“From a Stat Machine to a Winner”: Isiah Thomas Heaps Praise on Trae Young for Atlanta Hawks’ Turnaround

The Atlanta Hawks have had a sensational run over the past two weeks. Their 7-1 record since November 27 has catapulted them to the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference. Trae Young’s evident change in mindset has been the main reason behind this period of dominance, said Isiah Thomas.

NBA TV’s GameTime crew was previewing the NBA Cup’s Eastern Conference Semifinals clash between the Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks when Thomas praised Young.

“Trae Young has gone from a stat machine to a winner,” the Detroit Pistons legend stated.

Young’s production has been poor this season. He is averaging the worst FG% of his career and the lowest points per game since his rookie season. Zeke believes the dip is because the 26-year-old is providing his teammates open looks at the basket while attempting the difficult shots himself.

This sacrifice, while making his stats look less appealing, is leading to team victories.

“38% from the field, but then you look on the other side and you say he’s averaging 12 assists a game. So what that tells me is that he’s sharing the basketball, getting his team better shots and he’s taking the more difficult shots now, which consequently lowers his field goal percentage. But it translates into winning because now his teammates are feeling better,” Thomas added.

“Trae Young has gone from a stat machine to a winner”

Zeke and the GameTime crew look ahead to Atlanta’s clash with Milwaukee in the #EmiratesNBACup Semifinals pic.twitter.com/w7hbwICxgX

— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 13, 2024

At this point in his career, the 6′ 1″ guard is less concerned with putting up impressive stats and more focused on increasing his chances of hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy by securing more wins. While the Hawks are still far from being title contenders, they are undoubtedly progressing in the right direction.

Young and co. are in the NBA Cup Semifinals

The Hawks lost to several sub-.500 record teams at the start of season. However, Quin Snyder’s boys also defeated powerhouses such as the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks through the first three weeks.

The team, though, has completely flipped the narrative since the last week of November. A 135-124 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers sparked the change. Since then, the Hawks have moved up a few spots in the standings and also reached the NBA Cup Semifinals.

As the leader of the side, Young has been majorly responsible for the recent upsurge. He’s been averaging merely 19 points in the past eight games. But his 12.7 assists per game is proof that he’s shifted his focus to help bolster the production of his teammates.

If Ice Trae sustains this, he could end up receiving a fourth career All-Star selection as well as win the assists title.