The Atlanta Hawks have found themselves in a position to make the playoffs this season, but they're going to have to go through the Play-In Tournament to get there. The goal is of course to make it to the postseason, and the Hawks know that, but they have to take care of what's in front of them, and that's the Orlando Magic.

“Obviously, you want to get into the playoffs, right? You want to get there,” Young said via Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “But your mindset has to be ‘we have to take care of business first.’ We haven’t made it there, we haven’t made it to the playoffs yet.”

The Hawks did not make it to the playoffs last season after losing to the Chicago Bulls in the Play-In Tournament last season, and this year they're looking to turn things around. For the past four seasons, the Hawks have been in the Play-In and advanced twice.

They have two chances to make the playoffs this year. If they beat the Magic, they'll face the Celtics in the first round. If they lose to the Magic, they'll either have to face the winner of the matchup of the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat to have a chance to play the Cavaliers in the first round.

Hawks trying to advance to playoffs

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) reacts after scoring against the Philadelphia 76ers in the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center.
Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Article Continues Below
More Atlanta Hawks News
Nickeil Alexander-Walker playing for Timberwolves with Timberwolves logo in background.
Ranking Nickeil Alexander-Walker free-agency destinations if he leaves TimberwolvesBailey Bassett ·
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) dribbles the ball past Toronto Raptors guard Davion Mitchell (45) during the first half at State Farm Arena.
Hawks’ Trae Young puts Marcus Morris on blast for ridiculous ‘passing’ narrativeMalik Brown ·
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) dribbles against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at American Airlines Center.
Trae Young’s 5-word message after All-NBA snubTomer Azarly ·
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts with Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) after the Bucks defeated the Hawks at State Farm Arena.
Hawks rumors: Bill Simmons envisions Giannis joining Trae Young with blockbuster tradeJackson Stone ·
boston celtics, boston celtics trade, celtics trade proposal
3 early Boston Celtics trade targets in 2025 NBA offseasonGarrett Kerman ·
Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) reacts after being assessed a technical foul during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Hawks’ Trae Young finds new way to troll Knicks fans with Thunder takeTroy Finnegan ·

Last season, the Hawks were the No. 10 seed and lost in the Play-In, but this time around, they've given themselves a better opportunity to advance.

“We put ourselves in a better position than we did last year,” Young said. “So, that’s growth, and even though we had some young guys, we didn’t stop playing. And even though we’ve had some injuries from key pieces to our team, we just kept playing, kept battling.”

If the Hawks do advance, they'll have a tough task between the Cavaliers or Celtics, who have been the best two teams in the Eastern Conference this season. Young was recently on Chris Haynes' show and talked about the Hawks' chances going into the playoffs if they were to advance.

“That doesn’t mean we can’t go in and surprise people and make some noise and do something that people don’t think we can do,” Young said. “But it’s just having the right mindset on this whole process and whole thing, and making sure we don’t lose track of the main side on just getting better this season and making sure every day, that’s what we’re doing.”

The Hawks may have surprised a few people this season with how they've been able to stay afloat with all of the changes happening, and that's what they're looking to do if they can make it to the playoffs.