The Hawks were among the teams expected to take a step forward this season in the Eastern Conference, but a 3-3 start and injury concerns for star point guard Trae Young have stripped away some of the excitement early in Atlanta.
After Young injured his knee on Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets when a teammate fell into him, there was some initial good news in it not being a torn ACL. However, the team announced an MRI on Saturday revealed a sprained MCL that will keep him out for at least four weeks before they re-evaluate him — which means the absence could extend beyond that initial timetable.
For a Hawks team that has been largely built around Young’s abilities on the offensive end for years, they’ll face a serious challenge navigating the next month without him. That said, the reason for optimism entering this season was the Hawks were the deepest, most talented group of teammates Young has had in Atlanta on paper, and that means they should be better equipped for his absence.
How the Hawks can succeed without Young
Friday’s 128-108 win over the Pacers in their NBA Cup opener provided a glimpse at the ideal scenario for how the Hawks can play without Young in the lineup.
Dyson Daniels had one of his best offensive games of the season stepping into the point guard role with Nickeil Alexander-Walker taking over at the two guard spot. Those two combined for 39 points and Daniels had six assists and nine rebounds to do a bit of everything for Atlanta from the point guard spot. Their ability as a duo to wreak havoc on defense can lead to easy offense, and the Hawks will have to lean on their defensive upside in Young’s absence.
Daniels living up to the $100 million contract the Hawks just gave him prior to the season will be critical to whether they can stay afloat in November. This is also an opportunity for Jalen Johnson to prove himself as a leading man, as many in Atlanta hoped to see him take a leap as an All-Star this season. On Saturday, his full skillset was on display when he led the team in all three major categories with 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists in the win in Indiana.
Johnson was having a breakout 2024-25 campaign before an injury shut him down, and without Young they’ll need him to not just show flashes of brilliance but be a consistent star-level player for the Hawks to reach their goals. While it’ll take a group effort to cover for what Young brings as a scorer and facilitator, Daniels and Johnson are the two most important players in terms of taking on the playmaking role for Atlanta over the next month.
The schedule will get more difficult than the Pacers and Nets, and their next five games against the Cavs, Magic, Raptors, Lakers and Clippers will offer a more true assessment of what this group is capable of without Young.