Record recovery! In addition to winning streak, is it really time for the team boss to leave?

Surprisingly, after 11 games, another team that was known as the championship favorite during the offseason sank. What sank the Eagles was not the opponent or the team's strength, but the person at the core of the team.

This team comes from the Hawks, and the core being questioned is Trae Young, who has an annual salary of 46 million. So far, Trae Young has played 5 games in the new season, averaging 17.8 points, 2 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game; he has missed 6 games so far, and his future return date has not yet been determined.

It’s hard not to wonder, do the Hawks really still need Trae Young now?

For the Eastern Conference, which is facing a reshuffle in the new season, after the Pacers and Celtics withdrew from the competition, the Pistons, Knicks, Heat, and Cavaliers currently occupy the top half. This ranking is a bit surprising. The Pistons, in particular, have won seven consecutive games and are firmly ranked first in the Eastern Conference. They are the dark horse in the Eastern Conference that deserves the most attention in the new season.

Among these dark horses, the Eagles team deserves special attention.

Looking back at the Hawks' offseason, the management made a lot of moves, acquiring Porzingis, Alexander Walker, and Kennard, while retaining young talents such as Jaylen Johnson, Lisa Shee, and Daniels. According to this team, as long as all members can stay healthy, the Hawks have every chance to gain a dominant position in the Eastern Conference.

But at the beginning of the season, the record of 6 wins and 5 losses only ranked ninth in the Eastern Conference. As for the core Trae Young, in his previous games, his performance was really unflattering. In addition to the sharp decline in data, the offensive efficiency also plummeted across the board. After only playing in the fifth game, he was forced off the field due to a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee.

Obviously, for Trae Young, the Hawks are really over-reliant on him; and if the subsequent coaching team does not make adjustments in this regard, this is likely not to be his first injury risk.

During this offseason, Trae Young expressed his hope to reach a four-year maximum salary extension of 230 million with the Hawks in advance, but the Hawks were obviously unwilling to accept this price. According to salary regulations, Trae Young can earn a maximum five-year super maximum salary of 347 million next summer, and it is even possible to take the initiative to opt out of the player option. How should the Eagles choose then? It's also a big problem.

From the most extreme perspective, for the Hawks at this stage, trading Trae Young is probably an option worth trying.

This idea is not unreasonable. After Trae Young retired due to injury, the Hawks suddenly changed their appearance and reversed the situation with a wave of 5 wins and 2 losses, including big wins over the Pacers, Magic, Lakers and other teams; especially against the Los Angeles duo, many people on the team scored in double figures, which strongly demonstrated the offensive potential of this team.

The first person to bear the brunt is Daniels. After Trae Young was injured, Daniels provided a total of 42 assists and contributed at least 3 steals in half-time in four games so far this season, setting a new record in team history. As the steal leader, first defense member and most improved player last season, there is definitely a chance for further improvement in the future.

At the team level, referring to high-end data, when Trae Young is on the court, the Hawks' offensive and defensive efficiencies are 116.2 and 125.2 respectively, and the net efficiency value per 100 possessions is -9.0; when he is not on the court, the offensive and defensive efficiencies are 113.2 and 109.4, the net efficiency value is +3.8, and the On-Off value drops to -12.8; rebounding efficiency, three-point shooting rate, steal efficiency, and turnover rate have all declined.

Judging from this series of data, it is obvious that this Hawks seems to play better without Trae Young. And if the team's performance continues to improve in the future, it is not ruled out that Trae Young may gradually become an outsider.

Although the assist data has improved significantly in recent seasons, based on the team's performance in recent years, this little man's advantages are only concentrated on the offensive end, and his shortcomings have begun to become more and more obvious:

It seems that he is a core player with the ball, but combined with efficiency, the overall career shooting rate is just over 40%, and he averages nearly 20 shots per game. Such a comprehensive coverage is difficult to drive the team, and it is really difficult to live up to his status as a core player. Another point is that he has always had defensive problems and relies heavily on his teammates to help defend and fill positions.

The last link is that this little man has basically had no achievements in leading the team in recent years. However, he has publicly expressed his willingness for a maximum salary many times, but he has never reached an agreement with the team, and it is difficult to stabilize the team atmosphere.

Borrowing from a recent report by sports journalist Charania:

"In the new season, we need to focus on the future of Antetokounmpo, Trae Young and James."

Although this sentence has a hint of prediction, it has to be said that Trae Young's current situation is really embarrassing. If the premise is to influence the team's growth, the star point guard seems to care more about personal data, and such characteristics are really difficult to gain a foothold in the current NBA. If you don't have the ability to defend and lead a team, no matter how strong your offense is, you won't be able to go far in the future.

From this perspective, in addition to the lineup and salary issues, whether Trae Young can continue to stay in the Hawks in the future may require more consideration of the team's long-term development.

If the offense after his subsequent comeback is still inefficient, then the Hawks' remaining option may be to trade him.