After narrowly avoiding a sweep with a one-point win in Game 3, the Atlanta Hawks find themselves in a 3-1 hole to the top-seeded Miami Heat. A key factor has been the defensive job the team has achieved against NBA star Trae Young.
Miami was always going to be the heavy favorite to win this series. Top-seeded teams have been taken down by an 8-seed only three times since the NBA expanded the first round to 7 games. A Hawks upset would’ve been historic, and a fantastic continuation of their surprising run to the Conference Finals last postseason.
In addition to putting the Hawks away with relative ease, the Miami Heat and their suffocating defense have exposed a glaring hole in the Hawks’ roster. Atlanta needs to pair Trae Young with a star to take some of the pressure off, especially deep in the playoffs.
If anyone can do it all, it’s Trae Young. This season, Young became the first player to have lead both the NBA and NCAA in total points and assists in a single season (Young led the NCAA in both during his lone season at Oklahoma). Young is an offense to himself, treating a pick-and-roll like an all-you-can-eat buffet.
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His offensive game lacks holes. He can shoot from deep – making logo threes is a regular occurrence. He can hit midrange jumpers comfortably, drop in floaters from any range, and finish creatively at the rim despite his smaller stature. He’s also a visionary passer, and can find his roller at any moment, or dish outside for an open three.
Young is one of the NBA’s worst defenders – with size, effort, and skills all lacking – but his offense more than makes up for it. However, Miami is showing that when it comes to the postseason, the one-man show is not enough.
Miami’s defense appears as if it was tailor-made to keep Trae Young at bay. Through a blend of coverages, Miami uses their roster chock-full of versatile defenders to stifle Young. The point guard managed just 9 points and 5 assists to 5 turnovers in the Hawks 24-point Game 4 loss.
Miami’s match-up of choice for Young has been PJ Tucker, a staunch defender who always seems to be rostered on a contender. When Atlanta forced the switch, Young is then faced with DPOY candidate Bam Adebayo. Switch again, and you get the 4-time all-defense team member Jimmy Butler. Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, and Victor Oladipo can all give Young trouble as well.
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The biggest issue for Atlanta is that they have nothing with which to counter. Miami can field five elite defenders on the floor with Trae, and all five can give the guard their undivided attention.
The remainder of the Hawks’ roster – Capela, Okongwu, Hunter, Huerter, Collins – largely consists of players who don’t often create for themselves offensively. Bogdan Bogdanović and Kevin Huerter are lethal shooters, and can create open looks from time to time, but not at star volume or efficiency.
Atlanta is in desperate need of a second-star offensive creator. A star who can pull some attention from Trae would open up his pick-and-roll game when they share the floor. When Trae rests, and a team like Miami chooses to rest their elite defenders, a second star would keep the offense rolling, exposing the weaker defenders in the depths of a playoff opponent’s roster.
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As I said – Trae Young is an offense to himself. He can be a team’s engine, and he can take a team into the playoffs on his own. When the game gets messy in the playoffs, though, it’s tough to be a one-man show. Atlanta would be wise to add a second star to their roster – and it might just be the thing to bump them into the tier of elite contenders.
