Dyson Daniels stepping up for Hawks in Trae Young's absence

Alexander-Walker has 10 assists and 15 turnovers in three games without Young, though he works well alongside Daniels with his outside shooting, going 3-for-5 from deep Tuesday night. The Hawks are averaging 121.3 PPG without Young so far and shooting 53.5 percent from the floor.

The Hawks are learning to play without Trae Young early

The silver lining to Young's injury is that it forces the Hawks to figure out how to score in an offense that has often been heliocentric — revolving around their star. Without Young, Jalen Johnson has stepped up as a passer, delivering 18 assists in three games. They're getting contributions from Kristaps Porzingis and Zaccharie Risacher, who scored 15 and 21 points against the Magic, respectively.

Daniels signed a four-year, $100M extension before the season — a solid deal for a wing player who defends like he does. If Daniels can play point guard passably, it becomes a great deal. Daniels and Alexander-Walker are a fearsome defensive backcourt, and Daniels' poor outside shooting (only two threes this season) is much more acceptable at PG.

It simply provides more options for coach Quin Snyder if Daniels, and also Johnson, can initiate offense. It also provides insurance in case Young gets hurt again, or if he and the Hawks can't come to terms on a contract extension.

The Hawks are going to need Daniels to provide a lot of offense until Young gets back. They may end up needing him at point guard for many years.