features

none

Atlanta Hawks

Dejounte Murray would never tell you that he wasn't feeling his best. One certainly wouldn't know it from watching him score a career-high 44 points, including a game-winning shot with 0.1 seconds left, in a 123-122 overtime win over the Boston Celtics.

"Back soreness, it doesn't matter. I owe all these guys," he said as he looked at Bogdan Bogdanovic sitting on the podium next to him. "If I can go play and compete at a high level, which I feel like I was able to, there's no excuses. I love the game too much, but also for my teammates."

In the quieter moments – taking shot attempts in the first few minutes of the game, or falling to the ground prior to a dead ball, or waiting for the referee to hand over the ball prior to the start of a play as action resumed – it was clear that Murray was moving gingerly when he had the small luxury to do so. It was just the beginning of what he had to deal with Thursday night.&nbsp;

Murray had to push through playing on the second half of a back-to-back, on the third game in four nights, which was also the fourth game in six nights. He had to contend with the injury absences of Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, Saddiq Bey, Onyeka Okongwu, and Kobe Bufkin, and the effects of carrying the workload in their extended absence. He had to battle against a well-rested, top-seeded Boston team that had to be at least a little bit more ornery after giving up a 30-point lead to the Hawks Monday. And at the end, he had to deal with playing five more minutes after already playing 41 of the first 48.

It simply did not matter. Dejounte wanted to do the darn thing, and he did it.&nbsp;

Given the circumstances, it wasn't always beautiful basketball, but given those circumstances and the struggle and the dogged persistence in&nbsp;the face of&nbsp;it all, it was actually the most beautiful basketball of all.

"He's just tough," Quin Snyder said after the game. "And he's mentally tough."

For Murray, it was yet another strong game in the month of March. Among his Eastern Conference peers this month, Murray ranks fourth in scoring (27.1 points), second in made threes (4.0 threes), third in assists (9.0), and second in steals (2.3).

Murray scored all 11 points for the Hawks in overtime. At the start of the extra session, the Celtics played a switching defense, and the Hawks set a screen to get Murray a switch for a one-on-one play against 7-foot-2 center Kristaps Porzingis.

"You put the ball in his hands," Snyder said. "Don't overthink it. Let him make a play."&nbsp;

Bogdanovic took it one step further, citing his individual battles after practice with Murray."We always feel like he's our best one-on-one guy, and I was just trying to run around because they won't help off of me, and trying to get loose from my guy and get some switches, get (the defenders) confused to make the space for (Dejounte) to go to work. And I mean, he scored, I don't know how many in a row on their switch defense."

The answer is three. Dejounte Murray scored three times in a row at the start of overtime. He had one left in him at the end of the game to&nbsp;win it, and he got the Hawks their fourth win in six nights.&nbsp;

"We got a great team win," Murray said, "and we've got to be ready for the Bucks Saturday."

Saturday will be Murray's final game of the month of March, and, for his efforts playing tremendous basketball while&nbsp;leading the Hawks ever closer to a postseason appearance, he deserves to be named Eastern Conference Player of the Month.

dejounte-murrays-masterclass-propels-hawks-to-victory2

Dejounte Murray's Masterclass Propels Hawks to Victory

Usually when a team rumbles back from a 30-point deficit for a comeback win, a number of players make noteworthy contributions, and the Hawks Monday were no different.&nbsp;

De'Andre Hunter led the team with 24 points and hit the dagger three. Vit Krejci made play after play in the third quarter and scored a career-high tying 16 points in the game. Dejounte Murray also tied a career-high with 15 assists while once again shouldering the heavy load of being the team's catalyst while a number of Hawks have remained out due to injury.

But when Quin Snyder started ticking off the list of players who made an impression, he got to Bruno Fernando quickly, perhaps more quickly than one might have expected.

"Bruno's emotion just stood out to me," he said.

When Fernando entered late in the third quarter, the Hawks had already compiled a 13-0 run and an 8-0 run to chip away at Boston's lead. But the Celtics had countered with their own run, and the Hawks needed to redouble their efforts to fully come back from 30 points down. Fernando's performance was key.

He started by sneaking up on Jaylen Brown's blind side and picking his pocket as Brown tried to post up Krejci. He followed that by scoring in the low post after a defensive switch left him with an advantage on a point guard. He later slipped a screen and dunked, and he had a&nbsp;gorgeous fake handoff&nbsp;that he finished with a spin move.&nbsp;

In total, the Hawks outscored the Celtics, 24-15 during Fernando's second-half stint, and when he exited, the game was tied.&nbsp;

All that Bruno Fernando really needed was a chance.&nbsp;

Clint Capela is Clint Capela, and Onyeka Okongwu can stake&nbsp;a&nbsp;claim as one of&nbsp;the&nbsp;top backup&nbsp;centers in the league. As a result, Fernando, the third-string center in his fifth NBA season, did not play any meaningful minutes as a rotation player until Feb. 5 when the Hawks called his&nbsp;number due to injury. Since then, he has contributed in a number of ways&nbsp;as the backup center, averaging 7.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in 22 games. He has also racked up totals of 20 steals and 19 blocks over that span.

