"We believe we can win a championship, I know I do” – 2X NBA All-Star believes Atlanta Hawks are a title contender, says every athlete on the team is focused on winning

The Atlanta Hawks are on the come-up and believe they are serious contenders. Trae Young made a bold assertion, claiming everyone on the team has the same mentality. During the Hawks media day, Young said the team believes they can win a championship. He also expressed excitement and is looking forward to next season.

"Those guys in the locker room are the guys that I know, who we had dinner with last night," Young said. "We all believe what we can do, and we believe we can win a championship. I know I do.

"I expressed that to my teammates, and I know they have that same mentality. So, It really doesn't matter what anybody else thinks of us, or anything like that. It's all about what we can do and what we show. So, I'm just ready, more than ever, to go out there and play this year so we can show that."

The Hawks have a young, exciting team, but given the competition in the East, reaching the 2023 NBA Finals will be difficult. They would have to go through the Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics.

All the teams mentioned above have a better roster on paper. The Hawks will have to outperform expectations to overcome any of them in a seven-game series.

Meanwhile, it is worth noting that the Hawks have pulled off the spectacular in recent years. In the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals, they upset the Philadelphia 76ers, 4-3.

The Hawks will be looking to perform better than their first-round exit during the 2022 playoffs. Although they shocked the NBA community with a conference finals appearance in 2021, they failed to build on that performance.

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Do the Atlanta Hawks have a shot at winning the Eastern Conference?

Bogdan Bogdanovic and Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks have 82 regular-season games to show why they should be considered title contenders next year. As stated earlier, competition in the East will be tough.

However, the Hawks have created a backcourt duo that could cause significant problems in the league. They acquired Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs in the offseason. His presence will undoubtedly relieve some of the pressure on Young.

If the Atlanta Hawks can stay healthy, they could pull off another deep run in the playoffs. However, their ceiling might be a conference semifinal appearance.