Trae Young’s Collapse in Game 5 Loss vs. Heat Proves Hawks Aren’t Ready for Spotlight

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After last year’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Atlanta Hawks entered the 2021-22 season with hopes of proving they weren’t a fluke team.

But after star point guard Trae Young’s disappointing performance in the Hawks’ first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, it’s clear that the team is not prepared for the spotlight.

Young’s disappearing act continued in Tuesday’s Game 5 as he scored just 11 points while the Hawks lost 97-94 to be eliminated from the postseason. Young shot 2-of-12 from the field, his second straight game shooting under 30 percent. The sharpshooter missed all five of his three-point attempts, and he even uncharacteristically picked up a technical foul in the fourth quarter. It was a surprise to see a star player put forth an effort like that in a close-out game.

The 23-year-old failed to figure out Miami’s defense in five games, averaging just 15.4 points after ranking fourth in the NBA with 28.4 points per game in the regular season. Young’s ice-cold showing in this series was not the type of play that earned him his “Ice Trae” nickname.

Of course, most of the commentary online about Tuesday’s game surrounded Young’s struggles.

Young has been the focal point of Atlanta’s offense since he entered the league four years ago, but it’s clear that he can’t do it all by himself. De’Andre Hunter led the team with 35 points and 11 rebounds, but he was the only Hawks player to play well Tuesday.

The Hawks can’t be considered an elite team with only Young leading the way. Atlanta will need to surround him with more talent if it hopes to be a contender in the Eastern Conference next year.