Fernando reflected on his professional path after scoring a career-high 25 points in a 41-point win over Charlotte Saturday.&nbsp;

"But man, when I just think of it, it's such a gratifying thing for me," he said. "I'm just thankful for every moment, every opportunity. I never put my head down. I never complained. I never pointed fingers. I just always owned up to everything that I've been through."

Snyder's offense puts the center at the elbow often, a place where Fernando thrives. The strength of his offensive game lies in his ability to time and place his handoffs&nbsp;well while screening and re-screening&nbsp;to free his teammates who&nbsp;curl around him at that elbow.&nbsp;

When called on to roll after setting one of those screens, he often finds himself with the ball and a chance to make a play at the rim. He makes audacious choices at the rim – occasionally getting blocked, but more often than not,&nbsp;slamming home a dunk over the fingertips of the defender.

"Once you gather, you gather," he said of&nbsp;that approach. "There is not really much more that I can do. I can't twist and turn in the air. But it sets the tone of being aggressive offensively. I'm trying to boost the confidence of the team and myself as well."

Fernando certainly doesn't have to use the word 'try' there. By bringing a positive energy on and off the court, he has most certainly boosted the confidence of his teammates, and his&nbsp;recent play proves that he belongs as an NBA player.&nbsp;

bruno-fernandos-emotion-energy-effectiveness-providing-major-boost-to-hawks

Bruno Fernando's emotion, energy, & effectiveness providing major boost to Hawks

Kobe Bufkin saw a couple of friends eating popcorn, and he went over to grab a handful from them.

It was a perfectly normal occurrence, but for the circumstances. Trae Young and his son Tydus were sitting courtside for a College Park Skyhawks' home game versus the Ontario Clippers, and Bufkin only had a moment to grab popcorn during a dead ball before the resumption of play.

"It's too easy for him down there," Trae said later of Bufkin's 43-point performance in that game. "And, I mean, that's what it's&nbsp;supposed to be if you're a League Dude – and he's definitely a League Dude."

The same two teams had played two days earlier. Early in the fourth quarter, Ontario called timeout after a Skyhawks' layup put College Park up by 19 points with 10:30 left in the game.Bufkin came over to the sideline, and before heading to the bench with the other players, he went to the group of coaches who were planning a few feet away and draped his arms around his unsuspecting head coach, Ryan Schmidt, to give him an impromptu hug.&nbsp;

Given the time and situation in the game, it was a mildly surprising moment for a hug, but perhaps less so for Bufkin, who takes an exuberant approach to the game.

As College Park forward Miles Norris put it, "Kobe plays with a lot of swag."

When asked about it postgame, Bufkin said dryly, "I don't know. I give a lot of hugs during games."&nbsp;

Then he added that he may have been acknowledging a defensive decision gone bad&nbsp;– and he was telling Schmidt that he already knew what it was.

Schmidt remembered the moment the same way.

"He basically&nbsp;said, 'My fault.' I can't remember what the play was, but he messed up on something prior. But to me, that goes back to the fact that he's so coachable and wants to be good. There's a level of accountability that he has that you don't see in most 20 year olds, hardly ever. He doesn't carry over (the mistake). He's able to bounce back from it, which is really impressive."

Bufkin's rookie season has had a lot of twists and turns. After the Hawks chose him with the 15th pick of the NBA Draft, he put together solid stints in Summer League and the preseason. Then he got into a pair of Hawks games in the waning moments when Quin Snyder cleared his bench late in wins before fracturing the thumb on his left hand, his shooting hand, Nov. 2.

When his thumb was healthy again, the Hawks assigned him to College Park, and Bufkin joined a Skyhawks team that had made it to the semifinals of the&nbsp;G&nbsp;League's&nbsp;Winter Showcase before losing to the top seed, Indiana, in overtime.

But when Bufkin arrived a week after that Winter Showcase loss, the Skyhawks were suddenly decimated by injuries, especially at the guard position, and they relied on Bufkin right away for heavy minutes and extensive offensive creation.

Kobe delivered with scoring outbursts of 34, 29, 33 and 27 points, respectively, in his first four games. His 23.6 points per game over all his Skyhawks games currently ranks fourth on the&nbsp;G&nbsp;League&nbsp;regular-season leaderboard.

