There were high expectations for All-Star point guard Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks before the start of the 2021-22 NBA season. After a recent trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, most people believed that the Hawks would immediately make their presence felt this season. Unfortunately, the Hawks are off to a slow start and currently not playing like a legitimate title contender in the Eastern Conference.
As of now, they are sitting in the No. 12 spot in the Eastern Conference with a 4-5 record.
Hawks' Early Struggle
Following their 116-98 loss to the Utah Jazz on Thursday night, Young talked about the Hawks’ struggle earlier in the 2021-22 NBA season. In a post-game interview, the former No. 5 overall pick cited the lack of motivation as one of the main reasons behind their poor performance.
"I think guys are learning that," Young said, as quoted by The Athletic‘s Chris Kirschner on Twitter. "We’re no longer the hunters. It’s regular season. I’m not going to lie, it’s a lot more boring than the playoffs. You got to find that motivation to play like the playoffs."
Young Got Roasted
Young earned plenty of criticisms for his recent comment about the Hawks’ struggle earlier in the 2021-22 NBA season. Ending their playoff drought and reaching the Eastern Conference Finals is indeed a huge accomplishment for a young team like the Hawks, but Young’s statement sounded like they achieved an even bigger goal.
With the way he speaks, Jason Jones of The Athletic said on Twitter that Young and the Hawks are acting like a team going for a "three-peat." Some NBA fans shared the same sentiment as Jones, with one saying that the Hawks are playing with a "championship hangover without the championship."
Hawks' Defense A Big Problem
Young is still dropping impressive numbers in the 2021-22 NBA season. In nine games he played, he’s averaging 22.4 points and 9.2 assists while shooting 40.7 percent from the field, per ESPN. As a team, the Hawks are also doing well on the offensive end of the floor.
However, their defense proved to be a major concern earlier this season. As of now, the Hawks are No. 23 in the league in defensive efficiency, allowing 106.9 points per 100 possessions, per ESPN.
Lineup Changes Possible
In their first nine games in the 2021-22 NBA season, Hawks head coach Nate McMillan used a starting lineup featuring Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, DeAndre Hunter, John Collins, and Clint Capela. However, with their recent struggle, McMillan said that it’s a possibility for them to make lineup changes in the upcoming games.
"We need a spark," McMillan said, as quoted by Sarah K. Spencer of Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Twitter. "We need some energy to lift us, and we need some guys that’ll go out there and defend… We need two-way players, and not all of your energy focused on one end of the floor."
]]>The Inquisitr
