Trae Young seeks to restore his ego.
The Atlanta Hawks will face off against the Miami Heat in the 2022-2023 NBA Play-In Tournament at the Miami-Dade Arena on the 12th (hereinafter Korean time).
Atlanta, where there was a lot of talk and a lot of trouble. After spending a difficult time undergoing a coach change in the middle of the season, he finished the long race with an exactly 50% win rate (41 wins, 41 losses). Atlanta, which has a tie-breaker with Toronto, finished 8th in the Eastern Conference in the regular season. 바카라사이트
Now it’s a short-term stage. To make it to the playoffs, they must pass the play-in tournament. Atlanta has fond memories of last season’s Play-In Tournament, beating Charlotte and Cleveland and surviving.
However, Atlanta was unable to carry its good momentum into the playoffs. In the first round, it collapsed to Miami with 1 win and 4 losses, ending the season early. As you can see from the series score, it was one-sided.
There were many reasons for the defeat, but the most painful was the extreme silence of Ace Tray Young. From the point of view of the underdog, the role of Ace was desperately needed to seek a reversal. Blocked by the Miami defense, Young posted an average of 15.4 points in the first round, a field goal rate of 31.9%, and a 3-point success rate of 18.4%, the worst performance.
Miami used competent defenders such as PJ Tucker to persistently harass Young. The help defense and the switch defense were done flawlessly, and sometimes they didn’t mind a rough battle of nerves. Young, who was dried up by the opponent’s defense, committed 31 turnovers in 5 games of the series and destroyed himself.
In response, Young stuck out his tongue, saying, “I’ve never been through this kind of defense while playing basketball since high school.” That’s why Miami’s defense was close to perfect.
Feeling the limit, Atlanta threw a win by signing Dizonte Murray through a huge investment. It was the decision to ease the burden on Young while building an all-star backcourt.
However, Young suffered a slump this season and left a deep regret. His outward record itself averaged 26.2 points and 10.2 assists, achieving a double-double, but the field goal rate was only 42.9% and the 3-point success rate was only 33.5%, which was far less than last season. He hasn’t even cleared the locker room issues that have been following him over and over.
Now, there are even rumors that Atlanta may trade Young. The best way to reverse public opinion is to remove doubts about yourself by performing on a big stage.
Young’s first opponent in the play-in tournament is Miami, who unfortunately suffered disgrace last season. It would be the best result if they could get revenge and make it to the playoffs at once.
Miami, where Tucker, the core of the defense, has left, clearly lacks the solidity compared to last season, when they took the No. 1 seed. However, it is evaluated that it is closer to victory than Atlanta. Anyway, the fact that I have to play as an underdog is the same spirit as last year.
Miami is solidifying its nemesis relationship with Young this season as well. Young’s performance against Miami this season averaged 19.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 35.6% field goal percentage, and 20.8% 3-point success rate, far below the season average. It is Atlanta that can only hope to win a head-to-head match when Young cuts off bad ties with Miami.
Which team will laugh in the face-to-face match between the two teams on the morning of the 12th? A lot was in Trae Young’s hands.