Trae Young

Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young believes he was issued a technical during Saturday's loss to the Phoenix Suns because sometimes it's "personal" with officials.

"Dre was getting hounded by CP in the post," Young said, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. "I asked him, 'You didn't see that? You didn't see that?' He gave me a tech. I guess it's personal with some of these guys."

The point guard was issued the technical foul with Atlanta nursing a two-point lead with just more than three minutes remaining. While Devin Booker missed the ensuing free throw, the Suns were still able to complete the comeback for the 121-117 win.

Phoenix outscored the Hawks 35-19 in the decisive fourth quarter.

The Hawks are now just 4-6 on the season after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2020-21 campaign.            

The Atlanta Hawks fell to the Utah Jazz 116-98 on Thursday to drop to 4-5, and superstar guard Trae Young thinks the team needs to start treating every contest like it's a playoff game. 

However, he acknowledged that it's hard to do.

"I think guys are learning that," Young said, per The Athletic's Chris Kirschner. "We're no longer the hunters. It's regular season. I'm not going to lie, it's a lot more boring than the playoffs. You got to find that motivation to play like the playoffs."

Young also said, per Kirschner: "We have to figure out who's going to sacrifice for this team to win. It's all about winning at the end of the day. If you win, everyone eats."

The Hawks began the season 3-1 but have lost four of their last five games to some of the best teams in the NBA, including the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers. 

Young did much of the heavy-lifting Thursday, putting up 21 points, four rebounds and seven assists. He leads the team with 22.4 points per game through nine contests, but the remainder of the roster hasn't lived up to expectations. 

John Collins is averaging just 14.9 points per game, and De'Andre Hunter, Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari and Kevin Huerter are underperforming. 

Hawks head coach Nate McMillan expressed frustration with Thursday's loss, telling reporters that players have to earn minutes:

Nate McMillan: "I can’t give minutes, you have to earn them. That’s what I’ll start to do more of, if you’re not giving it to this team on both ends of the floor, then we’ll rotate some guys in."

— Sarah K. Spencer (@sarah_k_spence) November 5, 2021

McMillan noted that he will evaluate the team's last two games and might make changes to the lineup, adding someone who will provide a "spark" and play solid defense.

Nate McMillan said he has to evaluate the last two nights, at all positions:

"We need a spark. We need some energy to lift us, and we need some guys that'll go out there and defend... We need two-way players, and not all of your energy focused on one end of the floor."

— Sarah K. Spencer (@sarah_k_spence) November 5, 2021

The Hawks entered the 2021-22 season with high expectations after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals last year. Collins even said before the season began that he believed the team was a "real contender." 

"Our goal is to get to the Finals," he said. "Losing is always a failure in our minds. If it's not a championship, it won't be good enough."

Young also told Kirschner in an interview last month that he isn't content with how last season ended. 

The Hawks will have a chance to get rid of some of that discontent and take Young's words to heart Saturday in Phoenix.  

Three words sum up the NBA community's response to the elimination of foul calls on non-basketball moves: addition by subtraction.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a coach or executive who isn't in favor of the change. It seems nobody, except perhaps the superstars who mastered exploiting the previous rules, enjoyed players hunting whistles to such a degree. In a memo obtained by B/R, the league office informed teams on Tuesday that the new officiating on non-basketball moves has drawn unanimous support from the NBA's Competition Committee.

The results so far are a clear win for the league's on-court product. Team field-goal attempts are up 1.4 per game. Free-throw attempts are down by 1.8. The overall average pace is up from 99.2 last season to 99.9, per Basketball Reference.

For a league determined to engineer an exciting nightly product for a generation of multi-screen watchers, faster games with fewer starts and stops have made for a better viewing experience than most NBA observers can remember. But perhaps more interestingly, the biggest fans of the rule change seem to be the basketball purists within the coaching community.

Steve Kerr on the way referees aren't rewarding foul-hunting tactics: "I love what I'm seeing. I think the officials are doing a great job. The game has more of an authentic feel."

On the take foul in transition: "I think that's next (to get legislated out)." pic.twitter.com/Q9hHU8jffr

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 29, 2021

https://twitter.com/realStanVG/status/1452636974414811141

"It's good for the game," said one team analytics staffer. "Don't ever play 'looking for the foul.' It cheapens everything. Trae Young getting 12-14 free throws a game was ridiculous. He's not a power player who's just getting to the rim. That's not his game."

