding Porzingis will only add to the insane playmaking arsenal that Young is capable of, as he will finally have a big man who can legitimately do everything on the court offensively. In the past, the Hawks have failed to have a legit center that could be competent offensively, in terms of being able to play inside and outside of the paint, which in turn has led to the offense finding themselves getting stagnant in certain situations.

The thing I'm most excited to see from Young is how efficiently he plays this season, with so much on the line for him and the team's future in Atlanta. Young has been the topic of discussion as far as trade talks go the last few seasons, and one could argue that it could be seen as both fair and unfair, with me leaning towards unfair based on the Hawks organization not getting him enough help in terms of teams that are serious contenders. With Young's offensive prowess, the Hawks are usually one of the NBA's best offenses when he's on the court. When he's off the court, Atlanta drops to one of the worst, and defensively, they struggle, which is an area that they've fixed this offseason.

Here’s more in-depth coverage on the NBA Cup and daily Hawks news below (click the headline for full article):

NBA Offseason: Atlanta Hawks Announce The Signing of N’Faly Dante

Analyst Points To Two Key Stats That Could Determine Success For The Hawks This Season

Hawks Notes: Atlanta Contenders?, Potential Lineups, Trae Young Gives Thoughts On Big 3 Basketball League

NBA Analyst Claims The Hawks Are Ready To "Shock" The NBA

Updated Atlanta Hawks Depth Chart/Rotation Projection After Latest Reported Signing

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If you want more news and notes on the Hawks, be sure to check out: Atlanta Hawks on SI


This article first appeared on Atlanta Hawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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