Once the Skyhawks got a few players back and&nbsp;the workload got a&nbsp;bit more reasonable, Schmidt wanted more balance in Bufkin's game.&nbsp;

"He and I sat down, and we kind of refocused on the defensive end, and I really challenged him. That was a big, big reason that he was drafted where he was by us. As a 6-foot-4 point guard, he has the ability to get into the ball and impact the game defensively using his length."

It is not difficult to see that Bufkin took the conversation to heart. For all of the buoyant spirit he shows on offense or when&nbsp;celebrating the triumphs of a teammate, Bufkin can put his nose to the grind on defense and simply be a dog.&nbsp;

The knack that he has shown for&nbsp;staying in front of a ballhandler&nbsp;at&nbsp;the G League&nbsp;level has&nbsp;translated to the NBA level, too. It's a skillset that, if&nbsp;he continues to thrive, may be his fastest path to earning extensive NBA minutes.

"What he is doing down there (in College Park) is paying off for him, and ultimately, one day it is going to help him up here," Trae Young said.

Bufkin said that the long hours of his film sessions with Schmidt keep enough nuance to distinguish what will work on offense at the NBA level, where longer, faster, more decisive defenders await.

"The G League and the NBA, it's two different levels," he said. "Certain finishes against certain rotations might not be there."

Hawks' Head Coach Quin Snyder appreciates the level of development that Bufkin and other players have gotten in College Park.

"With the job that Ryan Schmidt is doing in the G League," Snyder said, "we have so much confidence that when our guys play there, they will get better."

Schmidt won championships in Canada's CEBL and Britain's BBL the past two years before coming to College Park. He counts Bufkin among the reasons that he made the switch.

"He was a big reason why I was excited about taking this job," Schmidt said.

Being a coach in the G League is one of those tricky professions where, if you do your job right, you lose your top pupil because they advance to the next level. With Trae Young's recent injury, the Hawks have a ready-made opportunity waiting for Bufkin to seize.&nbsp;

In his first game as the backup point guard, Bufkin delivered.&nbsp;

The box score says that he scored 2 points on 1-of-4 shooting in 11 minutes, but he contributed more than that. He had three assists. He set the table for the halfcourt offense. He&nbsp;played excellent defense on a night when the Hawks gave up a season-low 92 points. He had a steal and a block – and he forced Orlando into a turnover by&nbsp;making a timely defensive rotation.

Those 11 minutes gave Dejounte Murray a valuable breather on a night when his 25 points and 11 assists pushed the Hawks' offense across the finish line. When asked, Dejounte relayed the message that he has been giving Bufkin to prepare for this moment.

"'Grow up, but don't be afraid to make mistakes. Show why you belong. You work tremendously hard every day.' He is a great, great, great character guy, a high locker-room guy. He is always trying to work and be better, and they sent them up to the G League, and he was excited to go up there, handle business and just get reps and get better. So, you know, it's simple: just be solid and have fun and enjoy it – and just continue to get better defensively."

If he keeps doing those sorts of&nbsp;things, Kobe Bufkin will be a League Dude sooner rather than later.

bufkins-breakout-the-rookies-journey-to-the-nba-stage

Bufkin's Breakout: The Rookie's Journey to the NBA Stage

When Trae Young was initially left off the list of Eastern Conference All-Star reserves, but there remained a chance that he might be chosen as an injury replacement, he said that he would be open to being added as a replacement.

"I know I wouldn't be representing just myself," he said.

For the duration of the NBA's All-Star Weekend, Trae represented himself, the city of Atlanta, and its fans quite well.

On Sunday, Trae played a key part in the East's 211-186 win in the All-Star Game with 5 points, 7 assists, and 3 rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench. He led the East in assists despite playing the fewest minutes of any of the 12 players.

He also provided one of the game's signature moments when he nutmegged a dribble through Kevin Durant's legs, scooped it up on the other side, and tossed up a floater. 

"It was fun," Trae said after his third All-Star appearance. "We wanted to get up a lot of threes and dunks, and that was our plan. We wanted to put on a good show and win the game, for sure."

Trae also participated in two events Saturday, finishing in a tie for second place in the 2024 Starry 3-Point Contest. He also finished second in the Kia Skills Challenge as a member of Team All-Stars, alongside Scotty Barnes of Toronto and Tyrese Maxey of Philadelphia.

The 3-Point Contest consists of five racks of basketballs, four of which contain four official NBA game balls worth one point, plus one multi-colored money-ball, which counts for two points. There is also one all-money-ball rack with five multi-colored money balls worth two points each.

Trae set a high bar as the first of eight shooters in the event. He scored 26 points in the first round and finished in a four-way tie for first with Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard, and Karl-Anthony Towns. 

Trae knocked down every shot on his all-money-ball racks in the opening round and the 30-second tiebreaker that eliminated Haliburton from advancing to the finals. His only miss on a money-ball rack came on his final shot of the competition, leaving him with a final-round score of 24.

