Both impressive and irascible on the court, Trae Young was being Trae Young the other night when he got ejected from the Atlanta Hawks’ loss to the Orlando Magic. His penalty may very well be the rallying cry, however, that the Hawks need for their game tomorrow night against the Miami Heat.
It was the NBA Play-In Tournament Tuesday night, and the Hawks (40-42) played the Magic (41-41) to see which team would earn the seventh seed in the East. Behind the shooting prowess of point guard Cole Anthony, who scored 26 points, the Magic were leading the Hawks by 20 points as the game neared its end.
Still, Young wasn’t done playing, during a frustrating stop in the action, held onto the ball instead of handing it to referee James Williams. Then came the ruckus.
Enraged at Williams’s call against the Hawks, Young started walking away from the ref and began dribbling the ball as some mutters escaped from his mouth. That was it for Williams, who promptly blew his whistle, slapped two technical fouls on Young, and ejected him from the arena.
“A mockery of the game,” is what NBA representatives said of Young’s behavior. While there’s some truth to that, with Young treating the basketball like an annoying toy, the four-time all-star’s outburst may be just what his squad needs for their next game. The Hawks will play the Heat for the eighth seed, and with Heat PG Tyler Herro’s recent mastery, the Hawks will need everything they have to put up a contest. Young is certainly primed.
In the press conference after the Hawks’ loss to the Magic, Young acknowledged his unprofessional behavior while also defending himself and his team. As the Associated Press previously reported, Young commented, “Sometimes, when I take my frustration out on the refs, it’s not just for me. It’s for my teammates. I see Dyson Daniels going; he may not be a household name yet, but he deserves the same amount of respect as some of these other guys.” Later, when asked about his next matchup, Young said, “I’ll be ready.”
Ideally, a player’s lack of decorum isn’t the motivating factor to compete. In today’s NBA, however, when a referee’s single call can seal a team’s fate, a player’s temper flare can fire up the rest of his team. Young certainly acted out the other night, but he also galvanized his team to compete in the next game.
The Hawks have a battle coming when they face the Heat tomorrow night. With 38 points against the Bulls last night, the Heat’s Herro is showing his skills. With the playoffs up next, however, Young will surely come ready to play. Having been tossed out of the last game, he’d be wise to keep his cool against the Heat. He’ll have to. After all, his team’s season is on the line.
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