The Atlanta Hawks have dropped two straight games, but they have been one of the most surprising teams in the NBA this season. They are currently 14-14 and have won seven of their last ten games and a big reason (though not the only reason) is the play of star point guard Trae Young. Young is currently leading the league in assists and while his shooting numbers are down compared to years past, he is leading the charge for the Hawks on offense and is making strides when it comes to playing defense.

All of this has Trae Young in the top ten of the Kia NBA MVP Ladder. Young had been 10th, but in today’s update, he moved up to 9th. Nikola Jokic remained in first and he was followed by Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Karl Anthony-Towns, Anthony Davis, and Victor Wembanyama. There is a lot of work for Young to do to continue to move up, but he is getting recognized for his strong play this season.

Yesterday, Young was named to the All-NBA Cup Team.

Young appeared in five games (all starts) during Atlanta’s run to the Emirates NBA Cup East Semifinal, averaging 24.2 points, 10.8 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 36.3 minutes of action. The seventh-year guard led all players in assists per game during NBA Cup games and was the only player to average at least 20.0 points, 10.0 assists and 1.0 steal.

The three-time NBA All-Star recorded 20-or-more points and 10-or-more assists in each of his last four NBA Cup games, including tallying a near triple-double against the eventual Emirates NBA Cup Champion Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 14, finishing with 35 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in 40 minutes of action. Young, who leads the NBA this season in 30-point, 10-assist outings (six), owns 83 career such games, the fifth-most in NBA history and one shy of tying Russell Westbrook (84) for the fourth-most games with 30+ points and 10+ assists in league history.

Through 26 games played so far this season, Young has handed out an NBA-best 314 total assists, on pace to lead the league in total assists for the third time in his career. The 6-1 guard is averaging 12.1 assists per game, on pace to become the first player since John Stockton in 1994-95 to average at least 12.0 assists per contest.

Behind Young’s leadership, Atlanta has won seven of its last nine games, the most victories by an Eastern Conference team since Nov. 27, with wins against the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers (twice, one road and one home), the Los Angeles Lakers (Dec. 6) and road victories over the Milwaukee Bucks (Dec. 4) and New York Knicks (Dec. 11, NBA Cup Quarterfinal).

The NBA All-Star Game is getting closer and voting has officially begun.

As part of today’s league-wide launch of NBA All-Star Voting, the Atlanta Hawks launched their 2025 All-Star Voting presented by Tissot, in which fans can begin voting today, Thursday, Dec. 19 and every day through Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.

Fans are encouraged to vote for their favorite Hawks players such as three-time All-Star Trae Young and Most Improved Player candidate Jalen Johnson at or through the NBA App and NBA.com.

Some noteworthy statistics about the pair this season include:

• Three-time All-Star Trae Young is leading the NBA in assists per game at 12.1, on pace to become the first player since John Stockton in 1994-95 to average at least 12.0 assists in a single season; the 6’1 guard also leads the NBA in point/assist double-doubles (19).

• Young is on pace to lead the league in total assists for the third time in his career (2022-23, 2021-22), and owns 314 total assists this season, 83 more than the next-closest player.

• Young dished out a career-best 22 assists in Atlanta’s win over the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 27, the most assists in a single game in the NBA this season and the second-most assists in a single game in franchise history.

• In a win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 6, the seventh-year guard became the first player in franchise history to record at least 30 points (31) and 20 assists in a single outing. He recorded just three turnovers in 42 minutes of action in Atlanta’s win, becoming just the fourth player in the NBA since 1977-78 to register 30+ points, 20+ assists and three-or-fewer turnovers.

• In an NBA Cup quarterfinal win over the New York Knicks on Dec. 11, Young recorded his 300th assist of the season. The seventh-year guard, who entered his 25th game of the season with 502 total points, became just the fourth player in NBA history to tally 500+ points and 300+ assists through his first 25 games of a season.

• Jalen Johnson is averaging career highs in points (19.6), rebounds (10.2), assists (5.5), steals (1.4) and blocks (1.1) this season.

• Johnson is the only player in the East averaging at least 15.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block this season and is one of only two players to do so in the NBA.

• The 6’9 forward is on pace to become the fifth-youngest player in NBA history to finish a season averaging at least 15.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists, joining Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall-of-Famer Oscar Robertson (2x), three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and three-time NBA All-Star Bam Adebayo.

• Johnson owns 10 career outings with 20+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ assists, the second-most such games by a Hawk 23-years-or-younger (Bob Pettit: 13).

• Per Cleaning the Glass, Johnson owns a defensive rebounding (field goals) percentage of 20.2%, ranking in the 99th percentile for all forwards in the NBA this season (the percentage of opponent’s missed field goals rebounded).

Fans will have six days where their vote will count three times on special “3-for-1 Days,” with the first day taking place on World Basketball Day (Saturday, Dec. 21) from 12:01 a.m. ET – 11:59 p.m. ET.  Additional 3-for-1 Days will be available on Wednesday, Dec. 25, Friday, Jan. 3, Friday, Jan. 10, Friday, Jan. 17, and Monday, Jan. 20 from 12:01 a.m. ET – 11:59 p.m. ET.

The 74th NBA All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. ET at Chase Center in the San Francisco Bay Area with its new format, airing on TNT in the United States.

For the first time, the NBA All-Star Game will feature a mini-tournament with four teams and three games. Two teams will meet in one semifinal (Game 1), and the remaining two teams will meet in the other semifinal (Game 2). The winning teams from Game 1 and Game 2 will advance to face each other in the championship (Game 3). For each game, the winner will be the first team to reach or surpass 40 points.

Fans can vote on the NBA App, available on Android and IOS or NBA.com with NBA ID, the league’s global membership program. NBA ID, which offers fans benefits and rewards from the league and its partners, is free to join.

Victor Wembanyama Scores 42 As San Antonio Takes Down Atlanta 133-126 in Wild Overtime Game

De’Andre Hunter’s Poseterizing Dunk Over Victor Wembanyama Has The NBA World Buzzing Tonight