ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 09: A general view of State Farm Arena during the game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Detroit Pistons on November 9, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young missed Friday’s 117-109 victory over the Denver Nuggets. While the team attributed his absence to a sore right shoulder, there’s reportedly more to the story.
Per The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Sam Amick, Young wanted to skip Friday’s shootarounds to focus on treatment before determining whether he would play through the shoulder injury. However, head coach Nate McMillian didn’t approve.
McMillan reportedly gave Young an ultimatum if he didn’t participate in shootarounds: Play off the bench or stay home.
Young opted not to play, and McMillan deemed his absence a “miscommunication” on Sunday. Atlanta earned a win behind 34 points from fellow backcourt star Dejounte Murray.
Per The Athletic, the Hawks won’t further discipline Young. However, the report said the incident has “caused many people within the Hawks to question Young’s leadership approach.”
The Hawks signed Young to a five-year extension and promoted McMillan from interim to full-time head coach after they reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021. But the Miami Heat knocked them out of the first round last season.
Atlanta is 13-10 with Young averaging 27.8 points and 9.6 assists per game. He practiced fully on Sunday and is expected to return Monday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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