Atlanta Hawks: How each new player will affect Trae Young

The Atlanta Hawks got franchise point guard Trae Young quite a few shiny new toys to play with this season; here’s how each new guy will affect him.

The Atlanta Hawks made a lot of moves this offseason to bolster their shooting, defense, and veteran experience as they attempt to make their first playoff push in several years. Atlanta Hawks fans have to feel like the moves made were enough to keep all-star point guard Trae Young happy and extend his time in Atlanta after his contract is up in a couple of years.

Trae Young has certainly pushed his name into the conversation of top point guards in the league after finishing top 5 in both scoring and assists in just his second year in the NBA. Now with an even better team surrounding him, Young will attempt to change the country’s opinion on Atlanta Hawks basketball.

With two preseason matchups with the Memphis Grizzlies still left to take place, let’s take a look at how each new guy on the roster will affect Trae Young.

How Rajon Rondo & Kris Dunn affect Atlanta Hawks PG Trae Young

The Atlanta Hawks went out and grabbed point guards Rajon Rondo and Kris Dunn to provide some depth at the one spot and relief for Trae Young.

Rondo comes to Atlanta on a two-year, $15 million deal and fresh off of winning his second NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers. There’s no secret as to why the Hawks pursued him in free agency. They were looking for someone to provide veteran mentorship to their franchise PG Trae Young, and Rondo, who has consistently discussed coaching after retirement, is definitely the perfect fit. He’ll do a lot to help Trae mesh with the other new pieces on the roster and will prove to be a trustworthy backup for Young who should see his minutes decline slightly in favor of health and rest.

Kris Dunn has yet to see the floor for the Atlanta Hawks this preseason but Trae Young ought to be ecstatic about his presence on the team. Dunn will likely see the floor more than Rondo in the regular season. He was brought to Atlanta for his noteworthy defense, something that Trae Young has lacked in his first two seasons. Kris Dunn will give Trae Young the confidence to score at will (as if he didn’t already have that), but will also give some assurance that the Hawks won’t be abysmal at the point guard position on the defensive end.

How Bogdan Bogdanovic will affect Atlanta Hawks PG Trae Young

While we’re still unsure what the Atlanta Hawks’ starting lineup will look like on opening night, we do know that Bogdan Bogdanovic will take some of the scoring pressure off of Trae Young when they share the floor together.

Entering his fourth year in the league, Bogdanovic spent the first three in Sacramento with the Kings, coming off of the bench to average 13.5 points per game. He’ll have a much more prominent role in this Atlanta Hawks offense that now features more shooters than they’ve had in recent memory.

Bogdanovic showed that he can score many ways in the Hawks’ preseason game last Sunday. Whether It be spot-up threes or shots off the dribble, Bogi gets it done.

Bogdanovic went 7 for 15 from the field, 4 for 10 from three, and finished with 18 points in the matchup with the Orlando Magic, giving Hawks fans their first real taste of his natural scoring ability.

He ought to be the recipient of plenty of Trae Young assists this season and for years to come as he signed a four-year, $72 million deal to come to Atlanta. Bogi should get a lot of looks when Trae is in pick and roll action and will be a threat in the open floor if he runs the floor hard. The Serbian ball player will be one of Trae Young’s favorite new guys to play alongside this year.

How Danilo Gallinari will affect Atlanta Hawks PG Trae Young

When the Atlanta Hawks signed Danilo Gallinari to a 3-year, $64 million dollar deal this offseason, most fans wondered what that meant for John Collins and his future with the team. But after Gallo confirmed he came to come off of the bench, the attention shifted to how Gallinari will fit in the Hawks’ future.

Trae Young will benefit from the signing by having one of the most prolific shooters in the NBA on his team. Entering his 12th season, last year Gallinari posted some of the most incredible shooting numbers NBA fans have ever seen from a player his age. He put up 18.7 points per game on .438/.405/.893 shooting splits which is by all measures, absolutely ridiculous.

Gallo goes from one elite point guard in Chris Paul to the next in Trae Young and shouldn’t have to adjust his game much to fit in Atlanta. His almost 5 rebounds per game will give Young the opportunity to push the ball in transition and find the other shooters on the floor.

How Solomon Hill & Tony Snell will affect Atlanta Hawks PG Trae Young

The Solomon Hill and Tony Snell additions to the Atlanta Hawks roster probably won’t affect Trae Young much depending on how head coach Lloyd Pierce sees the rotation playing out.

Hill’s strong suit was on display in the “bubble” this past season and he’ll likely do more to assist John Collins and Clint Capela than Trae Young. Solomon Hill has the potential to be the bruiser type player that the Hawks need and will ultimately be used as a means by which to fortify their paint presence.

Tony Snell will likely be another 3-and-D player for the Hawks. It’s still hard to tell where he’ll fit in the Hawks’ rotation with the likes of Cam Reddish, De’Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Kevin Huerter on the roster, but he’s not a bad pickup for the Hawks. As for his relationship with Trae Young, Snell is entering his eighth NBA season and like Rajon Rondo, will be able to provide some veteran mentorship. Should the injury bug bite, Snell will be a great scoring option for Young and bolsters the Hawks’ depth chart even further.

How the draft pickups will affect Atlanta Hawks PG Trae Young

We got a glimpse of both Skylar Mays and Nathan Knight in the Atlanta Hawks’  second preseason game against the Orlando Magic but Hawks fans probably won’t see much more. Both of these gentlemen will likely spend the majority of their seasons in the G League as the Hawks have the depth at every position to make a playoff run. Mays is another point guard with good size at 6-4. He can shoot the ball well and isn’t too shabby on the defensive end either. Knight played his college ball at William and Mary and put up some pretty great numbers in an overall weak conference. These guys shouldn’t have too much of an effect on Trae Young this season but there’s always hope for the future.

The number 6 pick in the draft Onyeka Okongwu should see some action for the Hawks this year as he rounds out their post rotation of Capela, Collins, Fernando, and Hill. The USC stud is a solid two-way player and given Trae Young’s future with the Hawks’ he could turn into a John Collins-esque type player very soon.