Hawks guard Vit Krejci's unreal pass vs. Pacers draws wild Trae Young reaction
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The NBA preseason is in full swing, and even though the stars on each team may not be at the forefront of the results on the floor, they are still finding their way into the spotlight one way or another. That was the case for Hawks guard Trae Young on Tuesday, even after playing just 21 minutes in a 131-130 win over the Indiana Pacers.
During the fourth quarter of the Hawks’ win, guard Vit Krejci fired an incredible full-court assist with one hand, setting up Kobe Bufkin for a layup, and Tray Young hit the classic goggles celebration on the bench in response.
Young is knocking off the rust before the season gets going and had a strong night statistically, finishing with 17 points and six assists despite the limited minutes. Krejci also was impressive in 23 minutes of action as he tries to make the Hawks’ final roster at the end of the preseason, scoring seven points and dishing out six assists of his own.
The Hawks were led by rising star Jalen Johnson, who put up a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double in just 22 minutes. Johnson was efficient as a scorer, shooting 8-for-12 from the floor, and added three steals on the defensive end.
Trae Young must take another leap if the Hawks want to contend in the East
The Hawks have come back down to Earth over the last few years since making their surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, and they need Trae Young to become one of the true superstars in the NBA for them to get back to that point. Young is already an All-Star level player, but he needs to be even better than that for a few reasons.
The first reason is the strength of the Eastern Conference. The defending champion Celtics will be very formidable once again, and it looks like the Knicks have improved with the additions of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges. The 76ers will also be very difficult to beat with Paul George in the fold.
On a more introspective note, the Hawks are relying on Young to be the level of player that can carry a team to a championship, and they know that is their quickest path to the top of the East. Young is a statistical beast — he has surpassed 25 points and 10 assists per game in each of the past two seasons –but his impact on the game has fallen slightly short of some of the true superstars in the league.
If Young can improve his efficiency as a scorer (43% from the field last season) and become a competent defender, that will go a long way towards helping him rise up the ranks in the league. If the Hawks want to reach those 2021 heights again, that leap needs to happen for Young.
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