Trae Young did not play in the Atlanta Hawks’ upset road win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night, but he was paying close attention. The Hawks were on the second night of a back-to-back, and they got more big contributions from unexpected individuals.
The game saw Keaton Wallace post 27 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals, starting in place of the Hawks’ injured three-time All-Star, Young.
Daeqwon Plowden, in his NBA debut, had 19 points and 4 boards.
The duo was a combined 9-for-13 from beyond the arc, powering the Hawks to a 110-94 win that evened up the regular-season series. Afterward, Young shared a fitting message, especially when it comes to the Hawks.
“The G League Prepare you,” Young posted on X on January 15. “Don’t get it twisted!! These killas work!!”
Keaton: 27 PTS | 6 AST | 6 REB | 4 STL
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 16, 2025
Daeqwon: 19 PTS | 7-8 FG | 5-6 3-PT FG
What a night for these two pic.twitter.com/nweeWzYYUB
Young has never participated in the G League. Several of his Hawks teammates have, though.
Most notable among them is Hawks forward Jalen Johnson, who was also sidelined in this contest. Johnson is a unique case is that he was a first-round pick who requested to go down to the G League to get more playing time.
His is more of a testament to the Hawks’ support system than it is a reflection on the G League as a whole.
However, Young’s message is a poignant one.
The Hawks have had to rely on several College Park Skyhawks over the years, and on the organization to help develop players in ways they otherwise cannot without getting proper playing time.
During the COVID-marred seasons in 2020 and 2021, the Hawks had many nights that looked even worse than against the Bulls in terms of available personnel.
Hawks youngsters step up as shooters come up short
The Hawks also got solid nights from Onyeka Okongwu, who recorded his second straight double-double, as well as Clint Capela, Dyson Daniels, and Vit Krejci.
They were surprisingly let down by their shooters, though.
Bogdan Bogdanovic continued his poor shooting season. Connecting on 33.9% of his deep looks coming in, Bogdanovic went 1-for-10 from the floor; 1-for-9 from long distance. He finished with 3 points and 1 assist.
Garrison Mathews entered the night shooting better than Bogdanovic, hitting at a 43.1% clip on his outside looks.
He was 0-7 overall and 0-6 on 3P.
The Hawks have not shot the three-ball well, ranking 18th in efficiency following their win over the Bulls. They are just 16th in attempts, though, and their non-reliance on those kinds of shots is a big reason why they have been able to remain competitive in games where it is not expected.