When Milwaukee's Damian Lillard got to his final two racks in the final round, he hit four shots in a row on his second-to-last rack to boost his score to 24, then he went to the final rack needing just a single make to break a three-way tie with Trae and Towns. He missed the first four of five shots, then made the final one to seal the win.

trae-young-proud-to-represent-atlanta-at-3rd-all-star-game

Trae Young proud to represent Atlanta at 3rd NBA All-Star Game

A month ago, Trae Young said on Twitter that playing with teammate Jalen Johnson is like "peanut butter & jelly. Just flows."&nbsp;

The analogy makes&nbsp;plenty of sense. Trae can hit shots from 30 feet, run an offense while scoring in a number of ways, and hold his own on the defensive end, more now than ever before. Johnson is a threat to dunk at all times, a rebounder whom every center would love to have as&nbsp;their partner on the glass, and an extraordinary ballhander for someone who stands 6-foot-8.&nbsp;

But most of all, the PB&J analogy works because they are better together than apart. Combine two great passers, and all of their individual offensive strengths become that much greater because they play with connectivity.&nbsp;

The duo was a big part of the Hawks' recent success against teams from the Western Conference. At the same time, even as it flowed, there&nbsp;remained wrinkles to be ironed out.

For instance, with 2:30 left in the game against the LA Clippers, Johnson was guarding Kawhi Leonard away from the ball on the perimeter. A crafty back pick left Kawhi under the rim with Trae.

Trae wanted to switch back with Johnson. Trae darted to make it happen, and Johnson leaned toward Kawhi but hesitated for a second – and Leonard ended up under the rim by himself for a layup. During the ensuing dead ball, Trae and Johnson talked it over to make sure they were on the same page.

At the same point in the game against the Warriors, Johnson shined in the clutch. Head Coach Quin Snyder made a tweak&nbsp;in the Hawks defensive setup, matching Johnson on Draymond Green. To that point of the game, Green had screened well to free Curry on his 60-point night. But having Johnson guard Green paid big dividends.&nbsp;

On one play in overtime, Green screened for Curry, and Johnson astutely saw the need to&nbsp;switch, as the screen took Dejounte Murray out of the play. Johnson moved his feet, stayed step-for-step with Curry and forced Curry into a hurried, contested miss that figured prominently in the Hawks' 141-134 win.

In addition to the key plays late against Steph Curry, Johnson –&nbsp;in a span of seven days – had the primary responsibility of guarding Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, and the player he idolized most growing up, LeBron James.

Jalen Johnson, more specifically, 22-year-old Jalen Johnson, the one who started a total of six NBA games in his career prior to this season, guarded four legendary future&nbsp;Hall of Famers in the same week. By no means was it perfect, but he did enough – and at times he did a lot more than that – as the Hawks won three of the four matchups.

"It's tough," Johnson said of the week's task. "Those are Hall of Fame caliber players. For me, I'm just trying to make sure that I stay as ready as possible as far as keeping my legs under me. Most people talk about that 'rookie wall'. This is my first year really playing a full season with extensive minutes. I want to be able to maintain my legs and stay fresh so I can guard those types of players."

De'Andre Hunter understands the task better than most people on Planet Earth, having been through weeks with a list of similar Herculean defensive assignments.

"Guys are going to have good nights," Hunter said. "Sometimes you're going to get the better of some guys, but in the NBA, guys are really talented. Those people that he guarded are going to the Hall of Fame. They're used to scoring on good defenders."

Hunter is a terrific perimeter defender, perhaps the best on the team. As he continues to&nbsp;return to full strength from a right knee injury, he will help Johnson assume some of the defensive assignments. In his absence, though, Johnson gained invaluable lessons.

"You've just got to go through it," Hunter said of the learning experience.

Of all the players on the Hawks roster, the one with whom Johnson has the best synergy might be center Onyeka Okongwu, himself just 23 years old.&nbsp;

"That's my little brother right there. That's my dog," Okongwu said. "I'm always trying to help him out there, but you know, he's got it. Y'all see it, man. He has got&nbsp;it.&nbsp;He's got all the instincts and the intangibles to be&nbsp;one&nbsp;of the better players in this league."

Johnson has a legitimate case for the NBA's Most Improved Player Award. In averaging 15.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, he is on pace to become the first player in the NBA since Zach Randolph 20 years ago to improve his points per game by 9.0+ points and his rebounds per game by 4.0+ rebounds from the season prior (min. 20 games).&nbsp;

Randolph went on to win the 2003-04 Most Improved Player Award.

