The Hawks haven’t had any success in the postseason since their Eastern Conference Finals run in 2021. Hell, they haven’t even made it out of the play-in on a couple of occasions, but Trae Young has made a declaration that this is the last year he won’t be in the playoffs.

“ATL — 7Years Down & Last I won’t be in the postseason! ~Love,” Young said on Twitter/X.

I italicized ‘he’ because it stuck out to me. I don’t think Young was implying that he would be leaving the Hawks anytime soon, like some fans took it. I think he simply meant what he said, that he won’t ever be sitting at home during this time of the NBA season ever again.

Instead of Hawks fans trying to decipher whether there’s a hidden message in his tweet, we should just be happy that our star player is making this kind of statement, one that cannot be taken lightly.

For the first time in quite a while, it feels like there’s hope around the Hawks organization. The core of Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher, Dyson Daniels, and Onyeka Okongwu is exciting. We need more, but the development of Johnson, Risacher, and Daniels is what will determine whether this club takes the next step.

—

Photographer: Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire