When Trae Young went down seven minutes into the first quarter against the Brooklyn Nets, Hawks fans braced for the worst.
After an atrocious 1-3 start to the season and their offensive engine feared to have suffered a season-ending ACL injury, the fear that Atlanta would quickly slip to the bottom of the East, all the while being bereft of their own pick (courtesy of the Dejounte Murray trade with San Antonio).
Since this start, not only has Trae's injury been confirmed to be far more benign than what was floated around in worst-case rumors, but the Hawks have also won 8 of their last 10 games to boot.
The reality of Trae's absence has been anything but negative for the Hawks. In fact, lacking their primary playmaker has not only allowed their secondary assets to develop in a larger role, but it has also completely opened up the offense in a way never remotely possible with Trae at the helm.
No Trae? No problem: Everyone eats in the new Hawks' offense
The Hawks have won all of their last five outings, including a spectacular comeback against the Phoenix Suns spearheaded by Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu.
Over these last five games, the Hawks have scored 120 or more in all but one of them - far from the expectation without the typical spark to ignite them in Trae Young. Additionally, not a single Hawk has attempted more than 20 shots in any of these battles.
This serves as a stark contrast to a typical Trae offense - shooting 20 or more shots is all but expected from the lead guard after his seven (and counting) seasons leading the charge for the Hawks. With playmakers such as Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, Vit Krejci, and more becoming the shared incumbents of Trae's facilitating role, defenses are left more flat-footed.
Without the ability to focus on a single creator, each member of the defense is forced into a role of elevated importance, with no other choice but to be aware of all five Hawks on the hardwood at all times. This transformative offense is reminiscent of recent championship (or near championship) teams in the league; think of the 2024 Celtics, the 2025 Thunder, and the 2025 Pacers.
While each of these squads certainly had their elite All-NBA talents, they were flanked by very competent, very threatening secondary playmakers (e.g., Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, or Andrew Nembhard and Pascal Siakam). The Hawks' versions of these playmakers in Daniels and Johnson, not to mention the elite big duo of Okongwu and Porzingis, make defenses stretched thin without a clear primary target to stop.
It will be very interesting to see how the new-look Hawks re-adjust to Trae upon his imminent arrival later this season. Will they revert to their old heliocentric system, or slot him into a more off-ball role, as he vocalized he was excited to step into before the season began? Time will tell for Quin Snyder, as the possibilities seem infinite with how elite the Hawks have played of late.