Trae Young Fined $35K for Making a Gesture Towards an Official

The NBA announced today that Hawks point guard Trae Young has been fined $35K for making an "inappropriate and unprofessional gesture" toward an official.

The incident occurred with 3:58 remaining in the fourth quarter of Atlanta's 136-126 loss against the Bulls on Monday.

Young shared his reaction to being fined on social media:

Hope it’s to a great cause🙏🏽💲 🙄🤣
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) February 14, 2024

The Hawks are on the road tonight to face the Charlotte Hornets in their last game before heading to the NBA All-Star Break.

This has a chance to be a shootout tonight, as it is a showdown between the two worst defenses in the NBA.

Charlotte is also seeing two players emerge in the absence of LaMelo Ball. Miles Bridges and Brandon Miller have started playing at a high level, especially Bridges. He has two 40-point performances in his last five games and he shot at least 60% in both of those games. Miller has grown since the start of the season and is capable of putting up big numbers.

The Hornets also acquired Grant Williams from the Mavs at the trade deadline and he has been a welcome addition. Things did not work out in Dallas for Williams after being traded from the Celtics, but the start to his tenure with the Hornets has been really good.

While Charlotte does have those talented players, their offensive numbers are at the bottom of the league. The Hornets are 28th in PPG, 28th in field goal percentage, 20th in three-point attempts, 20th in three-point percentage, 30th in free-throw attempts, 27th in rebounding, and 19th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, Charlotte is 28th in points per 100 possessions, 28th in effective field goal percentage, 21st in turnover percentage, 25th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 30th in free throw rate.

The perfect medicine for a bad offense is usually the Hawks' defense.

Chicago is one of the worst offensive teams in the NBA, but they put up a season-high in points with 136, and four of their starters had at least 20 points. It is possible that Bridges or Miller or someone else can disrupt the Hawks's defense and make it tough for them tonight.

Atlanta is 30th in PPG allowed, 28th in field goal percentage allowed, and 27th in three-point percentage. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 27th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 29th in effective field goal percentage.

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Atlanta is 3rd in PPG, 23rd in field goal percentage, 6th in three-point attempts, 17th in three-point percentage, 4th in free throw attempts, 7th in rebounding, and 14th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 9th in points per 100 possessions, 16th in effective field goal percentage, 9th in turnover percentage, 4th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 9th in free throw rate.

Charlotte is 24th in PPG allowed, 30th in field goal percentage, and 29th in three-point percentage. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Hornets are 30th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 30th in effective field goal percentage.

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