Atlanta after Trae Young: how the Hawks reshaped themselves
Atlanta traded its franchise guard in January and changed what it was. The before and after, in the data.
The Atlanta Hawks traded Trae Young in January and transformed their play. After starting 19-21, Atlanta has gone 27-15 since the trade, flipping their scoring margin from -0.3 to +5.0 per game. The defense tightened dramatically, holding opponents to 47.2% shooting (down from 47.6%). Jalen Johnson stepped into the alpha role averaging a near triple-double, while the supporting cast found their identity. At 46-36.
Since the trade: 27-15 · +5.0 margin · 47.2% Opp FG · 36.9% 3PT
The Arc
Rolling 10-game win percentage across 82 games. The vertical line marks the Trae Young trade, January 11.
Identity Shift
40 games before the trade vs 42 games after. The defense tightened by 4.9 points per game.
| Stat | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 19-21 | 27-15 |
| Avg Margin | -0.3 | +5.0 |
| Pace | 104.7 | 103.2 |
| FG% | 47.9% | 46.9% |
| 3PT% | 37.3% | 36.9% |
| 3PT Made/G | 14.5 | 14.8 |
| Rebound Margin | -4.1 | +0.6 |
| OREB/G | 9.7 | 12.2 |
| Opp FG% | 47.6% | 47.2% |
| Opp 3PT% | 35.4% | 35.6% |
| Opp PPG | 118.6 | 113.7 |
| Close Games (≤5) | 6-6 | 3-4 |
| Blowout Wins (15+) | 9 | 12 |
| Blowout Losses | 9 | 8 |
Who Changed
Net rating shift for key players, before and after the trade.
Monthly Arc
Atlanta's win percentage by month, from the December collapse to the March surge.
Statement Wins
Nickeil Alexander-Walker put up 21 points and led ATL past BOS 117–106. Alexander-Walker did it from deep, hitting 5 threes for 15 of 21 points. ATL shot 48.4% from the field. ATL connected on 18 threes to BOS's 9. BOS committed 16 turnovers. Jalen Johnson finished with 19 points on the night.
21 PTS · BOS (56-26)
C. McCollum scored 14 points in the final 5 minutes (5 jumpers) to close it out for ATL.
27 PTS · 5 AST · DET (60-22)
C. McCollum led the 4th quarter push with 7 points. J. Brown kept BOS in it with 14 4th-quarter points.
20 PTS · 12 REB · 5 AST · BOS (56-26)
ATL pulled away with a 36-17 run starting at 11:25 in the 3rd quarter into the 4th quarter (11:13 remaining). Key stretch: J. Johnson 11 pts (1 three), N. Alexander-Walker 8 pts (1 three).
29 PTS · CLE (52-30)
Playoff Matchup Profile
TOR is the problem, 0-4 vs TOR. ORL, PHI are the matchups they want, 4-0, 4-0. Trailing the season series against CHA (1-3), DET (1-3), MIA (1-3), NYK (1-2), TOR (0-4). This young Hawks team is proving they can beat good teams. The question is whether they can sustain it in a seven-game series.
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