Are the Hawks actually better without Trae Young?

Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor is joined Esfandiar Baraheni of The Athletic to discuss Atlanta’s success without its starting point guard and the chances of it leading to a potential trade. Check out the full conversation on “The Kevin O’Connor Show” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.

Video Transcript

The Hawks are 7-2 without Trae Young.

They had a 22-point fourth-quarter comeback.

Sunday against the Phoenix Suns, and that completes a West Coast road trip sweep for them.

They beat the Clippers, the Kings, the Jazz, and the Suns.

So, the Hawksare the Hawks better without Trae Young?

Is that too far, or not far enough?

That’s a very, very, very good question.

I’m tempted not to go far enough just because of how well they’ve played, Um, and because of how different their style has been offensively.

If you look at what they’ve been doing, they are #2 in how efficiently they score.

Out of cuts.

The New York Knicks are the No.

1 team.

The Hawks are very, very successful at finding cutters.

And a lot of that.

That is Dyson Daniels.

He has taken the helm as the sort of lead guard with Trae Young out.

And I love what hes done in setting guys up.

So, Jalen Johnson will initiate, then they’ll swing it to the second side for Dyson Daniels creates something, and he always knows how to do it in a pinch.

So, I’m tempted to go not far enough, because I think they have found a recipe, Especially defensively, I mean, they’ve been the 2nd best defense.

In the league without Trey.

They have so much size on the perimeter, between Daniels and Jalen Johnson.

Nikhil Alexander Walker had a great game on Sunday against the Suns.

All of those guys can switch everything.

And then you have Ayeka Kongwa on that backline.

You have Kristaps Porziis on that backline.

There’s just this philosophy, defensively, that makes so much more sense without Trae Young.

I do wonder if we’re headed toward an amicable breakup.

What do you think Trae Young’s value is right now, around the league?

Pretty low.

There just aren’t many teams needing a point Guard.

Not many teams need a point guard.

Not many teams need a point guard making that much money.

Not many teams need a point guard whos making that much money and is smaller.

It’s just the reality of it.

And I think if you’re Trey, And, you’re seeing the team play this way, Maybe Trey returns and fully embraces it This kind of, you know, equal opportunity system, or it’s different guys initiating the Offense, and this team feels like it was built to play this way.

It just clicks together.

It shouldn’t always be pick and roll.

Over and over.

Are the Hawks actually better without Trae Young?

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