After a painful regression following the 2021 postseason, the Atlanta Hawks are finally a playoff threat again after a historic offseason. However, until the Hawks can make Trae Young a threat off-ball, this team has a glass ceiling as a second-round exit.
This team is perfectly constructed around Young, who is one of the best offensive engines in the world. He has two stretch fives, endless perimeter defense, and some of the best sharpshooters in the league to support his otherworldly on-ball offensive creation.
However, to maximize this team, Young must become more involved without the ball. This has long been identified as a weakness of this Hawks team and was part of the reasoning that inspired the Dejounte Murray trade.
Young needs to be an off-ball threat for Atlanta to have real title hopes
It is unfair to criticize Young too harshly for his off-ball weakness, as he has never had a supporting cast that is truly worthy of seeing the Finals. With these young and imbalanced teams, Young had to be overinvolved on offense to keep the Hawks afloat.
But that has changed. With the emergence of Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, and Zaccharie Risacher, and the additions of Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard, the Hawks have a roster that can compete at the highest level.
With this upgraded supporting cast, it is time for Young to add the final layer to his game as an off-ball threat. Jalen Johnson and Kristaps Porzingis are proven stars who will create on-ball regularly. Young has to be an active player off-ball to allow his co-stars to shine.
What does being active off-ball mean for Young? With his shooting ability, you would expect Young to be a catch-and-shoot threat with the ability to work inside if opponents close out too hard. His otherworldly offensive game could be elevated even further if he emulated Steph Curry's movement shooting, which Young has shown he is capable of. However, Young has had inconsistent seasons as a spot-up threat and just isn't involved off the ball.
Last season, he shot just 34% on catch-and-shoot threes. Given Young's talent as a shooter and history of being a solid catch-and-shoot threat, you can expect this number to rise. What is more concerning is that when he hasn't had the ball, Young can disappear from the play.
Coach Quin Snyder has to find ways to keep Young active in the play without the ball. Fans should be excited to see what changes Snyder and Young will make next season, as Young has all of the tools to be a lethal off-ball threat. If he ever taps into this strength, it could propel Young from an All-Star to an MVP-caliber player.