Bill Simmons Gives Ridiculous Trae Young Take After Hawks Beat Celtics

Atlanta was without Trae Young in their 117-116 upset win over Boston last night

Nov 9, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) brings the ball up the court against the Chicago Bulls during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks, who were blown out by the Celtics at home last Monday night, walked into Boston as 16-point underdogs and without their superstar point guard Trae Young, and defeated the defending NBA Champions 117-116. It was one of the most improbable wins of the season and it also puts the Hawks ahead in East Group C in the NBA Cup. Atlanta now has a real chance at making the knockout stage of the NBA Cup with this win.

Every time the Hawks win a game without Young though, there are bound to be ridiculous takes that the Hawks are somehow better off without Young. The latest take is from Bill Simmons on the latest episode of his podcast. Simmons was discussing the Hawks win over the Celtics and he brought up the possibility of Young becoming the Hawks 6th man:

"What if I offered you Trae Young sixth man? Just Trae Young coming off the bench. He is a heat check guy coming off the bench for us, 22 minutes a game. Oh you're not happy? Too bad.

I don't know, I am just trying to figure out outs for them because I think they know they are the team I saw tonight is the team they should be."

Simmons then tried to make the point that other great players have come off the bench before:

"John Havlicek came off the bench, Kevin McHale came off the bench. Great players have come off the bench. Yeah the big picture point is you have have thought like, oh, we'll find three teams for Trae Young, but there is so many point guards now and everyone is so afraid of taking salary that I don't know what the move is."

Young is one of the best point guards and shot-creators in the entire league. He is arguably a top-25 player in the NBA and having him come off the bench is a ridiculous suggestion. As good as the Hawks were last night, they would be one of the worst teams in the NBA on offense without Young. The Hawks have built a better roster around him with length and defense and last night, you saw what it could be even without him on the floor. It is ridiculous to suggest that he take a sixth-man role when he is close to leading the league in assists. It is not a stretch to say that Young is the most underrated star in the NBA right now.

Dyson Daniels is starting to make the case of being the NBA's best offseason acquisition. He was the Hawks's best player tonight, scoring 28 points on 12-21 shooting, dishing out seven assists, and getting six steals. Daniels was elite defensively and did a great job of running the offense. Daniels has been one of the breakout stars of the NBA this year and he had his best game of the season tonight.

Additional Links:

Trae Young Reacts To Hawks Huge Upset vs Celtics

Instant Takeaways From Hawks Improbable 117-116 win Over Boston

RECAP: Shorthanded Hawks Get Massive Win over Celtics, 117-116