One of the most common criticisms of Trae Young is that he is too ball-dominant. Young has not been the most efficient scorer over his career, leading many to suggest he should embrace an egalitarian offensive approach to improve in this area.
This view can be overly simplistic, ignoring that Young hasn’t had much offensive support in his career. This year, however, Young has the playoff-caliber talent he’s been waiting for. With Jalen Johnson and Kristaps Porzingis forming a deadly trio of stars, Young could realistically fall into a smaller role this season without compromising the Hawks’ offense.
Young’s usage rate, which quantifies a player's involvement in the offense, has declined gently over the past four seasons, by about 1% each year. In the 2024-25 season, Young had a 29.6% usage rate, his lowest rate since he was a rookie. Entering the preseason, analysts wondered if Young could continue this decline.
Young had a 26.3% usage in three preseason appearances, a sharp decline from his total from last season. While this is likely an overadjustment that will see a rise in the regular season, the Atlanta star clearly prioritized moving the ball over self-creation.
Can Atlanta’s supporting cast prove this is a viable strategy
If Young is moving the rock, his offensive responsibilities are dispersed to the teammates surrounding him. While this should make Young’s life easier, this will only be the case if his teammates can take advantage of the opportunities presented to them.
Young will share the floor with Jalen Johnson for about 20 minutes a game, as the two stars’ minutes are usually staggered to ensure Atlanta always has a scoring threat on the floor. With the two stars both in the game, Atlanta should have the offensive firepower to allow Young to play off the ball.
When Young does not have Johnson to support, however, it becomes harder for him to work off the ball. Kristaps Porzingis is a wonderful scorer, but he rarely creates his own shots at this stage of his career. The Hawks will have to incorporate a deliberate offensive game plan to ensure the offense can survive with Young off the ball.
With Young showing he’s willing to accept a reduced role, the Hawks have the chance to create a dangerous offense centered around ball movement and spacing. This changed focus should allow him to see the most efficient scoring season of his career.