It's only been two games, but the Atlanta Hawks are already playing better team basketball without Trae Young. The four-time All-Star has been sidelined by a knee injury that threatened to derail Atlanta's progress after a massive offseason overhaul.
The ball is moving more freely, an almost endless stream of scorers are making their mark, and a question has emerged: Is Atlanta's future truly tied to Young?
Young went down early in Atlanta's 117-112 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Oct. 29, playing just seven minutes before his night ended. The Hawks overcame his absence with 33 team assists to just eight turnovers, with eight different players burying a three and five scoring in double figures.