{"id":166905,"date":"2025-11-17T08:00:04","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T13:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=166905"},"modified":"2025-11-17T04:23:49","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T09:23:49","slug":"hawks-better-without-trae-young","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/11\/17\/hawks-better-without-trae-young\/","title":{"rendered":"Are The Hawks Better Without Trae Young? Why The Answer Is No"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are the Hawks better without Trae Young? The question surfaces after short win streaks<\/a> or a hot shooting night; however, context and sample size still matter. In practice, Atlanta\u2019s offense, spacing, and ceiling rise when its best creator plays. His pull-up gravity stretches coverage, his pick-and-roll reads generate efficient shots, and his late-clock playmaking prevents empty trips.<\/p>\n

Are The Hawks Better Without Trae Young? Why The Answer Is No<\/h2>\n

With Young on the floor, defenders extend to 28\u201332 feet, which opens clean dives and rhythm threes. Moreover, wings attack tilted help instead of set shells. By contrast, Hawks without Trae Young<\/a> see tags arrive early, corners close faster, and drives meet more bodies, so possessions grind.<\/p>\n

Decision-making widens the gap as well. Young manipulates drop, switch, and hedge in real time, then hits the weak side on time and on target. Consequently, those choices become secondary assists, free throws, and put-backs against rotating defenses. Without that engine, the offense leans on isolation and late-clock heaves, an approach<\/a> that rarely sustains. Thus, the narrative that the Hawks without Trae Young improve over long stretches doesn\u2019t hold up.<\/p>\n

Defense is part of the story, yet it doesn\u2019t flip the verdict. Bigger lineups may switch more and allow fewer straight-line drives; nevertheless, the offensive trade-off is costly. Fewer efficient looks mean fewer set defenses, which, in turn, fuel opponent transition. Therefore, scoring first, something Young drives consistently, helps the scheme more than marginal gains without him. In short, the Hawks without Trae Young lose the best tool for controlling tempo.<\/p>\n

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TRAE YOUNG GAME-WINNER FROM HALF-COURT \ud83d\ude31 \ud83d\ude31 <\/p>\n

WHAT AN ENDING IN UTAH \ud83e\udd2f pic.twitter.com\/AbVyAzmvxA<\/a><\/p>\n

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 8, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n