Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young tries to get through New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns and guard Mikal Bridges. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Knicks Could Renew Rivalry With Hawks

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Sep 15, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The New York Knicks are going into the season with a chance to be the best team in the Eastern Conference.

One of the teams the Knicks will have to fend off in their rise to the top of the East is the Atlanta Hawks, a squad that has been waffling in the middle of the pack for the past few years.

The Hawks lost the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals to the Milwaukee Bucks, but have since spiraled.

The Hawks are still led by Trae Young, who sets the table for all of Atlanta's shooters to make their impact on the offense.

In 2024, they missed the playoffs and earned the No. 1 overall pick to select French forward Zaccharie Risacher. They also traded Dejounte Murray to acquire shooting guard Dyson Daniels, who led the league in steals this past season for the Hawks.

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young goes to the basket behind New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The core for the Hawks is growing and they went out to improve the roster this offseason by trading for former Knicks big man Kristaps Porzingis from the Boston Celtics. The Hawks are hoping that by adding Porzingis' championship experience that it could make them one of the teams to fear in the Eastern Conference.

Back in 2021, the Knicks and Hawks met in the first round of the playoffs, where Atlanta pulled out a series win in five games and there's a chance the two teams meet in the postseason again this year.

The Hawks will benefit from teams like the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers that are expected to regress due to injuries with star players like Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton out for the season with torn Achilles suffered in the playoffs this past year.

If the Hawks are able to take advantage of teams moving backwards, they could be the ones entering the playoff picture.

Porzingis should be an upgrade if he is healthy and Risacher is expected to improve after a full year in the league. Daniels is also on the rise, which could also push the Hawks in the right direction.

Is there a world where they could be better than the Knicks? Probably not, but if New York faces an injury it shrinks the gap a lot closer.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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