The New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks find themselves heading in opposite directions so far this NBA season.
MSG Network analyst Alan Hahn seems to have pinpointed one reason why.
The Knicks and Hawks squared off in an Eastern Conference showdown Saturday night, with New York eking out a hard-fought 128-125 road win.
Trae Young scored 9 points, dished 10 assists, and turned the ball over six times in 31 minutes of action for Atlanta, ending up with a -13 differential on the evening, which ended with a costly turnover in the final seconds when Atlanta had a chance to take the lead.
It was the latest in a series of disappointments since Young returned to the lineup. The Hawks have not won since their young star returned from an MCL sprain two weeks ago. While the 27-year-old has flashed some impressive numbers, it doesn’t appear that he and the franchise are on the right path together, with rumors of a potential trade growing.
It was a moment in the third quarter that seemed to sum up the situation, at least in Hahn’s eyes. Young was on defense when he ran into a pick and fell, allowing the player he was guarding to drive to the rim before the Knicks completed several passes, resulting in a Jalen Brunson three-pointer. Young might have had a shot at contesting Brunson’s shot, but didn’t move fast enough to get there in time.
“Is there any hustle, any effort there whatsoever. That’s the face of your franchise”
–– @alanhahn on Trae Young pic.twitter.com/3GVViXpfVS
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 28, 2025
“Man, the Knicks just running, just getting down the floor, just outworking, outhustling the Hawks,” said Hahn during a replay. “Now watch Trae Young here… Okay, so you try to draw the foul. Is there any hustle, any effort there whatsoever?
“That’s the face of your franchise.”
Ouch.
Knicks fans certainly don’t mind taking Young down a peg ever since he led Atlanta in eliminating New York from the playoffs in 2021. They’ll also get the chance to let him know what they think of his effort in person when the Hawks play at MSG next week.