After just three games to start the season, the Atlanta Hawks appear to be on the verge of something special. Let's forget that the Hawks defeated “just” the Rockets and Magic for a moment. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray appear to be clicking right now, and John Collins is also hitting shots. They think they have a legitimate big three, and they're calling it “DeJohntrae.” Will that be a thing? Let's see. Here we'll look at four of the hottest Hawks takes from the first week of the 2022-23 NBA season.

With Trae Young and Dejounte Murray on the court running the show, the Hawks' offense has been strong. They have scored 116.1 points per 100 possessions, and they've assisted each other 14 times in 83 minutes. This duo just looks really good.

On the other hand, the Hawks are 26th in 3-point shooting at only 30.8 percent, with Young going 7-for-28. However, their big men – Clint Capela, John Collins, and Onyeka Okongwu – have combined to shoot 34-for-47 (72%) in the paint, while De'Andre Hunter (8-for-12 from mid-range) is looking sharp.

At 2-1, the Hawks are in solid shape, though they surely feel they should have gone 3-0. The Hawks surely don't want to lose any more of these first five games, but they've dropped four straight in Detroit. They need to prep for that big time. The schedule becomes considerably more difficult with Saturday's trip to Milwaukee, so Young & Co. want to enter that matchup with a lot of momentum.

Now, after their first few games, let's look at four of the hottest Hawks takes from the first week of the 2022-23 NBA season.

4. The Hawks' defense was a mirage

The Hawks have capitalized on their easy early schedule. They had the league's best defense after beating the Rockets and Magic, allowing less than a point per possession in both games. However, in their 17-point loss on Sunday, the Hawks allowed the Hornets to score 82 points (on 52 possessions) in the last two quarters. Charlotte shot 9-for-14 from 3-point range in those 24 minutes and outscored the Hawks 30-8 in the paint.

After the game, Hawks head coach Nate McMillan stated the obvious. Hawks, Hawks takeaways, Hawks season, Trae Young, Dejounte Murray

“We didn't play f****** defense,” he said.

Before the season began, we all knew the Hawks' winning formula would really be to outshoot their opponents. They won't be among the top defensive teams in the league this season, but giving 1.6 points per possession in a whole half is just too much.

3. John Collins the double-double machine

The summer for the Atlanta Hawks has had a significant influence on big man John Collins. Take note that he has been the team's second-best player since Trae Young entered the league. Collins has also heard rumors about how the Hawks should deal him for another star.

That seems to have injected a fresh zest and excitement in Collins. Furthermore, it looks like he is no longer under a ton of pressure. Remember that in the 2021 offseason, he got a big contract and there was so much pressure to put up massive statistics. However, Collins is not a takeover-type of player. He is opportunistic, exploits mismatches, and works effectively in the pick-and-roll. Collins is at his best complementing a true star instead of being the offensive catalyst.

With all eyes on Young and Murray this season, Collins is doing what he does best: playing opportunistic and unrestricted basketball. Although it has only been a few games, Collins' involvement, more than his stats, is the most striking improvement in his game. It's no surprise that he's back averaging a double-double.

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2. Trae Young is among the top five point guards in the league

Trae Young was named to the All-Star Game a second time last season, and he was also named to the All-NBA Third Team for the first time ever. That essentially made him among the top three-to-five point guards in the league.

As we begin the 2022-23 season, is he still in that class? We think so. After three outings, Young is currently averaging 25.3 points, 11.7 assists, and 2.3 triples per game. His scoring numbers and field goal shooting splits are down from last year, but he currently leads the league in assists.

Objectively, that should not be shocking. We knew that Murray's entry would take away points and shots from Young. Conversely, we should not be surprised that Murray's entry has also helped increase Young's assists metrics. Keep in mind that he has never averaged double-figure assists in a full season. As the catalyst of the Hawks offense and the DeJohnTrae trio, Young may finish this season averaging 10+ assists for the first time in his career.

1. Dejounte Murray looks deadly

When Donovan Mitchell made his way to Cleveland, many NBA followers kinda forgot about the Hawks forming the Young-Murray partnership in Atlanta. However, given the way this new duo is playing, Trae Young and Dejounte Murray have earned renewed fans' interest. Needless to say, this tandem has begun to live up to the hype.

We have already discussed how Young's playmaking has improved. Now, let's talk about Murray.

In addition to being a top offensive player, Murray is one of the league's finest defensive guards. Take note that he led the league in total steals per game last season. Right now, he's following up where he left off. In fact, he currently ranks second in steals with 3.3 per game (as of this writing).

His desire for picking opponents' pockets often results in turnovers and transition opportunities, both of which the Hawks lacked last season. And the impact of his box score is already being seen in both of those areas.

In 2021-22 the Hawks finished 16th in opponent turnover percentage and dead last in fastbreak points per game-22. Right now, they are presently ranked eighth and third in those categories, respectively. That's the Dejounte Murray effect right there.

With the re-emergence of John Collins, the reimagining of Trae Young, and the potency of Dejounte Murray, the Hawks will thrive this season. Ring the bells, folks. The DeJohnTrae era has begun!