But the transition hasn't come without glitches. Some teams have offered feedback that officials are letting too much contact pass at the rim. However, the Competition Committee, according to the memo, did not see any direct evidence of more physical play this season. Nor did the league's accuracy data for officiating reveal anything substantive.

Most notably, the non-basketball move crackdown has seen offensive efficiency and scoring numbers fall off a cliff, especially for a few All-Stars.

Damian Lillard may be experiencing the most notable drop-off in production. His scoring has decreased from 28.8 points per game to just 18.6, due in part to a three-point shooting slump. But his trips to the foul line have been nearly sliced in half, down from 7.2 last year to 3.9 this season.

Trae Young recently said he felt officials have been "missing calls," perhaps in reference to his plummeting free-throw line attempts per game (8.7 to 5.3).

James Harden has voiced the same concern, and he has speculated that referees are over-aware of notorious foul-chasers.

"Sometimes I feel like coming into a game, it's already predetermined," Harden said. "Or I already have that stigma of getting foul calls."

Many league insiders contacted by B/R agreed there's truth to what Harden is saying—that officials are perhaps overcorrecting in the early stages of this season. Referees will likely find an equilibrium. There's an expectation among analytics staffers that scorers' free-throw numbers will likely improve over time.

But Harden's slow start has drawn the attention of skeptical league personnel who wonder whether this is the beginning of the perennial MVP candidate's decline into more of a secondary All-Star.

Other observers believe Harden's conditioning is the main factor in his depressed stats. He did flash a bouncier performance in Sunday's victory over the Pistons, hanging an easy 18-point triple-double on only nine shots, including 4-of-7 from distance. And on Wednesday, he knocked down five of his 11 attempts from deep against the Hawks.

Still, Harden seems to be in need of a strategic makeover more than any other player in the NBA.

Perhaps he'll adapt like he once did in Houston. He arrived from OKC as more of a straight-line driver, who started a handful of possessions in the corners. The Rockets' analytic brain trust first helped Harden reprogram his scoring mentality through the sole lens of high pick-and-rolls, chasing free throws, layups and three-pointers with a lethal step-back. It was Harden's mastery of earning whistles, seemingly playing two games at once, that sparked his reputation as a basketball savant.

If those whistles are permanently swallowed, it's not difficult to imagine he can rewire his approach yet again.

"I think that's part of James Harden's genius is he works within the rules and figures out a way to score 50 on any given night," said the analytics staffer.

Player development coaches have historically used film sessions and on-court skill work to train players in the art of foul-hunting. Philadelphia 76ers coaches, for example, were once blown away when a younger Joel Embiid would find moments on tape where he could have drawn a whistle that even the staff hadn't seen. Embiid went on to lead the league in free-throw attempts last season at 10.7 per game. He's now down to just 8.8 this year, good for second behind Jimmy Butler.

That coaching area will now surely fade to the back of development programs. It seems rudimentary, but from B/R conversations around the league, assistants are now advising drivers to play through contact and not expect a whistle, rather than attempt to draw a foul as they have been trained in recent years. Playing through the whistle has long been a mantra, but now it seems like more of a direct counsel.

And with the success of removing those non-basketball foul calls, league personnel are now highlighting the open-court "take foul," also commonly referred to as the "Euro foul," as the next obvious rule change.

The take foul happens when a defender deliberately fouls his opponent to stop a runaway bucket, as opposed to when a player reaches for a steal during a fast break and happens to make contact with the ball-handler. It's easy to close your eyes and see Chris Paul taking such a foul, even back in his early days with New Orleans.

"I've been saying this for like eight years," griped one assistant general manager. "You shouldn't be able to just grab someone. It's bad for the game."

Coaches and executives have pointed to the league's influx of international players as a cause for a perceived uptick in this type of foul, perhaps inspired by a similar strategic foul in soccer.

