It’s been a tough year for the Atlanta Hawks.
At 31-31, Atlanta is a middling Eastern Conference team and is just barely hanging onto a playoff spot. Meanwhile, former head coach Nate McMillan was fired for problems that probably weren’t entirely his fault.
Some have surmised that Trae Young is the Hawks’ real issue. For what it’s worth, Young’s having a trademark stat-stuffing season while averaging 27.1 points, 10.1 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and a steal per game.
However, he’s only shooting roughly 32 percent from behind the three-point line.
Young had an opportunity to quell some of this criticism in new coach Quin Snyder’s debut against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night. In a back-and-forth affair that saw the Wizards erase an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit, the point guard almost rescued the Hawks.
With Atlanta needing a three to knot the game up at 119 points apiece, Young bricked an open, very deep three-point attempt. (A shot he probably could’ve taken another step or two forward on.) The Hawks would rebound Young’s initial miss, and he’d get the ball in his hands again — another brick.
And a 119-116 loss.
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) March 1, 2023
Woof. As if the Hawks’ campaign wasn’t already a huge mess all around, their best player couldn’t come through for them in a clutch spot from behind the arc. Twice. It’s almost too fitting this failure happens in the first game with a new head coach, too.
The regular season isn’t over, but the Hawks’ mediocre year continues.
