Trae Young Dominant, RJ Barrett Struggles as Hawks Beat Knicks
Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks pulled out a 100-96 victory over RJ Barrett and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
Young put in a solid effort, going 7-of-19 for 23 points. On the other side, Barrett shot 4-of-14 from the floor while putting up 12 points.
Notable Performance
Atlanta
Trae Young: 23 points, nine assists, five rebounds
Vince Carter: 17 points (5-of-10 from three-point range)
John Collins: 12 points, 14 rebounds
Cam Reddish: nine points, three rebounds, two steals
De'Andre Hunter: 15 points
New York
RJ Barrett: 12 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two steals
Julius Randle: 20 points, eight rebounds, two blocks
Marcus Morris: 14 points, eight rebounds
Trae Young's All-Around Game on Full Display at the Garden
Young put himself in the Rookie of the Year conversation last season because of his ability to make plays for both himself (19.1 points per game) and his teammates (8.1 assists per game).
It may just be the preseason, but he was in midseason form against the Knicks.
Young got off to a strong start, going 3-of-5 from the floor for 11 points in the opening quarter:
He did more than just get buckets, though, in this one:
In 16 minutes during the first half, he recorded 12 points, five assists, two rebounds and one block. That played a key role in helping the Hawks take a seven-point lead into halftime.
After the break, he had a chance to show off his range:
Young shot 41.8 percent from the floor as a rookie last season. Thus far in the preseason, he is at 41.1 percent (16-of-37).
The Hawks will only be able to go as far as Young leads them, so he will need to knock down shots on a consistent basis. However, Atlanta has spent the offseason adding playmakers—like Hunter, Reddish and Jabari Parker—around Young, so the second-year guard's ability to create offense for others will be key.
RJ Barrett Struggles with His Shot in Loss
Barrett shot the ball well reasonably well through his first two preseason appearances (12-of-28, 42.9 percent), but it was a different story Wednesday.
It was evident right from the start that it wasn't Barrett's night, as he went 1-of-5 from the floor during the first quarter. And things didn't get much better as the night went on, either. He finished the game shooting 4-of-14.
The good news for the Knicks is that the rookie didn't let his poor shooting night affect the other areas of the game. He continued to make plays throughout his shooting struggles, recording seven rebounds, six assists and two steals.
It took Barrett some time to settle in at Duke, as he shot 42 percent from the floor during his first month in Durham. It wasn't long, though, before he found his rhythm, shooting 54.4 percent during his second month. He ultimately finished the season at 45.4 percent.
Rookies tend to go through growing pains as they adjust to life in the NBA, so it's inevitable that Barrett will have nights like this. But as long as he can make plays in other areas, he can still give his team a chance to win.
What's Next
Atlanta will be back in action Thursday night as it travels to the Windy City for a clash with the Chicago Bulls. Meanwhile, New York will be back Friday, when it will host Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans.
