Hawks' Trae Young finds crucial silver linings despite offensive drought
12/26/2024 06:44 PM
One of the bright spots of the Atlanta Hawks this season has been their defense, and they’re making that side of the ball a focus of their team. Trae Young, who in the past has been labeled as a liability on defense, has been making an effort in that department over the past few seasons. This season in particular, it looks to have affected his shooting percentages, but that’s something he isn’t worried about if the team is getting wins.
After their game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Young noted how the defense has been able to carry them to wins, despite his or the team’s numbers.
“Our defense has been real good these past few weeks so we've been doing real great on that end,” Young said. “The offense has been lacking but we had some shots to go in and our defense stayed with us.”
Young is shooting 39.5% from the field this season, which is the lowest of his career. From three, he’s shooting 32.8% which is the lowest since his rookie season (32.4%).
“My percentages aren’t the way they’ve been, but l’m taking different types of shots, too,” Young said via Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’m obviously getting guys involved, and that’s my main priority, and obviously, the defense is the first priority.”
Trae Young is taking different shots for Hawks this season
Trae Young is taking different shots this season, as there hasn’t been much space for him to work with due to the lack of shooting in certain lineups. In the starting lineup particularly, Dyson Daniels isn’t known for much of his three-point shooting, and Zaccharie Risacher hasn’t shot the ball well in his rookie season. Jalen Johnson is shooting 33% from three, and Clint Capela is not a shooter at all. That has allowed teams to sag off on those defenders and focus more on Young.
Beyond that, Young isn’t scared of taking shots at the end of quarters, which could be huge momentum shifters if they go in.
“I’m not afraid to take three-quarter shots at the end of the quarters, or late-shot-clock shots for my team, when they throw me the ball and things like that,” Young said. “Like, I’m never going to complain about that or anything. But that is part of the reason, and I’m going to keep doing it for my team.”
Over the past few games, Young’s three-point shooting has improved, which has been a plus for the Hawks. If he can continue shooting well, it can open up the Hawks’ offense while still playing well on defense.
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