The Atlanta Hawks formed arguably the most exciting backcourt in the NBA this offseason by acquiring Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs. Murray is one of the standout defensive guards in the NBA while also being able to hold his own offensively. Meanwhile, Trae Young is one of the worst defensive guards in the NBA but he is a 1-man wrecking crew offensively, leading the league in total points scored and assists made last season, only the second time a player had achieved this since 1973.
At the Hawks’ media day, Young was asked about his new backcourt mate and how the partnership between the two will look. Young seemed ecstatic at the fact that he’ll be playing with an All-Star level guard like Dejounte, who Young said is good at everything when it comes to how a player can impact the game on the court.
“He’s good at everything. Defense, scoring, passing, rebounding, and playmaking, he’s really good at everything. Just having somebody as a competitor, as I am, it’s gonna be fun. I can’t wait to start playing.”
Trae and Dejounte are gonna be a fun duo to watch.
Watch Hawks Media Day live ➡️ https://t.co/x72YsaFn9B pic.twitter.com/uzpqMaL9sr
— NBA (@NBA) September 23, 2022
Are The Hawks Contenders After Adding Dejounte Murray?
The Atlanta Hawks were in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, meaning the team was possibly just 4 wins away from making the NBA Finals. The core of the team since then has been quite similar, but they took a massive step back last season, struggling in the regular season before being easily dispatched by the Miami Heat in the Playoffs.
The Eastern Conference has gotten extremely tough over the last 2 seasons and what teams need on their roster to contend is just increasing. The Hawks have a solid core of players across positions but needed someone to offset Young’s flaws in the backcourt and Murray can do exactly that.
Hopefully, Atlanta can make a strong impression with their new star duo this season. Considering the price the Hawks have paid for a young All-Star in Murray, they will be praying that this works out for the team.