Sometimes a player will see jumps in points and rebounds because they are playing more minutes. While that is certainly true in Johnson's case, his leap is so much more than that. Every time he checks in from the scorer's table, the Hawks end up with a better passing lineup. Each time he enters a game, the Hawks get a better rebounding lineup. 

Most importantly, he can play in any lineup&nbsp;now because he improved his three-point shot by leaps and bounds to a career-best 36.7 percent.&nbsp;

An improvement like his goes far beyond playing more minutes. It is not a hollow case of more minutes leading to bigger numbers. The underlying story is that Jalen is playing more minutes because he can do things like guard Kawhi, KD, and LeBron.

And Johnson wants to keep learning. Last week, Wesley Matthews, the veteran on the roster who gives him advice most often, took time after practice to share some tips&nbsp;on defending in the low post.&nbsp;

"Just how to properly guard that," Johnson said. "I never really had that type of foundation on how to guard that type of stuff, so he just did that on his own, took me after practice for 10 or 15 minutes just to talk about it. He is always in my ear telling me about those types of things."

After the loss to the Clippers, more than anything else, Trae just wanted Jalen to keep perfecting his craft, even as he acknowledged – from experience – that there will be moments where it is far from that.&nbsp;

"He's not going to be perfect every night," Trae said. "And coming from me, I know. I know it's not going to be perfect every night. But it can change in a heartbeat. It can change in a play. It can change in the next game. So he's got to continue to stay with it."

Then Trae summed up Johnson's leap to a potential Most Improved Player season: "He has been having a hell of a year, and one game ain't gonna change nothing."

from-rookie-to-rival-jalen-johnsons-defensive-showdowns-with-nba-legends

From Rookie to Rival: Jalen Johnson's Defensive Showdowns with NBA Legends

Saddiq Bey and the Hawks won Sunday doing what they do best.&nbsp;

Literally. The Hawks lead the NBA with 13.1 offensive rebounds per game.

Trailing by a point with a few seconds remaining, Trae Young drove past his defender, forcing Toronto to send an additional help defender in his direction. At that point, the Hawks starting frontcourt of Saddiq Bey, Clint Capela, and Jalen Johnson all converged on the rim. Trae floated up a layup that rimmed off, and Bey rose above the rim to push it back in with two hands. 

"I try to just be the most multifaceted guy that I can be," Bey&nbsp;said afterward. "No one-trick pony."

A quick glance of the NBA's top-20 offensive rebounders this season shows that Bey is far from a one-trick pony. In fact, he is one of the most unique players in the NBA.

Capela leads the league in offensive rebounds by a wide margin, and he is putting together a historic season on the offensive glass, grabbing 19.0 percent of the Hawks' missed shots when he is on the floor – the sixth-best mark since offensive rebounding statistics began being tracked in the 1973-74 season and a feat made more impressive by the fact that he is doing it in the Era of the Three-Point Shot, with teams taking over a third of their shots from long distance – and, consequently, creating a number of rebounds that bounce high and hard over the bodies in the paint.

Onyeka Okongwu takes up the task when Capela goes to the bench for a rest. Okongwu's&nbsp;111&nbsp;offensive rebounds are perhaps even more impressive considering that he is one of two players (along with Andre Drummond) who play primarily off the bench, and at 6-foot-8, he is also the second-shortest player on the list. He is also the youngest.

And that brings us to Bey, one of the most unique players in the NBA. In a group full of centers and players taller than 6-foot-10, Bey is a three-point shooting wing and, at 6-foot-7, the shortest player. He has 80 three-point shots made this season, far more than any other player on this list, and, as a result, defenses have to respect his presence both on the perimeter and at the rim. He is the extra punch that makes the Hawks' offensive rebounding threat one of a kind.

At the same time, offensive rebounding is not without its perils. Sending multiple players to hunt for offensive rebounds sometimes means that there are fewer players tending to the transition defense. Head Coach Quin Snyder is content with his players crashing and/or getting back in transition defense.

Conversely, he uses the term 'purgatory' to describe the thing that he most wants to avoid. Crashing the glass is good. Getting back is good. Standing and watching for the result of a jump shot without either getting back or crashing is not. It is the middle ground of purgatory.

When the forwards crash, point guard Trae Young sometimes becomes a guard in the most literal sense, the one that existed when the term originated in the early 20th century to describe the players who stayed toward the back to defend their own goal like defensemen in hockey or fullbacks in soccer. Against the Raptors, Trae&nbsp;stopped a 3-on-1 fast break&nbsp;by taking a charge.

"A lot of people were asking me that, family members and some of the guys," Trae said about drawing a pair of Raptors offensive fouls Sunday after missing two games due to injury last week after trying to draw a similar charge. "I've just been trying to do a little bit of everything, and I know that is something I can do. I can't block shots up in the air and meet them at the rim, but I can take charges."

