ATLANTA – The Atlanta Hawks have started the season full of injuries, which means that Trae Young has had to do more than usual at times. Young has stepped up in those moments, but the longer players are out, the more it could be on Young to do so much.
Before their game against the Sacramento Kings, head coach Quin Snyder talked about how the injuries to the Hawks have correlated to Young carrying the load.
“Injuries that we have are at his position. The ball-handling responsibility falls on Trae [Young],” Snyder said. “When you are the person the other team plans for; when [Bilal] Coulibaly guards you, when [Lu] Dort guards you, Trae’s got the toughest matchup, and offensively we’re depending on his ability to create.
“We’re asking him to defend, play 40 minutes. He holds himself accountable because he wants to win. It’s a challenge for him, but if you guys know, Trae is really competitive.”
“This year a focal point for him is trying to make the people around him better. Right now, without Dyson [Daniels], [De'Andre Hunter], Vit [Krejci], and others, he’s really got to lift people. That takes a lot out of him, not just physically but emotionally.”
Hawks dealing with list of injuries to start season
Already five games through the season, the Hawks are dealing with a laundry list of injuries; Dyson Daniels has been out with a right hip flexor straight, De'Andre Hunter with right knee injury management, Bogdan Bogdanovic with right hamstring tendinopathy, Kobe Bufkin with right shoulder subluxation, and Vit Krejci with a right adductor strain.
Bogdanovic and Bufkin will be re-evaluated in four weeks, while Krejci will be re-evaluated in two weeks. As of now, there has not been an update on Daniels and Hunter.
After their game against the Washington Wizards, Trae Young spoke about the several injuries the Hawks are dealing with to start the season.
“It’s not great; it’s not fun. I wish my team was full and healthy,” Young said. “I feel like I’ve been through this a lot since I’ve been here. I wish I could have everyone out there. I know they make things a lot more easier for me, but we have to figure it out. It’s a next-man-up mentality with this league. I know it’s cliche and everybody says it, but we got to live by it, and we got to move forward.”
In their last game against the Wizards, Young finished with 35 points and 15 assists while also playing 40 minutes. Snyder sat the Young to start the fourth quarter, but the Wizards got hot from three, and he didn't have a choice but to bring him back on the floor.
Hopefully, the Hawks can get a little bit healthy over the next couple of weeks, and that will help Young a lot with the scoring load, but he'll also have more options to give the ball to.
Follow Us
Subscribe
