Trae Young receives one final snub as Hawks head to offseason

The Atlanta Hawks bowed out of the Play-In Tournament unceremoniously, dropping back-to-back games to the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat. 

Young averaged 28.5 points and 8.5 assists in the two contests, and he totaled 6 turnovers to boot. However, Young was inefficient against the Magic, finishing with a 38.1% clip from the floor and going 1-for-5 from beyond the arc. Worst of all, the Hawks’ seasons came to an end.

As if that weren’t enough, the NBA added a little salt to the Hawks star’s proverbial wounds.

Young was not among the three finalists named for the 2024-25 Clutch Player of the Year award. The honor went to Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, and Nikola Jokic.

Each player was deserving of consideration. However, Young deserved a spot among the finalists, and Atlanta native Anthony Edwards is the most glaring inclusion over the Hawks’ four-time star this season.

Young averaged more PPG with a better winning percentage in clutch games during the year.

Brunson and Jokic can boast those things in addition to greater efficiency than Young; Edwards can only lay claim to the final feat.

Trae Young in familiar spot after Hawks star get snubbed again

Award voting is often subjective, so differences of opinion are not surprising. But if efficiency is the only mark the Minnesota Timberwolves star can legitimately hold over Young, the argument against the latter is flimsy at best.

Scoring outweighs efficiency in other awards races, like this year’s Rookie of the Year hunt.

Edward also averages fewer assists (0.4 to 1.0) and finished the regular season with a worse plus-minus.

Young boasted a plus-6.7 net rating in the clutch. Edwards was a minus-9.9 while Brunson (plus-26.2) and Jokic (plus-23) proved their mettle. And the kicker: Young’s defensive rating was 10 points better than Edwards’ in clutch situations.

None of this is to even broach the argument about who is the better player.

In regards to who was more deserving of a spot among the three finalists, at least between the two of them, Young’s case was strong and arguably far more worthy than his peer’s.

The Hawks star is no stranger to the situation. He has had to earn his All-Star status in each of the past two seasons – his first time earning back-to-back honors – as an injury replacement and has been passed over for the Team USA process despite openly desiring a spot.

Hopefully for the Hawks, Young uses the slight as more fuel for this summer and next season.