Even if the Hawks avoid purgatory as often as possible, and even if Trae and the other&nbsp;Hawks guards do their&nbsp;best in transition defense, some tradeoffs remain. When asked about the balance between offensive rebounding and transition defense a couple of weeks ago, Bey took a philosophical approach.

"I think that's something that we all kind of have to balance," he said. "You know, we're all competitive. We all play hard, so we all want to get that offensive rebound. Obviously, we don't want to give up the transition defense, but I think sometimes that it is something that rewards us, because when we all do go and we do get it, it's a benefit for us. Sometimes it is going to be that we're all going to go and sometimes we might give up transition&nbsp;points. So we're just trying to figure out at what points in the game (we can crash). You just read the game, like if it's later in the game, and we can't really give up an easy bucket, then that's when you have to know, 'Alright, we need to get back.' Usually early in the game, we feel like we've been dominating on that end, and I just read it."

Then Bey broke into a mischievous&nbsp;grin that let slip his preferred modus operandi, the one where he chases the ball faster and more relentlessly than the players around him.

"You have to have a better feel, especially me, because I like going every time."

crashing-the-glass-how-saddiq-bey-is-impacting-the-hawks-on-the-offensive-boards

Crashing the Glass: How Saddiq Bey is impacting the Hawks on the offensive boards

Trae Young's game has taken an upward turn this season.

The preposterously lofty standard on offense has not changed, and there are easy numbers to show that he has met or exceeded all of the offensive benchmarks&nbsp;that he posted in previous years.

The Hawks' win in San Antonio serves as a case in point. Trae scored 45 points and gave 14 assists to his teammates. But the lasting memory of that game will always be Trae&nbsp;accelerating and decelerating to draw a win-saving charge&nbsp;with 2.9 seconds left.&nbsp;

"Let's go ahead and change the narrative now," Head Coach Quin Snyder said afterward, "Trae Young taking a charge at the end of a game is a big-time play."

Trae said that he has always had a knack for drawing charges, but doing it at the NBA level takes a lot of refinement. 

"To be honest with you, when I was in 5th or 6th grade, I went to a college camp at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, a little D-II school. I got the Best Defender Award there because I took charges the whole camp. I've always been good at being sneaky and taking charges. It is about timing, and as I've gotten older, obviously, guys are bigger and so you've got to know when and who to take a charge on." 

Trae also hinted that he and teammate Clint Capela may have a friendly rivalry to see who can draw more charges this season. Capela currently leads the Hawks with 7 charges drawn and Trae ranks third on the team with 5 charges drawn.

"It's just something that I know is going to help our team," Trae said. "If I'm more locked in on defense and doing little things here and there, like taking charges, it only helps our team. So I just say that all to say: I just try to do whatever to help my team win." 

The Hawks have generally employed two different tactics on defense when presented with a pick-and-roll play between an opponent's smaller point guard and a taller screen setter. The first is a "show" defense, something they did a lot of early this season (and in this week's road win in Washington). At the point of the screen, both defenders will try to momentarily wall off the point guard so that driving angles are limited and passes have to be longer and slower (allowing the original defender on the rolling screen-setter to work his way back into the paint).

In these situations, the remaining three defenders – one of whom is often Trae – have the job of rotating to cover the other four offensive players as needed. The job takes effort, communication, anticipation to limit layups and open threes, but there are also opportunities to disrupt passes, something Trae has done well. Through games played Jan. 4, Trae is tied for 8th in the NBA with 1.5 steals per game.&nbsp;

Trae noted that the "show" defense made life a little easier when he is one&nbsp;of the two defenders on the ball but also a bigger challenge when he was one of the three playing away from it.

"Going over screens, obviously, I know I got a big helping, so I'm able to get back in front a little easier. But being the help guy, I mean, if I'm the low man, I've got to help a little higher, and if it's Giannis (Antetokounmpo) rolling or if it's Brook Lopez rolling, I've got to ... you know what I'm saying?" he said, trailing off on the thought of trying to absorb a charge on a pair of Milwaukee Bucks who out-height him by roughly a foot and outweigh him by approximately 100 lbs."I've got to be there to help," he said, "and I'm ok with doing it, but it's just pros and cons to everything."

The other pick-and-roll defense that the Hawks have used to defend pick-and-rolls is a "drop" defense. On these plays, the defender guarding the ballhander will chase up away from the basket and over the screen in order to prevent open jump shots, while a bigger defender like Capela or Onyeka Okongwu tries to simultaneously disrupt the driving lanes of both offensive players.

It is in these situations where Trae has been tough to screen. When opponents have tried to set the pick on him, he has often been able to use his quickness to dodge it entirely, which in turn, often results in the opponent setting an illegal moving screen to ensure that there is contact to make the play work.

