The Atlanta Hawks are in action against the New York Knicks on Saturday, a game they hope keeps them alive for the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. However, there are other milestones to reach, and Hawks star Trae Young crossed one off early.
With his first dime of the Knicks game, a feed for second-year big man Mouhamed Gueye, Young captured the Hawks franchise record for most assists in a single season, passing Doc Rivers.
He set the benchmark at 824 and counting with 8:25 to go in the first quarter.
MO KABOOM pic.twitter.com/BfjHpoVmeu
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) April 5, 2025
Young is already the Hawks’ career assists leader, adding the single-season mark to an already-crowded mantle.
The four-time All-Star has led the NBA in total assists twice before, doing so in 2021-22 and 2022-23. However, he is on track to finish the season with the official mark – on a per-game basis – and is currently averaging 11.6 assists.
Notably, Young spoke about playing just as he has this season before it even began.
“I want to get back to where I've been,” Young said on the “Million Dollars Worth of Game” podcast episode that aired in September 2024. “A lot of people look at our roster and don't have a lot of high expectations, so that's sometimes good for a player like me who's been built on beating expectations his whole life. So I'm just ready to play and beat expectations and whatever that ends up being, I'm going to be ready for it and excited for it.”
Hawks beat preseason expectations
Young and the Hawks have delivered on their optimism, besting ESPN’s projected win total for them (35.5 games) with a handful of contests to go after Saturday. It is a modest success on its own merit.
However, with the changes the Hawks made at the trade deadline and the injuries they have endured, their current status is commendable to say the least.
How they finish matters.
“It’s nowhere below the playoffs. That’s got to be our focus,” Young said on the “From The Point” podcast in February. “When we made these moves, and we got guys, obviously, from the Cavs – who were the No. 1 team at the time. And then you bring in T-Mann who’s – I don’t even think he’s ever not been in the playoffs. You got winners around you, so it’s like you got to win. You got to be in the playoffs, so that’s our main focus.”
The Hawks control their destiny as far as reaching the playoffs. They have secured a spot in the postseason, but they are 1-4 in their last five games entering Saturday’s tilt. Getting some positive momentum churning before the Play-In Tournament – or playoffs – is paramount.