Whatever the cause, better policing of the open-court foul might not have as simple of a solution as eliminating non-basketball moves. Should it be whistled just like a clear-path foul, where a team then gets two shots and the ball back? Or maybe those fouls generate two shots like any normal shooting foul, and play resumes after the second attempt leaves the shooter's hand? Maybe teams get one shot and the ball back? In the G League, for example, players must make a clear move on the ball, otherwise teams get one shot and possession.

It seems no rule change is imminent, though. While the Competition Committee did discuss the issue on Tuesday, they were only capable of encouraging the league office to develop potential rule changes for future seasons. Technically, the NBA could collaborate to amend the rule on a moment's notice, but that would be highly unlikely.

For now, as players adapt their games while officials are allowing more contact and not rewarding foul-hunting, onlookers will continue to discuss and debate the Euro foul and other rule stipulations to follow.

"It's just the next thing everybody's focusing on because they fixed something else," said another assistant general manager.

Jake Fischer covers the NBA for Bleacher Report and is the author of Built to Lose: How the NBA's Tanking Era Changed the League Forever.

Unless otherwise noted, stats are current entering games Wednesday, Nov. 3.

Kevin Durant scored 32 points on 13-of-20 shooting to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 117-108 win over the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday in Barclays Center.

KD led six Nets with double-digit scoring figures on a night where the Nets made 22 of 48 three-pointers. Joe Harris got all 18 of his points from behind the three-point line, and James Harden knocked down five en route to his 16-point, 11-assist evening.

The hot shooting helped Brooklyn outscore Atlanta 34-20 in the third quarter. The Nets led by double digits for the entire fourth quarter until a pair of Trae Young free throws in the final minute.

De'Andre Hunter led the Hawks with 26 points, making all six of his three-pointers along the way. Clint Capela added a 13-point, 16-rebound double-double.

Young struggled, shooting just 6-of-22 for 21 points. He ended up with a near triple-double after amassing 10 assists and nine rebounds as well.

The 5-3 Nets have won three straight. The 4-4 Hawks have lost three of their last four games.

---

Notable Performances

Hawks SF De'Andre Hunter: 26 points

Hawks PG Trae Young: 21 points, 10 assists, 9 rebounds

Hawks C Clint Capela: 13 points, 16 rebounds

Nets F Kevin Durant: 32 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists

Nets G/F Joe Harris: 18 points, 6 rebounds

Nets PG James Harden: 16 points, 11 assists

---

Nets' 3-Point Barrage, 3rd-Quarter Surge Too Much for Hawks

Seven different Nets hit three-pointers Wednesday, with six players knocking down two or more.

Brooklyn outscored Atlanta by 27 points from beyond the three-point line as the Hawks (13-of-35 from deep) could not match the Nets' firepower.

That was the difference in the Nets' victory on a night where Harden's scoring output wasn't at his usual norm.

Harden didn't score until near the end of the second quarter, when he knocked down a step-back three-pointer with 3.1 seconds remaining until halftime. He ended up shooting just 5-of-14 on the night.

However, he helped facilitate an excellent offensive output from the entire team, which overwhelmed the Hawks and led by as many as 17 points.

The difference in this one was the Nets' final stretch of the third quarter.

Hunter tied the game at 75 after a three-pointer with 4:55 left in the frame. The Hawks were in this one thanks largely to his efforts, but the defense needed to step up.

It did not, and the Nets responded with a 20-4 run to take a 95-79 lead into the fourth.

Durant got the team going with a personal 7-0 run on two free throws, a two-pointer and a three.

7️⃣-0 Run for 7️⃣ pic.twitter.com/LAtCUG1VSo

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 4, 2021

John Collins sandwiched pair of buckets around another KD free throw, but the Nets closed out the quarter with 12 straight points in a 1:36.

KD hit this bucket to cap the scorching-hot stretch:

🚨 KEVIN DURANT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/mLPTEAYayI

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 4, 2021

The Nets never gave away control of the game from there as they cruised to victory.

    

Hawks Offense Can't Get Going Outside Hunter

Atlanta has gotten off to a slow start after making the Eastern Conference Finals the year before, but there isn't much cause for concern considering the season isn't even a month old yet.

There have been some silver linings along the way to the Hawks' 4-4 start, though, and Hunter's play Wednesday has been one of them.

