Trae Young explains what happened behind his exchange with Nate McMillian that led him not to attend the last game for the Atlanta Hawks
Trae Young & Nate McMillan
© Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The Atlanta Hawks were hoping to emerge as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference this season after they swung a blockbuster trade with the San Antonio Spurs over the offseason for star guard Dejounte Murray. And while their 13-10 record is solid, there is still a lot of work for this team to accomplish both on and off the court.
Tension appears to be boiling between McMillan and Trae Young
One of the things that needs to be fixed off the court is the relationship between Hawks head coach Nate McMillan and star point guard Trae Young. For those who missed it, it’s being reported that Young and McMillan had a tense exchange during Atlanta’s Friday shootaround that resulted in Young not attending the Hawks game later that day, which ended up being a win over the Denver Nuggets.
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Young has been dealing with shoulder soreness, which was ultimately listed as the reason he didn’t play, but it appears the situation is deeper than that. Young was given a chance to explain his side of the story on Monday and seemed to acknowledge that the incident took place after all while continuing to build on the tense relationship the player and coach seem to have right now.
Could the Hawks have a problem on their hands with McMillan and Young?
Just when it seemed like everything was coming together for the Hawks, this report of tension emerged, and there’s a chance that this could throw everything Atlanta has worked so hard to build off the rails. Young hasn’t had the best start to the season, especially regarding his efficiency from the field, but the Hawks are winning, so it hasn’t been too big of an issue.
McMillan and Young teamed up to lead the Hawks all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals back in 2020, so reports of tension between the two isn’t exactly a good sign for Atlanta. These two guys are crucial to Atlanta’s success, and if the organization wants to win this year, they will need them to be on the same page moving forward.
There’s a decent chance that McMillan and Young will reconcile in the future, and maybe they already have, but Young’s cryptic responses here don’t exactly paint a rosy picture of their situation right now. The Hawks have another problem that they will have to figure out how to fix, or else this one could end up coming back and sinking their team entirely.
