The Atlanta Hawks have built an amazing lineup around Trae Young, but will it be enough to make up for his subpar defense and inability to play off the ball? Can he adapt? Those are the questions Kevin O’Connor asked.
“Is the weak link Trae? Is it Trae with him on defense?” O’Connor said on his podcast, The Kevin O’Connor Show. “Is he going to be the point of attack? Is his offensive brilliance going to be diminished on that end of the floor if all their guys are handling the ball and he’s forced into being off-screen guy or spot-up guy? I personally think this is the dream version of Trae Young. This is the version of Trae that I have long wanted to see, and we’ll see how he performs in that. But ultimately, Kenny, I think if you are poking holes, those are the things potentially you can look at. Like, KP health is an obvious one, but Trae Young, how does he fulfill this role, is going to be, I think, the main one. When the rest of the roster, to me, looks pretty complete, how does Trae Young perform within that exosystem?”
This will undoubtedly be a huge year for Young.
Can Trae Young step up for Hawks?
The Hawks have a ton of talented defenders on the roster. Dyson Daniels was a Defensive Player of the Year finalist last season. Kristaps Porzingis is a great shot-blocker. Zaccharie Risacher can step up on that end. Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Onyeka Okongwu are all quality defenders.
Young is going to be the weak link. That much seems inevitable. But the question is, can he be decent enough to the point where he isn’t completely unplayable on that end of the court?
Will he put in the effort to be a decent defender? Can he give his teammates enough help for them to cover for him? How much will opposing offenses try to attack him on a possession-to-possession basis?
Then, on the offensive end, though Young is one of the most talented players in the league, he’s not the best off-the-ball player. His years playing alongside Dejounte Murray didn’t work very well because he needs the ball in his hands to be successful.
But the Hawks have other capable offensive players. Daniels can handle the ball, Alexander-Walker can score, and Porzingis will get some post touches. What will Young do when all of that is going on?
How Young plays off the ball and on defense will tell a lot about the Hawks’ success and his potential future with the team.