Dre been a problem 😤

🔥 17 PTS
🔥 5-5 3PM

Presented by @Verizon pic.twitter.com/WQAaOjNNsG

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 4, 2021

Hunter was held to just 23 games last year as he worked his way back from a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee. The ailment kept the talented former Virginia forward and draft lottery pick off the court, but the Hawks managed to make it two wins away from the NBA Finals without him.

With Hunter, the Hawks have a player who can be a menace on both ends. That was the case Wednesday as he carried the Atlanta offense en route to shooting 10-of-11 from the field and adding a steal and block on the other end.

He also threw down this nasty third-quarter dunk:

TALK TO 'EM DRE! pic.twitter.com/hsfMGP9n0W

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 4, 2021

It was an encouraging result from Hunter, whom the Hawks will need if they're going to get over the Eastern Conference hump and make another deep playoff run.

However, the rest of the Hawks largely struggled as Hunter enjoyed the best game of his season. Young simply couldn't find his shot, going just 4-of-16 inside the three-point arc. It was a quiet night for Collins (13 points, 5-of-14 shooting) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (eight points, 3-of-10 shooting) as well.

Kevin Huerter lit it up off the bench with his 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting in 23 minutes, but the rest of the bench combined for just 11 points on 5-of-20 from the field.

Overall, the Hawks needed a much better shooting night to counteract the Nets' hot shooting from all over the court, and they didn't get it. The sky certainly isn't falling in Atlanta, however, as the team will look to rebound when it returns home.

What's Next?

Atlanta will host the Utah Jazz on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena. Brooklyn will visit the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on Friday at 7 p.m.

The NBA on Friday fined Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young $15,000 for making contact with an official during Thursday's 122-111 loss against the Washington Wizards.

He received a technical for the contact, making him one of five players to get one in the contest.

Young was not pleased with the officiating afterwards.

"There's a lot of missed calls," he said after the game. "It's basketball. It's just, it feels that they're learning, and they're just—I don't know. It's frustrating."

Young then focused on the NBA's emphasis on referees to not call fouls when offensive players seek contact. He's been something of a serial offender when it comes to foul-hunting.

"You can watch basketball," he said. "Damian Lillard's never averaged 17 points probably since his rookie year. There's a couple guys. I mean, [Devin Booker's] averaging 18. There's a lot of things that, when guys are driving straight and guys are getting knocked off balance—it's still a foul, whether they're using their lower body or their hands."

James Harden, another serial foul-hunter, hasn't been happy with the changes either.

"I'm not the type to complain about it. I asked every official if they see a foul, just call a foul," he told reporters this week. "Sometimes I feel like coming into a game it's already predetermined. I already have that stigma of getting foul calls—a foul is a foul no matter what league it is."

Others love the changes, however:

Steve Kerr on the way referees aren't rewarding foul-hunting tactics: "I love what I'm seeing. I think the officials are doing a great job. The game has more of an authentic feel."

On the take foul in transition: "I think that's next (to get legislated out)." pic.twitter.com/Q9hHU8jffr

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 29, 2021

The new rules changes to the sport are the best thing the league has done in recent history. Watching the game Is muuuuuch different

— kuz (@kylekuzma) October 29, 2021

Young will have to adjust.

After utilizing his ability to get to the foul line as a major component of his offensive game—he averaged 9.3 free-throw attempts per game in 2019-20 and 8.7 last season—Young is at just 4.4 this season.

He'll have to use the guile he showed in drawing fouls to generate other creative ways to score in the new NBA.

Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young said the league's rule change on fouls is "frustrating" after a 122-111 loss to the Washington Wizards.

"There's a lot of missed calls," he told reporters. "It's basketball. It's just, it feels that they're learning, and they're just—I don't know. It's frustrating."

The league announced before the season it would limit calls on "non-basketball moves" designed to draw fouls. Young saw this firsthand Thursday as he was limited to 15 points while going to the free-throw line just three times.

The guard is averaging 4.4 free-throw attempts per game this season after averaging 8.7 in 2020-21.

Young noted there's a difference between what the league is trying to do with what has been implemented to start the season:

Veering back and jumping into guys—that's different. There are certain things that, I agree with the rule changes, but then there's things that are still fouls, and guys are going to get hurt. Especially a smaller guy like me who's going up against bigger and stronger defenders, they're using their body and they're using their legs and their hands to stop me.

