The dark horse in the new season! The next Eastern Pacers?

The east is changing rapidly.

Last season, I was still talking about the rise of the Pacers' dark horse. In a blink of an eye, another team in the new season is trying to replicate the miracle: the Atlanta Hawks.

However, unlike the Pacers at the time, the Eagle has its own special features. If you only look at the appearance, you may have an illusion in a trance. This eagle is very similar to last year's Pacers.

Young and passionate, gorgeous offensive, and even have the opportunity to take advantage of the chaos in the eastern region to break out.

But when we look closely, we will find that the miracle of the walker has its unique soil. Whether the eagle can take the same path needs to be questioned in advance.

Look at the Pacers first:

In the 2024-25 season, Carlisle led the team to raise the Pacers' defense from the countdown to a level that is enough to compete for the top in the Eastern Conference. Even if the team's core has long been stable, the team signed a five-year, 240 million contract extension with Halliburton in the summer of 2023.

The contract is in hand, strength is in place, and the honorary endorsement of the All-Star and the best team. After determining Halliburton's core position, the Pacers' team building direction has also begun to become clear.

And this is exactly the biggest difference between the Eagles at present.

Trey Yang Gang is 27 years old, four-time All-Star, has won the assist king, and has also entered the third team of the best team. My personal resume is beautiful enough and I have received nearly 150 million yuan in the first seven years of my career. But the problem is: the Eagle did not give him a long appointment in advance.

This summer, Trae Young was originally qualified to sign a four-year maximum salary renewal of 220 million yuan, but the Eagles management chose to remain silent.

Behind this hesitation, the Eagle seems to have some tests about the future direction.

Judging from personal data, Trae Young's core capabilities are naturally unquestionable. In the past six seasons, he averaged 24+9 basic data five times, and looking at NBA history, only Hall of Fame legend Oscar Robertson can maintain this level. Behind the seemingly outstanding, Trae Young's shortcomings are also obvious:

shooting percentage is 43.3%, three-point shooting percentage is 35.2%, which is not efficient by the top defender standards;

averaged 4.2 turnovers per game, and the game still needs to be improved at critical moments;

The shortcomings in the defensive end have been criticized since entering the league.

These doubts have existed since the draft and have not disappeared five years after entering the league. Therefore, the Eagles management is inevitably measured and considered. Can such an offensive core become the real cornerstone of the Eagles' team building?

But the good news is that the other young talents of the Hawks are gradually realizing:

Daniels won the fastest-progressive player, ranked second in the best defensive player,

Ressache ranked second in the best rookie selection,

Jaylen Johnson averaged 18.9 points and 10 rebounds per game before the season was reimbursed. Although Okonggu was at a loss in height, his offensive progress was obvious and he could contribute 15+10 stably.

In addition, the Hawks also introduced Porzingis, Alexander Walker, Kennard and other instant players, and the lineup depth has been significantly improved compared to last season. Overall, the team's framework and growth curve are basically synchronized with Trae Young's career timeline.

Last season, the Hawks finished with 40 wins and 42 losses and entered the play-offs, but stopped after losing to the Magic and the Heat one after another. This is very similar to what the Pacers have done before. They became the fourth seed of the Eastern Conference the following season with their defensive transformation in the 2023-24 season.

To copy the Pacers' miracle, the Hawks must solve the current defensive problems; last season's defensive efficiency was only ranked 18th in the league, and there is still a clear gap from the ranks of real competitors.

Looking back at the Pacers' success, it essentially comes from the balance between the offense and defense. If the Hawks want to take this step, they need not only Trae Young's offensive firepower, but also the improvement of the defense intensity of the entire team.

The miracle of the Pacers originated from the advance establishment of Halliburton's core position. If the Eagles want to go the same path, they must first solve a problem: is Trae Young the current cornerstone?

This is also the most core issue in Atlanta at present. The team has talent potential and reinforcements, but the final decision of fate is the 27-year-old point guard. Can he bring stable output and gain absolute trust from the management? This is the key to whether the Hawks can rise. The next Eastern dark horse will be the Hawks? Let's wait and see.