3. Playmaking Help for Trae Young

This is a bit of a catch-22 scenario involving Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. He is by far their best playmaker and dominates the ball extensively throughout games. However, there is a lack of sufficient personnel to help alleviate some of the burdens he shoulders.

The early results of the Jeff Teague acquisition from the standpoint of directly providing help when Young is on the floor have been underwhelming. They’ve been strong offensively (119.6 offensive rating) so far yet it has translated to a considerable net negative impact.

It’s favorable for the Hawks to have Teague in a backup role to run the Hawks’ offense when Young is off the floor because defensively they’re not a match. They will need to find a more long-term solution that can be a comfortable fit at another perimeter position.

Nobody on the Hawks seems capable of being able to step up in the playmaking department. For example, players like De’Andre Hunter, Kevin Huerter, and Cameron Reddish are not going to find consistent success running high pick-and-rolls or breaking down a defense, in general.

The Hawks will need to make an external upgrade to their roster to add a new member of their core that is an impactful playmaker. This likely isn’t something they will be able to do until the offseason given the compensation pulling off a move of this kind will require.