Hawks' Trae Young: Locked in as starter

Coach Lloyd Pierce confirmed Monday that Trae Young will start the season-opener against New York, Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

This is in no way a surprise, but Pierce but an end to any shred of doubt that Young wouldn't begin the year as the Hawks' starting point guard. The rookie had an up-and-down preseason, as expected, but he'll essentially be handed the reins to an offense from Day 1, and he could take on even more scoring responsibilities in the early going with John Collins nursing an injury. Young will likely struggle to score efficiently, but he projects to be a strong contributor in points, made threes and assists, by rookie standards.