Trae Young has been embarrassing, and the Hawks are off to a disastrous start

When I made my Bold Predictions for the 2023-24 NBA season, it went towards my higher judgment to pass glass-half-full on the Atlanta Hawks. Deep down, I do not imagine in them as severe crew. I’ve made no secret of my Trae Young doubts over the years. 

But it used to be meant to be daring predictions, so I took a shot. The 41.5 win general felt low for a crew that received 41 closing season as one thing of a mess beneath Nate McMillan for many of the 12 months, so I referred to as the over a lock with Quin Snyder now calling the photographs. Then I were given even bolder and picked them to end as a top-five seed in the Eastern Conference. 

Suffice it to say, neither name is having a look just right up to now. 

The Hawks are 0-2 with losses to the unhealthy Hornets and so-so Knicks, and Young is off to a disastrous start. The counting stats glance OK: 23 issues and 9 assists in the opener, 18 and 12 on Friday. But do not be fooled. Young has regarded terrible with 27 neglected photographs, 11 turnovers and, as same old, a few of the maximum disinterested protection conceivable. 

Honestly, take a look at this effort:

That is an absolute shaggy dog story from a man who tries to put on the face of a franchise participant. As lengthy as this is the instance being set, the Hawks are not going anyplace however again to the play-in. Embarrassing. 

And that wasn’t an remoted instance. Young used to be a turnstile all night time. He were given cooked off the dribble. He lazily misplaced monitor of shooters. At the finish of the first half of, he chucked up a brick with 5 seconds nonetheless on the clock, and then, fairly than run again on protection, stood bouncing on one leg, maintaining his errant observe thru, as RJ Barrett raced previous him for a buzzer-beating dunk on the different finish. 

Again, this may be embarrassing effort despite the fact that Young had been cooking offensively. But when he is dividing his time reasonably lightly between throwing up bricks and throwing it to the different crew? It’s totally unacceptable. 

It is not serving to issues that Young’s backcourt mate, Dejounte Murray, is 11 for 31 to start the season, together with 0 for six from 3. Snyder needs the Hawks firing extra from deep than they did beneath McMillan; sadly they are at 28% as a crew from deep up to now. 

If you need a silver lining, Jalen Johnson has been superior. Other than that, this has been a horrific start for the Hawks, and particularly for Young, who sooner or later goes to want to solution the query as to whether or not he can lead a severe, contending crew. 

Come to call to mind it, possibly he already has responded that.