The Atlanta Hawks have been remarkably successful this season without Trae Young (relative to expectations). On the surface, it makes no sense that the team is sixth in the East despite not having its best player.
After 15 games of evidence, however, the reason for this success is apparent: the team has moved away from its previous playstyle under the Young regime. When he was drafted to Atlanta, the team had nothing. He was handed the keys to the offense immediately, and he thrived as a James Harden-esque ball-dominant offensive engine. He was so successful that he led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, where they led against the eventual Finals Champions at one point.
What the Hawks (and everybody else) didn’t understand was that they were trying to win with a losing hand. Teams don’t win with a guy as ball-dominant as Young at the helm. This lead guard interferes with his teammates' potential output and is bound to have a few off games, which is enough to lose a playoff series.
Trae must lean into the new Hawks’ playstyle to reach his peak
The world also misunderstood what the ideal Trae Young looks like. Young can score 30 points a night, and he can be the guy who leads the team in field goal attempts on a daily basis. But should he?
The answer is a resounding no. He led the league in assists per game and potential rim assists per 100 possessions last season, and was in the 99th percentile of potential assists per 100. He was also in the 39th and 37th percentiles for two point and three point percentages, respectively. He is perhaps the best individual playmaker in the league, but he is a below-average shooter on his ridiculously tough shot diet.
So, what do we make of these numbers? First, Young’s best attribute is clearly his passing. Second, he is taking far too many shots. It becomes instantly apparent when watching Young that he is an effective scorer, but he isn’t quite at the Harden level of warranting infinite contested stepback three attempts.
Young finally has a team talented enough that he can take a step back into a true point guard role. The team has eight players (Johnson, Porzingis, NAW, Okongwu, Daniels, Risacher, Krejci, and Kennard) who can either create their own shot or capitalize on looks generated by Young. He has a true “1b” star in Jalen Johnson, who can both play off of Young and create his own look. He has five-out spacing and an elite defensive unit behind him. All of the ingredients are there; the Hawks just need to use the recipe that maximizes them.
If Young can’t make the identity shift from scorer to playmaker, he won’t elevate the team upon his return. If he can attempt to replicate a Chris Paul or Tyrese Haliburton approach to the game, however, this team could be dark-horse title contenders as soon as this season.