The most important player on each and every NBA team this season

By Ti Windisch | Aug 28, 2018

CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 08: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers defended by Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors during Game Four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 8, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

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TARRYTOWN, NY – AUGUST 12: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Atlanta Hawks — Trae Young

The Atlanta Hawks are going to be very bad next season, by design. Trae Young might not be the best player on the Hawks, but that isn’t very important here. The biggest thing in play for the Hawks is hope. Like any team in the midst of a tank, the Hawks need to find reasons for their fans to continue having a vested interest in the franchise.

If Young is good, or at least promising, then Atlanta has a reason to have hope for the future. Taurean Prince and John Collins are nice young pieces, but not even the biggest Hawks homers see Prince and Collins leading a team to contention, not without a lot of help. Young could do that for his Hawks.

The trade that brought Young to Atlanta is also a factor in the rookie point guard being the most important Hawk. If Luka Doncic ends up being awesome and Young looks like a flop in year one, new Hawks GM Travis Schlenk is definitely starting his tenure off on the wrong foot.

It will be important for the Hawks that Prince and Collins continue to develop as well, but Young will be the player who ultimately determines the fate of this iteration of the franchise. A bad season from Young won’t doom the Hawks or anything like that, but it would certainly damper the spirits of Hawks fans.

Young continuing his sharp-shooting and dynamo passing, on the other hand, would be quick proof that Atlanta was wise to tear down after losing Al Horford. No pressure though, rook!

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