Trae Young Discusses What He's Learned Watching Games From the Bench

Trae Young has missed the last few weeks with an injury, but the Atlanta Hawks haven’t faltered. In fact, the Hawks have looked like they have figured out a successful play style in Young’s absence.

This has caused many to wonder if the Hawks would be better without Young, especially because he is the type of player that the offense revolves around, not the type that necessarily fits into a smaller offensive role. 

Young was asked recently if watching the last 20 games from the bench has changed his perception of how he can come back and help the Hawks win. Here was his response:

"I knew as the season would go on, like, I knew we were going to find certain things that we would all need to do — and all could do — to help our team be better. Obviously, being out, I see certain things that our team is doing really good, and I want to keep allowing our team to do (them) and make sure our team is doing those things. But then there are times, obviously, where we're struggling... and I just want to make it easier for them. So for me, since Day One, I've always felt like I was a puzzle piece to the big puzzle. I've never felt like I was the whole puzzle. So I'm about to come back and do the same thing and just be another piece of the puzzle and try to fit in and make all this thing work."

If Young can find a way to fit in with the current form of the rolling Hawks, they could be really dangerous. For a player who has always been the center of attention in the offense, this could be hard. However, it sounds like Trae may be willing to make the sacrifice.