The Atlanta Hawks have a problem.
It is not Trae Young. Nor is it head coach Quin Snyder. It is the roster, but that is not the players’ fault. Instead, the Hawks have a roster construction problem, which falls squarely on the shoulders of the front office, led by general manager Landry Fields.
They finished the regular season as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference and are trying to get back to the playoffs via their fourth straight Play-In Tournament appearance.
While agreeing with the idea that injuries sank the Hawks, Young’s father noted the issue.
“4 or 5 seed easy….and I’m not being a homer. It’s just frustrating & I’m tired of talking about it. Plus no one cares,” Rayford Young. posted on X on April 16, replying to “Locked On Hawks” host Brad Rowland’s assertion. “But ‘every year’ since ECF there’s been an injury or two. And the team isn’t built to withstand injury to a star player like Jalen. @ATLHawks.”
The Hawks have the seventh-best winning percentage in the Eastern Conference in the last four regular seasons. They have two playoff appearances to show for it, but went 1-4 in 2022 and then 2-4 in 2023 to get bounced out in the first round both times.
In 2021-22, the Hawks navigated injuries to Cam Reddish, De’Andre Hunter, John Collins, Lou Williams, and Onyeka Okongwu, all of whom played fewer than 60 games.
Bogdan Bogdanovic and Saddiq Bey failed to clear 60 games in 2022-23.
Hunter, Johnson, and Okongwu all failed to appear in more than 57 games in 2023-24, with former first-round picks A.J. Griffin – who has since been traded – and Kobe Bufkin (a repeat offender this season) joining them.
Young also appeared in fewer than 60 games last season as he navigated a finger injury that required surgery.
This season, the trade deadline only exacerbated Young and the Hawks’ need to adjust.
Injuries plaguing Trae Young, Hawks once again
Atlanta is dealing with injuries to its starting frontcourt this postseason, with Clint Capela and Larry Nance Jr. joining Johnson on the sidelines.
Per Basketball Index, the Hawks had the 10th-most wins missed based on WAR in 2024-25.
They had the sixth-most in the East, notably checking in behind the Orlando Magic, against whom they lost in the first round of the Play-In Tournament on April 15. Fortunately for the Hawks, they will have another opportunity to advance to the playoffs.
They will face the winner of Wednesday’s tilt between the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat for an opportunity to be the No. 8 seed in the playoffs.
The Hawks split both regular-season series.
If there is an argument against the elder Young’s argument, it is that the Magic and Boston Celtics endured more lost wins due to injury than the Hawks did. Both teams still managed to finish ahead of Atlanta in the standings.
Of course, they, along with the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder in the West, are exceptions, not the norm.
And it still underscores Young’s greater point about roster construction.
The Hawks are built to play one way: small and fast. That means they must stay healthy to execute properly, and they have not proven capable of that. This offseason could bring further changes to the roster as they work towards what should be a goal of boasting a versatile roster.
As Fields and Co. work to undo the situation they have landed in over the past few years, what comes next will be a driving storyline whenever the Hawks’ season ends.
Young’s future with the Hawks is almost certain to be among the hottest topics.