Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young and John Collins Shine in Loss to Portland

The Atlanta Hawks have found two cornerstone pieces of their rebuild in Trae Young and John Collins. Despite falling to Portland late, both Collins and Young shined in the 120-111 road loss.

Despite the fact the Atlanta Hawks record is similar to last season, a lot has changed in Atlanta. There is a new found hope and optimism surrounding a franchise we now know is headed in the right direction.

Trae Young and John Collins are the two biggest reasons fans have to feel this way. Their skills were on full display Saturday night in Portland.

The Hawks hung in the game having multiple chances to take the lead late. It was only when Collins and Young exited the game that the wheels fell off. This points to just how important they are to the team and how they keep the offense flowing.

Young scored an efficient 30-points with 8-assists and grabbing 2-boards. He was highly effective in attacking the basket and taking threes only at opportune moments.

This is a template for how Young must score and how he can score at an efficient level. Seeing the ball go into the basket and taking high percentage looks will improve him as a scorer and open up more distributing possibilities.

Collins added in 21-points of his own and collected 6-rebounds. Collins is explosive under the glass and is showing off an improving three-point shot.

Developing his long-range game will be key to making Collins one of the best stretch big men in basketball. His aggressiveness and hustle combined with his talent make him one of the most exciting players to watch on any given night.

No question, Collins and Young are continuing to prove the Hawks made the right decision building their franchise around the two young stars. Both players will only get better and will be in Atlanta for a long time to come.