The city of Atlanta has descended into madness resembling the Gotham night’s mayhem. The only difference is that their Batman is not Bruce Wayne but Trae Young, and he was snubbed from the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.
Hawks Star Trae Young Snubbed From 2024 All-Star Game
Atlanta Hawks star Young, the fifth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, is a two-time All-Star. Those accolades are befitting for most players.
However, fans are questioning a voting system that’s led to him being left off All-Star teams during seasons in which he averaged at least 25 points and nine assists per game, especially with the offensive engine finishing second among Eastern Conference guards in fan voting.
Nonetheless, Young was passed over as a starter because he ranked sixth in media and player voting. The combination of votes from the media, his peers, and fans has led to Indiana Pacers breakout star Tyrese Haliburton and Milwaukee Bucks superstar Damian Lillard being named starters for the All-Star Game. This is despite Lillard finishing behind Young in the highly publicized fan vote.
Of course, there’s a legitimate reason for the fan vote not being the end-all-be-all in All-Star voting. Namely, a player’s popularity can cause more deserving All-Star candidates to be passed over. Even in this selection cycle, this was proven to be the case.
Lillard didn’t just land a starting spot over Young. He received nearly a million more votes than Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey.
Yet, Maxey has objectively been better than the former Blazers centerpiece this season. Nonetheless, it’s easy to imagine fans prefer to see Lillard’s familiar play style in the All-Star Game rather than Maxey. He has been one of the most popular players in the league for a decade longer than Maxey has played at a star level.
Not Even as a Reserve?
Though Young wasn’t named as an All-Star starter, many anticipated he would be selected as a reserve. Seven players from each conference could make their way to the festivities if selected by NBA coaches.
That didn’t shake out favorably for Young either, though.
The aforementioned Maxey, New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and forward Julius Randle, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero, Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell wound up being the All-Star reserves voted in by the coaches.
So, what gives?
There’s no doubt each of the players named as reserves have put up All-Star numbers. Furthermore, each team has a record above .500 this season, while the Hawks are 20-27 this season. Even factoring in games in which Young was healthy enough to play, the Hawks are 18-24.
However, even those caveats don’t completely explain his being bypassed as an All-Star selection. This led to a conspiracy theory that NBA coaches colluded against Young.
With that said, one would be remiss not to mention that Young has had two newsworthy disputes with NBA coaches who are popular among their peers. Both coaches, Lloyd Pierce and Nate McMillan, were subsequently fired.
While Pierce has found a home with the Indiana Pacers under Rick Carlisle, he also coached for Team USA under Steve Kerr following his dismissal by the Hawks. McMillan has yet to land a new gig. Nonetheless, he, too, remains connected to the league, as his son Jamelle is the head coach of the Detroit Pistons’ NBA G League affiliate.
All Hope May Not Be Lost
Due to injuries, Randle and Philadelphia 76ers focal point Joel Embiid will miss the 2024 All-Star Game. As a result, Young is one of the four players that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is considering as an injury replacement.
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner, along with Boston Celtics teammates Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis, are the others.
Young should be all but a shoo-in to land on the East’s All-Star team. However, it’s difficult to discount the possibility that Silver opts to have four-fifths of the Celtics’ starting lineup on the team.
In fact, White has been touted as an All-Star by the media for months, even by popular figures such as former NBA sharpshooter J.J. Redick.
The Last Word
The discourse surrounding Young focuses on his averages. But what factored into the decision-making of his peers and coaches isn’t being explored.
Team record. Player reputation. Efficiency. Young is shooting under 43% from the field for the second consecutive season. Young’s 42.3% mark this season is the second-lowest of his career.
Perhaps even his play style comes into account. For years, the story was that Young didn’t have enough help around him to get the ball out of his hands. Now, reports paint the picture that Young just would rather have the ball in his hands as much as possible.
In any case, whether Young barely missed the cut or there are deeper reasons for his snub, this saga presents more questions than answers without a deep investigative dive.
