Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young. David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Trae Young addresses disappointing end to season

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 4/18/24

Trae Young didn't expect the Atlanta Hawks to be on the outside of the playoffs looking in.

The All-Star guard believed his team was capable of making some noise in the Eastern Conference, but the Hawks' defensive issues continued to plague them, and now they will be watching the postseason from home.

When speaking to the media as part of his postgame news conference on Wednesday, Young shared his thoughts on Atlanta's slippage.

“At the beginning of the year, we didn’t feel like we’d be in this position," Young said. "Obviously injuries made it tough on us, and we were still able to be in this position and give ourselves a chance. We just didn’t come out and make enough plays tonight. That’s part of it, they were making a lot of plays. Coby got going, Vucevic was playing really well. Everybody played really well, so you gotta tip your hats to them. It’s tough.”

The Hawks finished the regular season with a defensive rating of 118.4, which puts them at 27th in the NBA. They were 12th in offensive rating. That lack of balance has continued to cost the Hawks in recent seasons. Try as they may, they've been unable to build a well-balanced roster around Young.

Quin Snyder is a fantastic coach. However, he needs the right pieces to create a team capable of contending for a championship. Young is blaming injuries as part of the reason the Hawks stumbled. Some of that might be fair, but this isn't the only stumble in recent memory. Atlanta likely knew missing the playoffs was a potential outcome.

Young's future with Atlanta has been subject to speculation this season. With another tough season in the books, it will be interesting to see the franchise's direction. One thing is for certain, if the Hawks want to contend, they will need to revamp their current roster construction.

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