The 5 biggest threats to the 2025 Orlando Magic in the Southeast Division
2. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
If the Orlando Magic should at least be aware of the impact a player like LaMelo Ball can make on a young Charlotte Hornets team, they need to be fully aware of what a player like Trae Young can do. Because unlike Ball and the Hornets, Young and the Atlanta Hawks have done everything.
Atlanta is expected to take a step back this year after trading Dejounte Murray for some younger players and draft picks. Considering the team's tumble down the standings after their surprising trip to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals, the Hawks were trying to push their chips in. They ended up with three straight appearances in the Play-In Tournament.
The Hawks are staring that down again. But a lot of the reason they are even still in the mix is not because of the top overall pick, Zaccharie Risacher. It is because of Young.
Young is still a player who demands a lot of attention. He is a star in every sense of the word, even if there are not always enough spaces on the All-Star team for him.
Even in a supposed down year, Young averaged 25.7 points and 10.8 assists per game while shooting 37.3 percent from three. Against the Magic last year, he averaged 30.0 points and 9.7 assists per game in three games.
In other words, Dejounte Murray may have had the hero moments, including a game-winner in the game that Trae Young did not play, but Young was the heartbeat that kept the Hawks going last year. And he is still the most dangerous player on the court.
Young is someone that requires the full attention of any defense. Even an elite defense like the Magic's. And he will still find ways to twist and beat you.
As the Magic prepare to deploy their new defensive backcourt, they will have multiple solid guards to throw at Young. It will be interesting to see how Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jalen Suggs change the Magic's defensive outlook against Trae Young and the Hawks.
But Young is still the biggest wild card in the league. He is good enough to win games on his own star power. And there are few players like that in the league.