Is Trae Young the Hawks Player With The Most To Prove This Season?

After trading Dejounte Murray, is Trae Young under more pressure this season to succeed with the Hawks?

Apr 17, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Javonte Green (24) defends Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) during the second half during a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images

The Hawks are going to be a new look team this year. They traded away Dejounte Murray and got a package that included Dyson Daniels and Larry Nance Jr. They shockingly won the draft lottery and ended up picking French forward Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 pick. They also have some young talent returning in Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu, two guys who are going to play vital roles in how successful the Hawks could or could not be this year. Will this new version of the Hawks surprise people or are they going to struggle to even get in the NBA play-in Tournament?

That could fall on how good Trae Young can be this year. While the young players are going to play a huge role for this team, the Hawks will likely only go as far as Trae can take them. Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley has Young as the Hawks player who is under the most pressure this season:

"Trae Young is a three-time All-Star and one-time leader of an Eastern Conference finals trek. On the surface, the hyper-productive point guard shouldn't have much to prove.

And yet, his entire existence with Atlanta—the only NBA franchise he's known—is seemingly up in the air. The Hawks already split from his backcourt mate, Dejounte Murray, this offseason and could potentially pivot toward a youth-focused rebuild around Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, Dyson Daniels, Kobe Bufkin and this year's No. 1 pick, Zaccharie Risacher.

Atlanta may have already taken that plunge if not for the fact the San Antonio Spurs have control of the Hawks' next three first-round picks. That buys Young a little more time to convince this front office he should remain their centerpiece. He'll also be eligible for an extension after this season, so he needs to prove he's worthy of another major-money commitment."

I do think it is a big season for Young, but I think he is in a position to succeed and lead the team. As long as Young is the primary creator on offense, the Hawks should have a top offense in the NBA, but it has been the other side of the court that has given them issues. Bringing in Dyson Daniels via the Dejounte Murray trade, drafting Risacher, and hoping that Johnson, Okongwu, Clint Capela, and De'Andre Hunter can continue to defend at an above-average level. If the Hawks can get better on that end, then I think they could be a surprise team in 2024-2025.