What was the miscommunication between Atlanta Hawks head coach Nate McMillan and Trae Young?

According to Atlanta Hawks head coach Nate McMillan, star player Trae Young was unable to play against the Denver Nuggets on Friday due to “miscommunication.” The Athletic was the first to report this confusion, and as a result, we can now take a closer look at what the actual mistake was.

Young requested to have his shoulder treated rather than participate in the shootaround, however, McMillan suggested that Young participate in the shootaround and have his shoulder addressed during the walk-through, according to the Athletic’s report.

Sam Amick and Shams Charania claim that Young wanted to concentrate on receiving medical attention for his ailing shoulder on Friday. Then, closer to the start of the game, he would decide whether or not he could participate.

Did Trae Young and Nate McMillan have a fight?

Young was given two alternatives by McMillan, who apparently disapproved of this: to leave the game altogether, or either stay on the bench. Young ultimately decided on the latter and missed the match.

However, McMillan denied telling Young about Friday’s game against the Denver Nuggets. Usually, an injured player never skips a home game so this was unusual. When asked about this McMillan made it clear that Young was never instructed to miss the game and this is all because of a minor “miscommunication”.

“I’ve talked with Trae about that. We’re moving forward. The one thing that I do want to respond: There was something said about me telling Trae to not show up for a game. I will never ever, and have never, ever told a player not to show up for a game. That’s just false.” said Nate.

Why was Trae Young upset?

Young was outraged that the information was made public since he thought it was a private problem and no one else should be bothered about it. He said, “I mean, it was just a situation. I mean, we’re all grown men here and there are some times we don’t always agree. And it’s unfortunate that private situations and private conversations got out to the public. But I guess that’s the world we live in now.”

He was furious because outsiders who don’t fully understand the scenario find it difficult to comprehend because they are ignorant of all the details. Additionally, he stated that playing well and winning championships were his sole priorities.

“But yeah, I’m just going to focus on basketball and focus on helping my team win. And that’s what I got to be focusing on.” Young added.

The Hawks will suffer the most, though, if Young and McMillan are unable to rapidly resolve the situation. The Athletic reports that McMillan’s position is secure, but that won’t be the case indefinitely if he and Young continue to have problems. When a coach and a star player argue, the athlete typically prevails.

Although McMillian refuted all of these allegations, stating that things do occur with players on the bus, the plane, and at hotels. The team is like one unit and a family. Things will occur over the course of a season, it’s natural.

 

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