Trae Young seems to have had quite a career thus far, 5 years into his professional career. The Hawks star has been an instant hit for the team, which hasn’t had such a dynamic guard since Pistol Pete.
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By his 3rd season, Young had played an important role in almost leading his team to a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, an injury late in the 3rd quarter of Game 3 reduced his effectiveness for the rest of the playoffs.
The Hawks were dumped out of the first round in a 4-1 rout by the first-seeded Miami Heat last year. Miami has gotten significantly worse over the past year, now facing Atlanta in the play-in round as the no. 7 seed.
However, this lack of progress by the Hawks after their breakthrough year is concerning. Former head coach Nate McMillan was said to have lost the locker room before his departure in February this year.
Quin Snyder has slotted in, and he faces the tough challenge of revitalizing their core. It doesn’t help that they’ve lost Danilo Gallinari and Kevin Huerter over the past 2 seasons. But it seems Trae Young is also a reason for their decline.
While his on-court production is in line with the rest of his career, Trae has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons. Over the past season or so, it has been reported that things are less than kosher in the Hawks locker room.
What rumors are circulating about Trae Young and his deteriorating locker room presence?
Trae Young has been described as insensitive to the needs of his teammates as the team’s playmaker. This is despite the fact that he leads the league in total assists this year:
“I’ve spoken to a few people around the league and the sense that I’m getting – or what I’m also being told outright – is that nobody likes him.”
“Like, even external players outside of the Hawks are not interested in playing with him. There is basically this sense that Trae is what you call a ‘selfish unselfish’ passer.”
A report after a loss under new head coach Quin Snyder did nothing to help matters. The 2-time All-Star was seen as having tensions off the court as well:
“Starting with the locker room, it’s no secret there’s a serious disconnect between Young, the team’s star player, and many — though some say nearly all — of his teammates.”
“He is not beloved, sources say, and there’s a strong view that Young fails to lead, to understand or care to understand what is required of him, and that as a result the team will never achieve what it should until that reality is fixed.”
Can Trae Young still rebuild his bridges?
Winning cures all, as the old sports adage goes. The Hawks’ backcourt of Trae and Dejounte Murray can replicate the production of any top duo in the league.
Clint Capela is a capable rim protector who does not also get lost on switches. Bogdan Bogdanovic still has the ability to win games with his hot shooting. John Collins is the kind of do-it-all forward most teams would love to have.
It is up to Trae to rise to the challenge of becoming a better leader of men. If he can inspire his teammates to elevate their play, they could spring a surprise or two in the playoffs. They can build upwards from there.
