The Atlanta Hawks had a daunting task heading into their Halloween game against the Indiana Pacers: grind out a win without Trae Young. After suffering a right knee injury Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets, he headed to Atlanta to receive an MRI, leaving the team without its offensive dynamo. But like all horror movies, the deck was rigged for the good guys.
The Pacers entered the game 0-4 and were also without their lead man, Tyrese Haliburton. With the second-worst offensive rating and a bottom-10 defense, the team was no match for Atlanta’s collective effort. Seven Hawks would notch double-digit points, led by a team-high 22 points and 8 assists from Jalen Johnson.
The Hawks filled Young’s minutes by leaning heavily into their guard rotation, playing Dyson Daniels a season-high 37 minutes and Keaton Wallace six minutes above his season average. Conversely, Mouhamed Gueye saw one minute less than his average. This strategy worked against the Pacers, as both players had their best offensive performance of the season.
This temporary win shields an uncomfortable reality that Atlanta must face, however. If Young misses time due to his knee injury, the Hawks will struggle to win games with their offense.
The Hawks must embrace their length without Young
The Hawks went small against the Pacers, but this decision could come back to haunt the team in the future. Atlanta has the talent and length to form a terrifying defensive frontcourt that supports their elite perimeter stoppers.
Kristaps Porzingis’s length at the center position is the star all the pieces revolve around, even if Onyeka Okongwu tallies more minutes. He has the length to wall off the paint when given the time to position himself properly, but this requires a three-layered defense. The perimeter defenders pick up the ball handlers, the forwards apply pressure via aggressive help defense, and Porzingis parks near the paint.
When Okongwu holds down the center position, the second layer of forward help becomes even more critical. His lack of size limits him as a vertical rim protector when the driving man has the momentum advantage. The change of directions to avoid Gueye, two-way player Jacob Toppin, and rookie Asa Newell can slow the driving man just enough to allow Okongwu to defend the paint successfully.
Zaccharie Risacher, who saw no change in his season average of 23 minutes tonight, should also receive extended playing time without Young. While he isn't the defensive stopper Gueye is, now would be an excellent opportunity for the young forward to emphasize his development in this regard. He could blossom into one of the most valuable supporting wings in the league if he could become a high-level help defender to complement his scorching three point shot.
This isn’t to say an increase to Wallace and Kennard’s minutes is catastrophic; after all, they comfortably handled the Pacers tonight. But their most potent identity lies in embracing the young, promising bigs on their team, rather than an overreliance on players who don’t complement their stars.