Two days after the NBA’s All-Star game, the Atlanta Hawks parted ways with head coach Nate McMillan. Through that, many Hawks stars have spoken on the matter – all but star point guard Trae Young resulting in the expected amount of controversy. Young took to social media to give some explanation for his absence, at least for the latest round of questioning.
“Hey all good y’all – had to take care of a family medical issue but ready to get back at it tomorrow,” Young tweeted in the evening on February 23 as reports his team had formal discussions with former Utah Jazz head coach Quinn Snyder for the vacancy.
According to reports, Young’s absence was excused.
He has also been active on social media, even teasing a podcast that he says is going to be “somethin” and sending a shoutout to Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum in recent days.
Young’s silence during this time has led to some wildly hot takes including some pinning McMillan’s firing on him. This is despite general manager Landry Fields saying that he would never consult players on matters such as this and reports that ownership had wanted to make the move as well.
https://twitter.com/rayfordyoung/status/1628455181460336640
There was also a report that McMillan had wanted already contemplated stepping down, though he pushed back against that.
The Atlanta Hawks coaching change was not wholly condemned
“Coach Mac is more so, I’d say, suited for guys who are in a different part of their careers,” John Collins said via the atlhawks fans YouTube channel. “And just us being as young as we are, I feel like we need to focus on just a couple different things…What Nate was asking from us as a group and where we are mentally, professionally just in terms of years, experience – just kind of creates a divide in expectations versus where we are and where we have developed to as young players.”
Collins also said that he was “definitely not happy” to see McMillan get fired and also called for more accountability amongst the team.
That was a theme to a man while no one, even when pressed, would name names.
The outside noise persists, however, right along with the hot takes that said Young would be the next disgruntled superstar to demand a trade out of Atlanta. Now the question is if he is getting his way in Atlanta, why would he want out? Conversely, if Atlanta had any inclination that he wanted out, why make the sudden changes they have rather than brace themselves?
Those are questions that can only be answered in due time and likely won’t come from Young. He has often chosen to keep such matters close to the vest and this does not seem like something that would warrant any further measures.