Several star players who are used to getting points from the free-throw line are also off to slow starts in 2021-22.

James Harden is only averaging 16.6 points per game while averaging three attempts from the charity stripe each game this year. When he won the scoring title in 2019-20, Harden averaged 11.8 free-throw attempts per game.

Young also noted Damian Lillard and Devin Booker have struggled to replicate their past scoring production.

The rule changes could force these players to make adjustments in their style of play as the season progresses.  

The New Orleans Pelicans were once again without their top player Wednesday night. The Atlanta Hawks were not.

And that was the difference in Atlanta's 102-99 win over the Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center that saw the Hawks erase a 16-point first-quarter deficit. While Trae Young continued his excellent start to the 2021-22 season, Zion Williamson remained out of action as he recovers from offseason surgery on his foot.

Brandon Ingram had a chance to give the Pelicans a win in the late stages, but his contested jumper with just over a second remaining was an air ball, and the ball bounced out of bounds to Atlanta.

De'Andre Hunter on Brandon Ingram ... Ingram misses the jumper.

Hawks ball with 1.5 seconds to go, up 1

— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) October 28, 2021

Brandon Ingram forces up a tough shot and the Hawks get possession with 1.5 to go. Rough possession all around. Hawks sent multiple guys at Ingram to possibly seal the game.

— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) October 28, 2021

The Pelicans have tried to pick up the slack in Williamson's absence. After a 1-4 start, however, it's fair to say they've had limited success.

"You can see he is progressing and doing more and more on the floor," head coach Willie Green told reporters after Tuesday's practice, regarding Williamson. "Once he has his latest round of scans, then we’ll have a clearer picture of where we go from here. But he's getting better, he's progressing, he's on the floor now, running, doing a lot more. We'll have an update soon."

Atlanta (3-1) will be happier with their start to the season. It's easier to win when your young superstar is on the court.

---

Key Stats

Trae Young, ATL: 31 points, seven assists, five rebounds

John Collins, ATL: 16 points, 12 rebounds

De'Andre Hunter, ATL: 13 points

Brandon Ingram, NOP: 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks

Devonte' Graham, NOP: 21 points, six assists

Jonas Valanciunas, NOP: 16 points, 15 rebounds

---

Trae Young Did Trae Young Things

On a night that saw Cam Reddish finally slow his torrid scoring pace to start the season (18.7 PPG coming into Wednesday), the Hawks really needed Young to carry the offense.

So he did. As usual.

13 PTS & 5 AST for @TheTraeYoung at the break.

Presented by @Verizon pic.twitter.com/M4pOjmVdq3

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 28, 2021

Trae gonna Trae pic.twitter.com/4v2bzc9ege

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 28, 2021

YESSSSIR! pic.twitter.com/5Hlb7s0Olc

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 28, 2021

The Hawks have incredible balance, with an impressive collection of role players. But it's fair to argue they don't have a true second star on the roster, meaning on some nights Young is going to have to carry them across the line himself.

Wednesday was one of those nights.

---

Devonte' Graham Tried to Pick Up the Slack

With Ingram having the rare off night (8-of-21 from the field)—and Williamson and Josh Hart unavailable—the Pelicans desperately needed someone else to step up.

Graham gave it the old college try, torching the Hawks from beyond the arc (5-of-10).

ANOTHER 3 by Devonte to take back the lead!

Catch the last moments:
📺:  ESPN
📻: @ESPNRadioNOLA pic.twitter.com/H96indwpYC

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 28, 2021

🤯🤯🤯🤯 no words, just DEVONTE GRAHAM

📺:  ESPN
📻: @ESPNRadioNOLA pic.twitter.com/ltPhyvNuAk

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 28, 2021

Devonte' Graham has to lead the league in "just throw it up" shots made

— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) October 28, 2021

It wasn't enough to get a win over a tough Hawks team. But Graham was at least a bright spot for a Pelicans team that has been short on them to start the year.

---

What's Next?

New Orleans hosts the Sacramento Kings on Friday night at 8 p.m. ET. The Hawks travel to Washington for a Thursday matchup with the Wizards at 7 p.m. ET.