Things seemed to be going in a different direction for the Atlanta Hawks after having two players receive postseason awards, but they clearly have a lot of negative perception to overcome, and their lack of representation on the 2024-25 All-NBA teams speaks to that.
The Hawks have the NBA’s assist leader in Trae Young, a four-time All-Star.
They also have the 2024-25 Most Improved Player in Dyson Daniels, who also earned All-Defensive First Team honors, and a All-Rookie First Teamer in Zaccharie Risacher.
And yet, the Hawks went 0-for in the final selections for all three All-NBA teams. Six “lead guards” and Donovan Mitchell earned slots ahead of Young, who earned his fourth All-Star bid this season like he did his third last season: as an injury replacement.
There is no potential for similar fortunes with All-NBA Team selection.
Perhaps the most damning part of all, Young received just three votes to make any team, all of which were for the third squad.
Young has taken his previous snubs in stride, but it is getting out of hand that a guard on such a record-setting pace career-wise has gone so underrecognized despite his marquee numbers.
History and Hawks star Trae Young
This is not to say that Young is without flaws as a player. Nor is it to suggest that Risacher or even Daniels, with his double honors this offseason, being left out is close to the same level of disrespect that Young’s absence is.
It is to suggest that the perception of the Hawks’ star is clearly outweighing the reality.
The only argument a detractor can make that is within Young’s control is team success, which has been fleeting for the slight-statured guard.
That is a team accomplishment, though, and the turnover around Young, both in the front office and on the coaching staff and roster, points as much to his supporting cast and those putting the pieces in place as it does the guard himself.
Per Stathead, qualifying players have averaged at least 11.0 assists in a season 44 times.
Of that group, 34 players were selected to All-NBA teams in the same season in which they posted the stat.
Notably, the last player with 11.0-plus assists across an entire season was Russell Westbrook in 2020-21, but the last one to do both was James Harden in 2016-17. So, there is historic precedent for leaving Young off the All-NBA teams.
Harden averaged roughly 5.0 more PPG during that 2016-17 season than Young did in 2024-25.
But Young turned the ball over 1.0 fewer times per game. Harden led the league in free throw attempts, besting his Hawks counterpart by 3.5 per game.
Perhaps omitting Young from the All-NBA team is justifiable. It also seems to be another glaring oversight in a flawed process.