Trae Young has been the only bright spot in an otherwise dark decade for the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA. The 2018 Draft pick has been a consistent performer for the Hawks and he even led the side to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance in the 2021 season. Despite all he’s done for the team, Young’s contributions often tend to get overlooked, mostly due to the lack of another star next to him to alleviate some of the offensive pressure on him.
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This was the main topic of discussion on ‘Run It Back’ as Michelle Beadle joined former Hawks players Chandler Parsons and Lou Williams to discuss Young’s situation in Atlanta. Parsons claimed that Young’s performances have cemented him as a superstar, but those performances haven’t translated to results because he doesn’t have a running mate.
He mentioned names like Kevin Durant and Devin Booker to provide examples of players who could help Young’s game.
Speaking on the kind of coverage Young faces defensively, Parsons claimed, “I think he would be so much better if they do find that 1A guy to not allow him to get double-teamed, not allow him to see these coverages that he’s seeing… He’s never had a Kevin Durant, he’s never had a Devin Booker.”
The Hawks need to find a running mate to pair with Trae Young to be a real contender.
Who do you think would be a good fit beside the 4x All-Star?@MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/jETONF07Ij
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 14, 2025
Young is already averaging 25 points and 10 assists over his career, but Parsons believes another star could see Young’s averages increase further as he’d play with more freedom.
“As good as he’s been, as hell of a career that he’s already had, I think he could be so much better if they do add that 1A guy, I just think his game would completely evolve once you get that mega superstar next to him,” CP added.
That’s not to say the Hawks haven’t tried to get Trae help. It’s just that the help they did get wasn’t very compatible with him.
The Hawks’ gamble to fit Dejounte Murray next to Trae Young failed
Trae Young is, at his very core, a quintessential point guard. The game runs through him, and that’s worked wonders for him and the Hawks, as seen in that 2021 ECF run. But he’s been unable to pass the scoring baton to anyone else because the team doesn’t have an elite scorer beside him.
The Hawks’ biggest trade for a star was when they brought in Murray from the Spurs, but that trade was always going to fail.
Murray is a ball-dominant guard himself, and with him and Young both playing the same way, the ATL side were never able to launch a successful playoff run. But Murray’s true skill lay in defense, something Trae sorely lacks.
Unfortunately for the Hawks, Dejounte’s time in Atlanta saw him regress as a defender, which ultimately caused a lot of unrest among fans.
As of right now, the Hawks have managed to add a few complimentary pieces around Trae. But it’s like Parsons said. Unless they can have a legitimate star who constitutes a scoring threat, the Hawks might never see the best possible version of Trae Young.
