Trae Young's Double-Double Leads Hawks Past Knicks; Kevin Knox Drops 24 Points
John Collins had 17 points and 16 rebounds and Trae Young had a 15-point, 10-assist double-double as the Atlanta Hawks beat the New York Knicks 114-107 on Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Emmanuel Mudiay led all scorers with 32 points for the 9-25 Knicks, who have now lost four straight. Kevin Knox scored 17 of his 24 points in the first quarter.
Atlanta improved to 8-23.
Knox Quickly Developing into Franchise Building Block
Knox's professional career started slowly, as the 19-year-old averaged just 7.5 points on 32.5 percent shooting through 16 games. An ankle sprain that forced him to miss seven matchups hindered his development, and his playing time also fluctuated wildly.
However, Knox has been in a groove since a 26-point, 15-rebound performance against the Charlotte Hornets on December 9. Since then, Knox has averaged 20.3 points on 43.3 percent shooting in addition to 6.6 rebounds per night.
Head coach David Fizdale spoke to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic and explained why he thought Knox's game is taking off.
"I think the game is starting to slow down for him," Fizdale said. "He’s starting to recognize things better. He’s starting to know what his spots are. Typical 19-year-old. They have to go through it a little bit and get their feet wet and I think he’s starting to settle in and see that he can score."
Knox also provided his thoughts.
"I think it’s just the mindset now, playing more inside-out," he said. "The coaching staff wants me to be more aggressive but starting lineup shouldn’t change my mindset, to go do what I gotta do."
Vorkunov mentioned Knox averaged 5.6 drives per game between December 9 and 18, which was double the amount prior to that span.
The most impressive part of Knox's game may be his offensive versatility. Not only is he hitting threes at a 36 percent clip, but Knox is drilling mid-range jumpers and finishing near the rim too:
The 19-year-old also showed some excellent court vision as a point forward when he ran the break and found Enes Kanter for an easy two:
Knox's recent run of good form hit its apex against Atlanta because of a 17-point first quarter:
ESPN Stats & Info explained the relevance behind Knox's performance:
The Knicks' public relations department also noted that Friday marked the third straight game where Knox had 10 or more points in the first quarter.
While Knox only scored seven points after an excellent first quarter, he showed what he's capable of doing on a nightly basis and is proving that the team should build around him as part of the team's core for years to come.
John Collins Can Help Trae Young Realize His NBA Ceiling
Atlanta Hawks rookie point guard Trae Young has struggled on both ends. Entering Friday, the ex-Oklahoma star has gone just 38.0 percent from the field and 25.0 percent behind the three-point line. Defensively, he is ranked last in defensive plus-minus among qualified point guards, per ESPN.
Friday's game was largely representative of his struggles. He couldn't hang with the 6'5", 200-pound Emmanuel Mudiay, who has a three-inch and 20-pound edge on Young. Mudiay finished the night with 32 points on 12-of-20 shooting. Offensively, Young didn't get much going until late, as he had just five points entering the fourth quarter.
However, there are a few important things to keep in mind.
First, he dropped 27.4 points per game in his one year in school. That isn't easy to do.
Second, Young was essentially given the keys to a rebuilding franchise at just 20 years old. That's a pretty significant burden.
Third, the Hawks have a special player in John Collins who can form an excellent partnership with Young and help bring out his best.
Despite playing only 28.8 minutes per game, the second-year pro is averaging 18.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per night. His boundless energy helps him on both ends, especially on the boards where he routinely dominates.
That occurred Friday as Collins ran circles around the Knicks' big men en route to his double-double. He helped stem the tide of a rough first half in which the Hawks gave up 69 points.
Eventually, the Hawks clawed back because Young scored 10 points in the fourth as he drove and found open teammates or took it to the hole. His tough and-one layup with three minutes remaining gave his team a 107-101 lead.
Ultimately, Collins looks like he will be averaging 20-25 points and 10-12 rebounds per game for years to come, and his continued development should help ease Young's burden.
That should help Young break through the rookie wall and become the playmaking point guard he's capable of being on a nightly basis, which we saw glimpses of in the second half.
What's Next
New York kicks off the NBA's Christmas Day slate with a noon ET home game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Atlanta will visit the Detroit Pistons on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.
