Trae Young’s supporting cast has been in and out of the lineup, and the lack of cohesion may be causing a slow start for the star guard and the Atlanta Hawks.
Young is shooting 36.4% from the field through the first four games, while the Hawks are hoping to improve defensively Wednesday night when they visit the Brooklyn Nets.
The Hawks are off to a 1-3 start and Young is averaging 20.8 points. The four-time All-Star has yet to score more than 25 points and is just 5-for-26 from 3-point range after scoring 21 in Monday’s 128-123 loss to the host Chicago Bulls.
Young has yet to play more than 35 minutes and was on the bench when Atlanta lost a six-point lead by allowing a 10-2 run by Chicago.
Young’s latest quiet showing occurred as Kristaps Porzingis returned from missing two games with an illness and scored 27. Jalen Johnson returned after missing two games with an ankle injury and added 25 but Zaccharie Risacher was held to two points after sitting out two games with an ankle injury.
“We got to get more reps with each other and understand where we got to be at,” Young said. “I think offensively, we’re better than we were in the first game of the year, but defensively, we didn’t rebound the ball well enough, and that’s something that we got to do collectively. I think that’s something that we got to be better at, and we got the guys to do it.”
At 0-4, the Nets are off to their worst start since dropping the first seven games of the 2015-16 season when they finished 21-61. Brooklyn allowed 112.2 points last season when it won 26 games but is allowing 130.5 points this season, leading to frustration for second-year coach Jordi Fernandez.
Fernandez has been critical of the team’s effort at times, and the latest instance occurred after Monday’s 137-109 loss at Houston.
“It’s just unacceptable to take an NBA game for granted, and our guys are trying, they just don’t know how much harder and focused they can do things,” Fernandez said. “I believe they’ll keep taking those steps, a lot of them just lack experience, but we’re going to challenge them.”
The Nets allowed at least 130 points seven times last season and have done so in three games this season. Brooklyn’s 522 points allowed are the most given up in franchise history through four games according to YES Network, and the Nets have allowed at least 30 points in 11 of their 16 quarters.
Terrence Mann led the Nets with 21 points and Michael Porter Jr. added 18 in Monday’s loss, but Cam Thomas was held to nine after scoring 40 in Sunday’s 11-point loss at San Antonio.
The Nets are also hoping to see Nic Claxton shake off his slow start. Claxton scored 17 in the season opener but has scored a total of 26 points in his past three games and has yet to post a double-double.
Brooklyn played without rookie Egor Demin to manage a foot injury while Ziaire Williams sat out with a back injury sustained in the second half Sunday.
The Hawks won two of three meetings with the Nets last season, including a 133-109 rout in Brooklyn on April 10 when Risacher scored 38 points on 15-of-20 shooting from the field.