Hawks rookie makes bold prediction during All-Star weekend event

Trae Young is representing the Atlanta Hawks (24-31) in Indianapolis for the All-Star break, participating in the big game after being tabbed as an injury replacement. For Young, who also finished second in the three-point contest, it’s his third trip to the All-Star weekend locale.

For teammate and Hawks rookie swingman Seth Lundy, it was something to aspire to, especially the three-point contest.

But Lundy doesn’t just want to participate. He wants to win.

“I’m winning the NBA 3pt contest one day! No doubt," Lundy said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on February 17.

If there is any single event that fits Lundy’s skill set, it’s the three-point contest. 

A 36.8% career shooter from deep in college, the 6-foot-6 Lundy shot 40% in his final season at Penn State. He is shooting 23.1% from deep in his nine appearances with the Hawks this season.

But Lundy knocked down 38.3% of his triples in the G League Showcase Cup and is shooting 46.2% on 9.3 three-point attempts during the regular season for the College Park Skyhawks.

The Hawks are averaging the sixth-most threes taken this season.

Hawks can’t outshoot their woeful defense

However, they rank just 20th in three-point efficiency, with six players shooting better than 36% from beyond the arc on the year. But Jalen Johnson has cooled off considerably from the outside, shooting just 28.1% over the last 15 games before the break.

Saddiq Bey is also having the worst three-point shooting season of his career, while AJ Griffin has been little more than an afterthought.

Add in their defensive woes, and it is easier to see why they are seven games under .500.

The Hawks face the ninth-most threes per game this season, allowing opponents to hit them at the fourth-highest clip in the NBA. Not only are those the worst marks of the Trae Young era, but they are also the worst in Hawks franchise history, per Stathead.

For all of the fanfare around the Hawks’ hiring of Quin Snyder last year, defensive improvement was rarely if ever mentioned as one of the things the former Utah Jazz coach brought.

The numbers appear to be bearing that out this season.

It could very well be that, if the Hawks are going to improve defensively, they will need to lean into their offense more than ever. Lundy would likely need a series of injuries to be a significant part of that. 

But it sounds like the youngster would be willing to accept that and any other challenges that may come his way.