After the Trae Young trade, CJ McCollum's clutch play and veteran leadership are now the Hawks' secret weapon for closing out games and securing wins.
When the Atlanta Hawks traded away franchise icon Trae Young to the Washington Wizards, the team received two assets: CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.
CJ McCollum has been one of the team's top playmakers, alongside Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, ever since the trade, and has even found himself in a starting role with this Hawks team.
Hawks reporter Kevin Chouinard recently got the chance to speak with McCollum's new teammates, and Jalen Johnson shared an appreciation for McCollum's impact as a veteran closer for this Hawks team.
"He has been in big-time moments, so when he hits a big shot, it's nothing new to him, and you can tell he clearly has hit a few in his career, so it has been great being a teammate of his, and hopefully we continue to build that chemistry."
A recent example came during Atlanta's comeback win over the Brooklyn Nets, when McCollum hit a go-ahead three-pointer after running a pick-and-roll with Johnson. It was the kind of savvy, late-game execution that head coach Quin Snyder had in mind when he began leaning on McCollum to close games. Snyder cites McCollum's experience and his ability to create shots for others as a reason he has been able to perform at the level he has since joining Atlanta.
"CJ is our best pick-and-roll player," Snyder said. "His experience and his ability to create a shot or create for other people — it is something that our team needs."
Ever since being traded in late January, McCollum is averaging 18.3 points on 44.7% shooting from the field. Alexander-Walker noted that having another capable ballhandler has taken pressure off both him and Johnson in late-game situations, making Atlanta's closing lineup more dynamic and harder to scheme against.
Having another veteran on this Hawks team has clearly helped through the ups and downs of an 82-game campaign, but if the Hawks want to improve their seeding, they will continue to lean on McCollum to make big shots and provide quality minutes while on the court. According to Chouinard's piece, Atlanta's closing lineup of McCollum, Johnson, Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, and Onyeka Okongwu has been the team's best unit all season, posting an offensive rating of 118.7 and a net rating of 23.0 — numbers that speak for themselves.
As Dyson Daniels put it simply: "CJ has been in the league for 13 years. He knows how to play, and he is in the finishing lineup for a reason."
The blueprint is there for this Atlanta team on how to maximize possessions down the stretch, but now it's time for McCollum and company to make a final push this season with hopes of gaining a home play-in game.