When the Atlanta Hawks traded back in the draft so that they could take Trae Young rather than Luka Doncic, plenty of people around the NBA starting writing negative column inches. Then, Doncic started performing at an incredible level, collecting triple-doubles as a rookie in a way unseen in the NBA previously.
Doncic led his Dallas Mavericks to the playoffs last season, losing to the LA Clippers in six games. The Hawks were still down the bottom of the NBA, they did not get invited to the bubble last season.
This season, the Hawks were tremendous to start the season and then fell off a cliff. They had two massive losing streaks which led them to sit in 11th just prior to the All-Star break. Nate McMillan was then bought in, implemented his systems and structures, leading the Hawks to the fifth seed in the East.
The Atlanta Hawks have done something the Dallas Mavericks have not.
The last time that the Dallas Mavericks won a playoff series was in 2011. Admittedly they were the champions that year, but since then, they have not done anything else in the playoffs. They played four series prior to the two seasons they missed before Doncic was drafted.
The Hawks have had more success in the past ten years but they have also had more success in these playoffs as well. Part of the reason for this is the Hawks have played as a unit rather than a group of players around a team’s star player. Recently, the cracks in the Mavericks have started to show.
Why Luka Doncic would not have helped the Atlanta Hawks as much
The Dallas Mavericks have been a good team ever since Luka Doncic suited up for them. He has put in amazing performances and led the team to the postseason twice. He had five games where he has scored 40 or more points in his 13 playoff appearances.
The problem is that Doncic seems to have put some of his teammates offside with his play. There were some rumblings throughout the season that Kristaps Porzingis was not happy with his role within the offense.
Then, after the Mavericks lost their second straight playoff series against the LA Clippers, the rumblings came out. According to Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report Porzingis is frustrated with his role within the offense, often feeling like an afterthought.
One of the reasons that Porzingis may feel this way is his lack of production, going from star level to a solid level of production. This seems a little like a chicken and egg scenario. Could this have been because of the rise of Doncic, or the fall of Porzingis due to his ACL injury.
If Doncic was able to involve his teammates, the Mavericks would be a much better team. Yes, he averaged 10.3 assists, however, there were so many plays where Doncic drove to the hoop to take a low percentage shot where his teammates did not touch the ball. This is not the style of basketball that wins playoff series.
How the Atlanta Hawks are better with Trae Young
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Looking at the way Trae Young has played since Nate McMillan took over as coach, he has shown that he is maturing as a man and a player. Prior to that, there were rumblings out of the Hawks camp under Lloyd Pierce about John Collins not being happy with his role in the offense.
Then McMillan gave the Hawks a level of structure they had not experienced under Pierce. The Hawks have had an incredible nine players average 10.0 points or more per game. This is not something that could happen with the way Doncic plays.
This has made the Hawks a very hard team to stop on offense. Not only does Young score the ball a lot for the Hawks. he helps by getting his teammates open by his scoring. He is also an incredible passer who can find an open player from anywhere on the court.
The other benefit of having a point guard who is bringing his players into the play is that players want to stay with the franchise. They also want to play harder and for each other. When Clint Capela runs the floor, he is rewarded with a pass near the hoop.
When John Collins goes to the perimeter and is open, he gets the ball. It is not just one player making plays for the team. Yes, Young sets up the plays, however, he has so much help, so many other players working with him on offense. This is why the team is still competing in the playoffs and why they are a good chance of chance of keeping their young core together.