In those moments, Trae has done the unsavory, unglamorous work of absorbing (as opposed to avoiding) the moving pick to draw the offensive foul. In fact, per Basketball Reference, Trae has drawn a team-leading 16 offensive fouls from opponents this season. (De'Andre Hunter ranks second with 14, and Garrison Mathews sits third with 12.)

Of course, defense consists of a lot more than charges taken and offensive fouls drawn. You have to&nbsp;guard the ball and stay in front,&nbsp;take away driving lanes,&nbsp;handle switches, and make timely rotations. From an early point of the season, Snyder reiterated that Trae was doing these sorts of things that support the overall team defense.&nbsp;

Once again, Trae's offensive resumé is unparalleled. With 11.3 assists per game, he is on pace to obliterate a franchise single-season record that he himself set last season. In any given game,&nbsp;he is capable&nbsp;of finishing the game with two handfuls worth of passes that, for a middle-of-the-road NBA player, might be the best pass they've ever thrown in their career.&nbsp;

His 30-foot three-pointers both set up the team's pick-and-roll game while also spacing the floor for his teammates (and contributing to his 28.2 points per game). His proficiency in the high pick-and-roll is the engine that fuels the Hawks offense.&nbsp;

Trae's virtuoso offense combined with his contributions on defense should put him in February's All-Star Game. There really should not be any doubt about that at all.

You can vote Trae Young to the 2024 All-Star Game by visiting Hawks.com/AllStar.

trae-young-contributes-on-both-sides-of-the-ball

Trae Young is Making an Impact on Both Sides of the Ball

How the 22-year-old forward became Atlanta’s X-Factor and what his return means for the rest of the Hawks season

Before the Hawks played the Bucks in Milwaukee on Oct. 29, forward Jalen Johnson sat in the first row of the baseline seats, his mother to his right and father to his left. In Atlanta’s third game of the season, Johnson was about to make his first start, in his home state, and his parents had made the trip to watch live.

“It was good, being able to go back home and play in front of family and friends,” Johnson said in an interview with Hawks.com earlier this month. “And then we won that game, so it was good to do that as well.”

In front of his loved ones, Johnson put up 14 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block as Atlanta defeated Milwaukee 127-110, earning its first win of the season. After the game, he tweeted about his parents’ presence:

“They’re the reason why I work so hard,” Johnson said. “Everything they sacrificed for me to be able to be in this position and put myself in the position to provide for them and continue playing the game I love. None of this is possible without them, so I always keep that in the back of my head and thank them for that.”

That special night propelled Johnson into what has become his breakout season in the NBA. The third-year forward started 12 of the next 13 games, during which the Hawks put together an 8-5 record.

His stats during that stretch nearly mirrored what he put up in that game in his home state: Playing about 30 minutes a game, Johnson averaged 14 points, 7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and shot nearly 60% from the field and 41.5% from 3. All marked career highs.

Those numbers combined with the overall athleticism, versatility, and dynamism that Johnson put on display on both ends of the court clearly showcased that he was developing into (or arguably, had already become) the Hawks’ X-Factor, complementing star guards Trae Young & Dejounte Murray on offense while at the same time providing size, defense, and rebounding to De'Andre Hunter, Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu on the frontline.

“Many of the things that he does are unique for our team,” Head Coach Quin Snyder said. “Someone that can play a number of different roles and fits with a lot of different players.”

Nearly every game featured some kind of highlight-reel moment for Johnson, whether grabbing a rebound and going coast to coast for a bucket, soaring for an alley-oop dunk, or using his vision and playmaking ability to find an open teammate for an easy basket.

“He’s a smart player,” Trae Young said. “He can score, he can dribble, can rebound, can do a lot of things.”

“He got so much better,” Clint Capela said. “He can push the ball, and he can pass, can finish. In transition he’s a pure athlete.”

Asked if he did anything different during the offseason that contributed to his jumpstart to the season, Johnson answered simply: “Nah.” Instead, he attributed his rise to a trio of keys:

“My teammates, my coaches, and just my hard work,” Johnson said. “All 3 of those things played a huge part in that good start to the season. Looking to continue to build on that when I get back.”

But it’s the focus of that last sentence – an injury -- that threw a wrench into Johnson’s season. Easily already an NBA Most Improved Player Award candidate, the only thing that could have slowed his ascension was an injury. And on November 25 in Washington D.C., after a hard foul on a fastbreak, Johnson braced his fall with his arm and sustained a left distal radius fracture.

Despite an attempt to stay in the game by shooting his free throws with only his right hand, Johnson ultimately exited with the broken wrist would keep him sidelined for multiple weeks.

It was a tough blow to Johnson personally as well as his team, given the variety with which Snyder was using him and the level at which he was producing. Over the next 14 games, Atlanta went 4-10 and saw its points scored per game decrease by almost 5 and its points allowed per game increase by almost 3, nearly an 8-point swing.

