Trae Young was traded to the Washington Wizards, ending his eight-year run as the face of the Hawks franchise. But the rivalry he built with New York and the trauma he inflicted.
The New York Knicks are the 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. They finished 53-29, the Garden faithful are loud, and the city is already printing parade route maps. Let them. Because if there’s one thing this franchise’s recent history has taught us, it’s that Madison Square Garden is not the fortress Knicks fans believe it to be, and Atlanta has receipts.
With the Hawks locked in at 46-36 and peaking heading into the postseason, here is the case for why Atlanta takes this series.
But before we do let’s remember why this has become a rivalry and the impact of Trae Young.
A rivalry forged in MSG’s own noise
It started in the first round of the 2021 Eastern Conference playoffs — New York’s first postseason in eight years. Fans were electric. Spike Lee was courtside. The “F*** Trae Young” chants started before Trae even touched the ball. Then he hit a game-winning floater with 0.9 seconds left, turned screaming Knicks fans, and put his finger to his lips.
He finished with 32 points and 10 assists in his playoff debut — joining LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Derrick Rose as the only players ever with 30 and 10 in their first playoff game. Afterward on TNT he said: “I was waiting for them F-you chants again. I was excited.”
“I guess it started from the playoff series, and in the first quarter, with 10 minutes to go, the whole crowd just started chanting. It’s cool. I didn’t grow up thinking I was going to ever be a villain in New York, but it is what it is. You just embrace it.”
— Trae Young, Club 520 Podcast
By Game 2, the Garden had escalated. Fans were literally handed sheets of paper before tip-off instructing them to chant about Trae’s receding hairline. The “Trae is balding!” chants echoed through MSG in the fourth quarter while he stood at the free throw line.
Why the new Hawks still win this series
Trae is in D.C. now. But the DNA of this Hawks team: scrappy, well-coached, built on depth rather than ego is arguably better suited for a playoff series than the Trae-era squads ever were. The post-trade Hawks went on a tear through the second half of the season: CJ McCollum has been a pro’s pro, the ascension of Nickeil Alexander-Walker and the Swiss army knife that is Jalen Johnson. Add in the deadline acquisition of Jonathan Kuminga and the on-ball defense of Dyson Daniels and the hawks have depth and athleticism.
The Knicks are talented. Jalen Brunson, KAT, OG, Bridges, and a home crowd that is genuinely one of the most intimidating environments in basketball. But they need that crowd. They need that energy. But can Atlanta’s new young core with CJ’s veteran savviness handle the crowd and handle the offensive attack of Brunson and KAT.
The issue the hawks had in the late season meeting with the Knicks was size. KAT and Mitchel Robinson dominated the boards and slowed down the Hawks in the 3rd quarter. If the hawks can rebound at a high level, limit the offensive boards, make Josh Hart a shooter. The hawks should and could beat the Knicks 4-2.