Will Trae Young’s defense stop the Atlanta Hawks from building a contender?

Can a defensively struggling superstar lead an NBA franchise to playoff success? The Atlanta Hawks may find themselves betting on it.

Is a stout defense necessary for a team to succeed in today’s NBA? Or can a gargantuan offense prove enough to skirt the obligation of defending, even to the point where the typical blood-sweat-pain exchange for an opposing team’s empty possession gets punted?

The Atlanta Hawks may face a version of this question surrounding their young All-Star Trae Young.

If asked, the Los Angeles Lakers, who just obtained the 2020 Larry O’Brien Trophy by way of defensive-minded, smash-mouth bully ball, would argue the utmost importance of defense, even surpassing that of an offensively savvy supporting cast. Employing a non-floor-spacing style that flies in the face of the modern-day game, the Lakers opted not to surround LeBron James and Anthony Davis with elite shooters, rather tough, two-way players who could defend and muscle their way to a championship. Just days ago, this technique officially worked.

Yet, there’s another school of thought that believes defensive deficiencies can be outshot and outscored by a high-octane attacking unit. Some argue the Houston Rockets are trying this method, although a deeper look shows a scrappy, versatile defense that is actually quite effective (15th-best defensive rating in NBA).

Atlanta is the truer attempt of this team archetype, lacking even a respectable defense at this point. Last season, the Hawks finished with the NBA’s third-worst defense, posting a putrid 114.4 defensive rating. As a result, they ended the season 20-47, the fourth-worst record in the NBA.

At the helm of this flimsy jello wall is Young, a majestic offensive player, whose poor defensive reads and slight stature made him an obvious target at the other end. Young averaged 29.6 points and 9.3 assists per contest, but still managed to barely be a net-positive on the court, finishing the season with an Offensive PIPM of 4.93 and a Defensive PIPM of minus-3.69.

Per Basketball-Reference, the Hawks posted an egregious 118.1 defensive rating with Young on the court, but a 111.3 defensive rating with Trae on the bench. Atlanta could have been a top-20 defense without Young, which isn’t much but at least nearing the path to an identity.

It’s almost impossible to suggest a player of Young’s offensive caliber is a hindrance to this Atlanta team. Yet, even with Young on the squad, Atlanta ranked sixth-worst in the offense, with a 107.0 offensive rating. His defense may be sinking the team even further than his offense helps it.

Is nothing working? Should the Hawks blow up their ship and rebuild? The short answer is no. But that’s not to say Atlanta won’t face stark, defensive-specific challenges throughout what could be a foggy, painful build process.

The offense should eventually work itself out. The amount of sheer firepower produced by Young’s 29.6 points and 9.3 assists per contest suggests that recovered teammate health, minor roster tweaks and the continued development of players like Kevin Huerter, John Collins and De’Andre Hunter will render this team offensively potent. Also, it’s unlikely the Hawks could land a better centerpiece if they wanted, as marquee free agents rarely frequent Atlanta. Nonetheless, Young’s combined points and assists per game finished second only to James Harden in 2019-20, so he’s actually a stellar building block offensively.

As for the flimsy defense, this ought to be addressed.

A defensively absent contender is a myth. Of the 16 playoff teams from 2019-20, just three fell outside of a top-half defense in the regular season. And every playoff team except the Portland Trail Blazers finished the regular season 18th-best or better on the defensive end.

Trae Young’s defense is the sort of weakness that would be endlessly exploited in a playoff series

Some defense is necessary to not only win in the playoffs but to even make the postseason. And once in the playoffs, weak individual defenders are bullied endlessly, maneuvered into countless pick-and-roll situations in which the game’s best attackers capitalize on one-on-one situations.

This was on display as Portland loudly fell to the Lakers in five games, surrendering 123.3 points per contest in Los Angeles’ four wins. Also in the first round, Donavon Mitchell aggressively targeted the Denver Nuggets’ weakest defenders, scoring an insane 36.3 points per game in the quarterfinals, which nearly led to an upset. Later in the Finals, LeBron attacked the likes of Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson, averaging 29.8 points per contest on 59 percent shooting.

Even if these Hawks reach the playoffs soon, Young will be shoved into enough pick-and-rolls to make his head spin — defensive weaknesses like his rarely survive a postseason without exposure.

Nonetheless, there are solutions to this. One of which involves Trae himself. Young must eventually improve defensively to render the Hawks dangerous, even if this improvement is by a small margin. Previous success stories precede Young’s path.

Jamal Murray, for example, was targeted relentlessly against the Portland Trail Blazers in 2018-19 as the Nuggets dropped a semifinals they easily could have won. This year, Murray established himself no longer the chump. His defense wasn’t stellar, but it was no longer exploitable. In turn, he was able to play high minutes, produce huge point totals, and help lead the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals.

Similarly, Young must take baby-steps towards this specific goal; Becoming an average defender who cannot be put in crosshairs. Whether it’s hitting the weight room, studying film to improve defensive awareness, or engaging in lateral quickness drills, it’s important Young strives towards a non-liability standard. Sometimes eliminating a weakness can simply mean dulling it’s notoriety and nearing the benchmark of average.

Secondly, the Hawks must sign complementary defenders as early as this offseason. An optimistic option may include the likes of Jerami Grant, while lower-tier options could be Torrey Craig or Jae Crowder. Fortunately, the market for this player archetype (especially the lower-tier options) is more favorable than that of scorers, as quality defenders often come cheap and don’t hold the status that demands a New York or Los Angeles residence.

Outside of Young and John Collins, no Atlanta Hawk averaged over 12.3 points per contest in 2019-20. Therefore, experiments must be tried in the starting lineup, shuffling players to find complementary defenders capable of surrounding Young and Collins. Although opposing offenses pick their spots, high-level defenders can cover for Young by fighting through picks or playing help-side defense.

Picture a scenario in which two quality defenders (or perhaps one defensive ace and Kevin Huerter for spacing) start around a defensively-improved Trae Young, John Collins and a healthy Clint Capela (who’s also an excellent rim-protector). Suddenly, Atlanta has a solid foundation that might create waves in the inconsistent Eastern Conference.

The deck is stacked against Atlanta, as they are young and have a recent history of ineffectiveness. However, Young’s numbers suggest a truly elite offensive talent, one of the league’s best guards for years to come. A defensively-improved Young, combined with intelligent defensive signings may put the Hawks back on the map.