Trae Young was the main character in the Hawks improbable run to the 2021 Eastern Conference finals while playing the most impressive stretch of basketball in his young career. But even in a wildly successful set of postseason series there is much for a team to learn about themselves especially when it’s their first time navigating the postseason.
In retrospect the New York Knicks didn’t really challenge the Hawks in any way that they couldn’t overcome without simply throwing more Young at them. But the seven game series versus the Philadelphia 76ers, ultimately won by Atlanta, revealed a certain type of depth issue that would need to be addressed.