If you ask any NBA fan or expert to list the five best point guards in the NBA today, you’d be hard-pressed to find a single list without Trae Young. Trae, 24, has ascended into stardom for Atlanta and has already been given the keys to the franchise.
While the Hawks have clearly shown a willingness to pay Young like a superstar, there are apparently some within the organization who question his effectiveness as a leader.
In an article by The Athletic’s Shams Charania today, he wrote the words of one inside source who called on Young to step up to the plate as the face of the team.
The Hawks have held multiple team meetings early this season to resolve various conflicts, sources with knowledge of the situation said.
For Young, whose strained relationship with former Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce played a large role in his firing in March 2021, it’s the latest sensitive situation that has caused many people within the Hawks to question Young’s leadership approach.
Executives across the league who have heard about the Hawks’ behind-the-scenes issues wonder what this means for the future of McMillan. After leading the Hawks to the Eastern Conference finals appearance as interim head coach in 2021, McMillan signed a four-year contract to become the franchise’s full-time head coach.
With the team currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, sources with knowledge of the situation said McMillan’s job is safe. As all involved are well aware, Young and McMillan will need to reinvigorate their relationship moving forward if the Hawks are going to become a true contender again. And key personnel around the team believe that Young simply must find a way to become a more productive and positive face of the franchise.
Trae Young And Nate McMillan Budding Heads Amid Rising Locker Room Tensions
The report stems from the report of an incident between Young and head coach Nate McMillan last week. Apparently, Young elected to skip the game after the coach refused to let him skip shootaround.
Hawks All-NBA guard Trae Young and coach Nate McMillan had an exchange at Friday’s shootaround that led to Young choosing not to attend the team’s home win over Denver at State Farm Arena, sources with knowledge of the situation tell The Athletic.
While Young was receiving treatment on his right shoulder, sources say McMillan asked him whether he would participate in shootaround, receive treatment during walk-through and play in the game against the Nuggets. But Young made it clear that he wanted to focus solely on his treatment while missing shootaround and deciding later in the day whether he would play.
That approach, however, was not McMillan approved. Since the face of the Hawks’ franchise was deciding not to take part in shootaround, McMillan ultimately presented him with two options for that night’s game, sources said: Play off the bench — or do not show up to the arena. Young responded by saying he would not be playing against the Nuggets, and the team ruled him out while citing right shoulder soreness.
On the court, we all know what Trae Young can do. He’s a lethal scorer and playmaker who never shies away from taking the big shot. He even has a nice Conference Finals run to back up some of his claims.
Unfortunately, it seems he is letting things get a little out of hand in Atlanta, and those watching it from the inside don’t want it to go unnoticed.
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