NBA Notes: Hawks, Trae Young, Celtics, Joe Mazzulla, Nets

Hawks

The Hawks have gotten an unexpected look at life without Trae Young, and the early returns have caught the league’s attention.

As Tim Bontemps of ESPN noted, Atlanta is 7-2 since Young sprained his knee on Oct. 29 and ranks fourth in defensive efficiency during that stretch. The franchise has never finished better than 18th defensively in Young’s seven seasons.

“I think the Trae Young situation is fascinating,” one Western Conference executive told ESPN. “They’re a totally different team with and without him.”

Young has a $48.9 million player option for next season, and this stretch is only fueling speculation about whether his long-term future will be in Atlanta or elsewhere. He is still several weeks away from returning.

Celtics

One question entering the season was whether Boston would lean away from its three-point heavy identity after Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury and the departures of Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Jrue Holiday.

According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, that answer came quickly. The Celtics are behind only the Cavaliers in threes attempted per game despite having far fewer shots than in recent years.

Coach Joe Mazzulla has stayed committed to his philosophy, even with the franchise taking what Bontemps called a “gap year” away from legitimate title contention. This year’s group is simply the latest example.

Nets

Rival teams continue to praise the job coach Jordi Fernandez did last season as Brooklyn scraped and clawed its way to competitiveness early before finishing 26-56. But as Bontemps wrote, no amount of coaching can mask a roster built for the long view.

Several executives told ESPN the Nets may have the least talented roster in the league.

Brooklyn took five first-round picks in June, and the early reviews have been mixed as the organization shifts its focus toward the loaded 2026 draft class.