The Atlanta Hawks just had their best month since the 2016-17 season, and they did it without Trae Young. NBA insider Marc J. Spears was impressed with how the Hawks have performed, naming star forward Jalen Johnson his "MVP of the Eastern Conference." On the latest episode of ESPN's "NBA Today," the crew of Spears, Jorge Sedano, Ramona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon discussed the Hawks' impressive 142-134 overtime win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. Spears, in particular, pointed out that Johnson, who is signed to a five-year, $150 million contract, has been the East MVP in his eyes. "He's the MVP of the Eastern Conference right now," Spear said. "There's no Trae Young, and he's the only person in the Eastern Conference and only second person in the league next to Joker to average 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists right now."The Atlanta Hawks went 10-5 in November, marking their best month since the 2016-17 season, when Dennis Schroder was the main star. Their 13-8 start is also their best start to a campaign since the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season. Marc J. Spears did point out that things would get interesting once Trae Young returns from injury. Young has been linked to trade rumors since the offseason, especially after not signing a contract extension. Meanwhile, the other panelists disagreed with Spears' take on Johnson, with Tim MacMahon saying Cade Cunningham, Jorge Sedano mentioning Jalen Brunson and Ramona Shelburne picking Giannis Antetokounmpo. Cunningham has the Detroit Pistons atop the East standings, while Brunson has the New York Knicks in second place. Antetokounmpo is probably having the best individual campaign among all four players, but the Milwaukee Bucks are 11th at just 9-12. Trae Young making progress in recovery from knee injuryTrae Young making progress in recovery from knee injury. (Photo: IMAGN)The Atlanta Hawks have been without Trae Young since Oct. 29, when he suffered a sprained right MCL in his knee against the Brooklyn Nets. Young was initially ruled out for four weeks and was recently re-evaluated to see his progress. ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk reported over the weekend that Young will be out for at least two more weeks. The team liked what they saw from his recovery, but it wasn't enough to get him cleared for a return. He's expected to return around mid-December or a little bit later. Another piece of good news for the Hawks is that Young has been taking shots during pregame, so he's heading in the right direction. In his absence, the team has used Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the backcourt.