Trae Young gives Hawks a puncher's chance now, but their real window should open in a few years
The Atlanta Hawks' surprising run to the 2021 Eastern Conference finals, where they put an honest scare into the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks, told us, effectively, one thing: Trae Young is a superstar. Yes, the team over-performed, especially defensively, and the matchups with the Knicks and Sixers look pretty gift-wrapped in hindsight. But what Young did, was real. He was the reason the Hawks had a puncher's chance then, and he's the reason they have a puncher's chance now. Even at 13-11 and starting to skid, the Hawks aren't a team to be trifled with because Young, even in a down-shooting year so far, registers as one of the most inevitable point-creators in the league, and now he has a second creator in Dejounte Murray, who, in theory, should make Atlanta less susceptible to Young-eliminating defensive schemes in the playoffs. There's some upside-down stuff happening with the Haw...