letting it fly last night.<\/a> He went 0\/3 from deep in the limited minutes he played, but his willingness to keep shooting opens up everything for this Young-led offense. <\/p>\nIt was the bench mob that made all the difference for Atlanta<\/p>\n
Most of the offensive damage, however, came at the end of the first and early second quarter when two more newcomers checked into the game. Nickeil-Alexander Walker and Luke Kennard made an immediate impact upon hitting the floor. <\/p>\n
The most important revelation was that they did not need Young to facilitate in order for them to put the ball in the basket. Their two-man game looked lethal the entire half, as both are capable playmakers and on-ball scorers. <\/p>\n
This does not cancel out their off-ball game either, as all aspects of their offensive game were on full display. Young fed them several assists in the form of catch-and-shoot threes, and they were knocking them down at an elite clip. <\/p>\n
Trae Young finished last night’s game with 9 points and 8 assists in just 18 minutes. The terrifying bench duo of Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard combined for 21 points and 5 threes. <\/p>\n
While it was fun and a bit surprising to watch unfold as a fan, this new offensive output comes as no surprise to Young. He saw this level of production coming from a mile away and shared some insight with us about it during last week’s media day. I was in attendance covering the event, and by the time it was Trae Young’s turn, I had an interesting question prepared for him:<\/p>\n
I asked Trae Young about his APG increasing every season and if he can continue on that trend this year. <\/p>\n
His response: \u201cWhat you think?\u201d <\/p>\n
He went on to mention that he\u2019s had some great teammates and that he can\u2019t do stuff like this alone.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Zach Langley (@langleyatl) September 29, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n“You’re entering year 8. Every single season we’ve seen your assists per game go up. Last year you had 11.6. With all of these new additions, can we see 12 this year?” <\/p>\n
Young responded with a playful “What you think?” before explaining why he can: <\/p>\n
“Maybe, we’ll see. I’ve got some weapons that can make it happen, and you don’t get an assist by doing it yourself. So, I’ve had some pretty good teammates that have made me look good when I pass it to them.” <\/p>\n
He then shared some light on what makes this year’s roster different: <\/p>\n
“I’ve got some guys now too that you know can score too, so we’ll see.” <\/p>\n
One game into the preseason, and it’s clear that Young was right. We have seen just how lethal this new-look offense can be. <\/p>\n