Trae Young and the Hawks were bored on Thursday night, so they went out and lost a regular season game to the Utah Jazz.
The Hawks had a chance to prove a point early in the season against the Utah Jazz, who finished last season with the best record in the Western Conference. Rather than do just that, Atlanta came out flat (with Blooper and some Braves in attendance, I might add) because it was a boring, old regular season game.
“I think guys are learning that. We’re no longer the hunters. It’s regular season. I’m not going to lie, it’s a lot more boring than the playoffs. You got to find that motivation to play like the playoffs,” Young said.
While we admire Young’s honesty, the Hawks shouldn’t be running on fumes this early in the year.
Atlanta Hawks have a lot to prove
The Hawks witness one season of prolonged success, in which they surprised us all and made the Eastern Conference Finals, beating the Knicks and 76ers in the playoffs. There’s no reason to suggest one loss will keep the Hawks from reaching their ultimate goal in 2021-22, but folding in regular season contests isn’t the way to get there.
Young is speaking from his own experience, as the Hawks leader shot just 8-of-20 from the field and 0-of-4 from behind the arc, which is an area he specializes in.
Atlanta is 4-5 on the season, and 3-1 at home. It’s far too early to panic, but perhaps the Hawks young leader ought to instill some level of urgency in his team, rather than remaining content with this kind of play before it becomes a habit.