It doesn’t snow often in Atlanta, but leave it to “Ice Trae” to bring the cold. After an all-star caliber first half of the season, Trae Young has made sure both the city and the league are feeling the chill.
Following the third return of all-star votes, Young sits fifth among the east guards. He received 705,936 fan votes, trailing only the Hornets’ LaMelo Ball, the Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell, the Bucks’ Damian Lillard and the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson.
Young faced a similarly tight race among guards in the east last season. Although he earned an all-star spot as an injury replacement, he has elevated his game this year, proving he belongs among the league’s elite.
The three-time all-star is averaging 23.1 points and a league-leading 11.9 assists per game. Despite a slow shooting start and dip in scoring this year, Young’s exceptional playmaking and abilities to get his teammates involved have been significant in his all-star campaign.
Another standout for the Hawks is forward Jalen Johnson, who has also received all-star consideration during a career year. Johnson has been walking double-double, averaging 19.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. The former Duke Blue Devil showed flashes of potential last season and has taken his game to new heights.
Similar to the guards, the frontcourt race is competitive as well. The Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum and the Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns headline the top of the returns. Johnson, only in his fourth season, is not a lock to make the team but has solidified himself as a rising star.
Despite battling injuries, the duo has led Atlanta to a 22-19 record (as of Jan. 18) and a trip to the In-Season Tournament semifinals as the all-star
The Hawks are seventh in the eastern conference, sitting just two games behind the fourth-place Bucks. However, the place of race remains tight as the ninth-seed Heat trail the Hawks by only one game.
Atlanta’s performance has been a rollercoaster. They stand out as the only team to defeat both the Celtics and Cavaliers at least twice. However, inconsistency has been evident with multiple surprising losses to the last-seed Wizards.
Nonetheless, the duo of Young and Johnson has delivered high-level basketball on the biggest stages. After a brief pause due to the snowstorm, Young bounced back with a 43-point performance against the Suns. Meanwhile, Johnson showcased his versatility with a triple-double in a crucial In-Season Tournament win against the Celtics.
“It seems like now, guys are more worried about my passing than my shooting, so sometimes you got to remind them you can score too,” Young said.
This year’s all-star Game will debut an entirely new format, moving away from the traditional team-draft setup of recent years. Fans can look forward to a mini-tournament featuring four teams and three games. The first two matchups will serve as semifinals, with the winners advancing to face off in the all-star championship.
Each team will consist of eight players and be named after a TNT NBA analyst. The 24 All-Star selections will be split into three teams, with rosters drafted by TNT’s Inside the NBA commentators—Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith—serving as honorary team general managers.
The fourth team will be the champions of the Rising Stars game and named after WNBA legend and TNT analyst Candace Parker.
The NBA all-star game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 16 at the Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors.