That’s a significant margin anyway but especially for a team that has played the second-most "clutch" games (defined by a game being within 5 points with less than 5 minutes left) in the NBA (19).

“It definitely hurts not being out there with my teammates and my guys, being able to help and contribute to winning – that’s been the toughest part,” Johnson said.

As is often the case with X-Factors on any team in any sport, it can be easier to see his or her impact more by what happens when they don’t play than when they do.

“Obviously he’s a big part of what we do, “Snyder said. “And it’s not hard to look at some of the results when he’s been out to see his importance.”

“We definitely miss him right now and what he brings to our team,” Young said.

In addition to resting and rehabilitating his wrist, Johnson spent his month on the sidelines soaking up as much information he could, in regard to his own game and that of the league as a whole.

“I’m watching, seeing things, understanding how the game goes, picking up those things, and locking in,” Johnson said. “I learned that I need to trust myself and stay patient.”

It’s not the first time either in his short career that he’s had to exercise that patience.

The Hawks drafted Johnson with the 20th overall pick in 2021, but with several more experienced and established players at multiple positions in front of him on the depth chart during his rookie season, steady game minutes were very hard to come by. The Hawks assigned him to their G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, so he could play regularly.

“I didn’t really see the vision at first,” Johnson admitted. “When you’re 19, you’re naïve to those things and don’t really see the big picture. You just get drafted, all your friends, it’s ‘NBA, NBA!’ So you’re not really thinking about the G League.”

Quickly, though, Johnson learned that the Skyhawks were going to be a crucial piece of his development. He embraced it, and his performances showcased his buy in and his talent.

Across 21 games with College Park, Johnson played 36.2 minutes per game, averaged a double-double of 21 points and 11.2 rebounds, added 4.3 assists, swiped 1.7 steals, and blocked 1.3 shots, while shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 36.7 from three.

“It helped me tremendously,” Johnson reflected on his G League run. “I’m glad it went that way. You grow and you mature, you understand why those things happened, and I felt like that was a great situation and opportunity for me to play basketball, continue to get better, and work on my game…really took advantage of it.”

While of course not ideal, Johnson noted that the time off the court has helped him to appreciate the basketball journey that he’s been on so far in his career and enjoy seeing the fruits of his labor.

“Everything that I’ve been through up until this point, it’s all happened for a reason,” he said. “Everything that I’m doing – continue to do it because I’m elevating and keep getting better.”

And his fellow Hawks recognize it too. Snyder and Capela mentioned how they’ve seen and continue to see Johnson work hard, from the summer to this recent stretch of time out injured. As a result, they just want Jalen Johnson to be…Jalen Johnson.

“Be myself,” Johnson responded when asked what his directive is going into any game. “My teammates and coaches do a great job instilling that inside my head: Be you. Trust yourself. Trust your game.”

Johnson emphasized how meaningful that trust from star and veteran players has been for him and credits it as another important ingredient in his big leap this year, on and off the court. Snyder also noted how it’s not only Johnson’s size and athleticism that sets him apart but also his feel for the game.

In Year 3, Johnson says the game is slowing down for him, an important step for any young player. 

“Every game I feel like I’m getting better at something, picking up something, certain tactics,” he said. “That’s one of my strengths too: my IQ.”

All of his skills will once again be on display at State Farm Arena when Johnson plays his first home game in more than a month on Dec. 29 vs. the Sacramento Kings.

“I’m just excited to play in front of the fans again,” he said. “That excitement on gamedays that I get, those jitters, I'm excited to get those back and just continue to keep the ball rolling.”

“He can only help our team,” Young said. “I just want him to be healthy when he comes back…and we can all go out there and have fun playing.”

“Everybody should be really excited for him,” Capela said. “I know I’m excited for him too.”

One month and one day after his injury, Johnson returned to the Hawks lineup against the Bulls on Dec. 26. Once more, for a road game in the Midwest, his parents made the trip.

Late in the third quarter, Hawks fans got another full glimpse of what makes Jalen Johnson so special: after a missed shot, Johnson soared in from the opposite baseline for a monstrous one-handed putback dunk.

The play alone was spectacular, but what made it even more special was the broadcast cutting to his dad in the stands behind the Hawks bench, going absolutely crazy cheering for his son, hopping up and down the aisle.

The Hawks are going to need plays like those -- full of hustle, explosion, and aggression -- every night from Johnson. They’re also going to need the ones that are more subtle but are simply the “right play,” which Capela noted he is adept at making too.

Those opportunities to impact games and make winning plays are what he’s most looking forward to about his return:

“Winning streaks, getting hot. Doing whatever this team needs to win those close, tight games.”