Are the Hawks and Magic Better Without Their Stars? Let’s Break It Down
Injuries are never ideal, especially when they hit your franchise player. But sometimes, they force teams to rethink their identity - and occasionally, that leads to surprising results. That’s exactly what’s happening right now in Atlanta and Orlando, where both the Hawks and Magic are playing some of their best basketball without their marquee names.
Let’s dive into what’s really going on - not to stir up any “Ewing Theory” debates, but to understand how these teams have adjusted, and what it means moving forward.
Atlanta Hawks: Life Without Trae Young
Trae Young’s absence hasn’t exactly derailed Atlanta. In fact, the Hawks have looked sharper in some areas without their All-Star point guard.
After a 2-3 start with Trae in the lineup, the team has gone 11-6 without him. That’s not a throwaway stat - it’s a sign that something’s clicking.
Let’s talk numbers. With Trae last season, Atlanta’s offense was humming at a 117.4 offensive rating.
Without him this year, that number dips slightly to 116.2 - not a huge drop. But the defense?
That’s where the shift is more noticeable. The Hawks were giving up 116.8 points per 100 possessions with Trae; without him, that number improves to 112.6.
The result is a jump in net rating from +0.6 with Trae to +3.6 without him.
Of course, we can’t ignore the offseason upgrades that have helped bolster this version of the Hawks. But stylistically, the difference is clear: this team looks different without its floor general.
Atlanta has gone from being the 11th most pick-and-roll heavy team last season to 26th this year. That’s a major philosophical shift, and it’s showing up in the way the ball moves.
The Hawks are averaging more passes (297.8 vs. 281.8) and more assists (30.8 vs.
29.6) per game compared to last season. The offense feels more democratic - less dominated by one player pounding the rock, more about quick decisions and shared responsibility.
And it’s working.
Jalen Johnson’s breakout has been a huge part of that. He’s putting up All-NBA caliber numbers - 23 points, 10 boards, and 7 assists on ultra-efficient shooting splits (54/40/78).
His leap has been loud, and deservedly so. But the quieter, arguably more foundational shift has come from Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
NAW isn’t putting up eye-popping assist numbers (under four per game), but his role has been crucial. He’s the one bringing the ball up, initiating sets, and keeping the offense on schedule.
He’s not breaking down defenses like Trae, but that’s not the ask. The Hawks have leaned into off-ball movement and spacing, and NAW has been the connector - not the creator, but the guy who makes sure the creators get the ball in the right spots.
He’s also scoring 20 points per game - nearly double his previous career high - while holding his own defensively. That last part matters. Without Trae on the floor, there’s no obvious weak link for opponents to target on defense, and it’s made Atlanta a more balanced two-way team.
Now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Trae Young is still one of the league’s most dynamic offensive engines.
When defenses tighten up - especially in the playoffs - you need someone who can create something out of nothing. That’s what Trae brings.
The key question is how he fits back into this new-look Hawks offense. If he can adapt by playing more off-ball and picking his spots to take over, Atlanta could have the best of both worlds: a more fluid offense with the ability to lean on Trae’s shot creation when it matters most.
There’s also a bigger picture to consider. With no extension yet in place, Trae’s future in Atlanta is a storyline to watch closely.
The Hawks have the assets to make a blockbuster move - including unprotected 2026 first-round picks from both Milwaukee and New Orleans - and they could be in the mix for a superstar if one becomes available. But any major move likely involves choosing between Trae and Johnson.
That decision won’t come lightly, and how Trae reintegrates into this team could shape the direction of the franchise.
Orlando Magic: Finding the Right Formula With (and Without) Paolo
Orlando’s situation is a little different. Paolo Banchero isn’t on the trade block.
He’s younger, fits the team’s timeline, and is still developing into a star. But even so, the Magic have looked sharp in his absence - going 6-2 without him after a 6-6 start with him in the lineup.
The net rating tells a similar story: +3.2 with Paolo, +4.0 without. Not a huge gap, but enough to raise an eyebrow.
The biggest shift? Desmond Bane’s role.
Without Paolo, Bane’s usage rate jumped from 22.5% to 26.1%, and the results have been impressive. Orlando’s offensive rating climbed from 116.2 to 118.8 in those games, largely because Bane’s ability to shoot and make plays opened up the floor in ways the team hadn’t fully tapped into before.
This isn’t a knock on Paolo - he’s still Orlando’s most potent offensive weapon. But how he’s used is the real issue.
The Magic have looked their most dangerous when Paolo and Bane are working together in two-man actions. The season’s opening play was a perfect example: Paolo sets a screen, Bane draws the defense, and Paolo slips into space for an easy lob.
It’s simple, effective basketball.
Even when Bane doesn’t touch the ball, his gravity changes everything. Just a basic Iverson cut can scramble a defense because of the threat of his shot. That opens up lanes for others, and it’s something Orlando needs to lean into more.
Where things go sideways is when the offense stagnates - and that tends to happen more often when Paolo is on the floor. Not because he’s selfish, but because the team defaults to him too easily.
That leads to too many long twos and isolation sets, which aren’t the most efficient ways to score. Paolo is hitting just 43% of his mid-range shots and 25% from deep, giving him an effective field goal percentage of 49.2% - bottom-tier efficiency for a forward.
Even more concerning is that 40% of his shots are coming from mid-range, a frequency usually reserved for specialists like DeMar DeRozan or Chris Paul.
The bigger problem? Orlando’s offense rarely involves more than two players in any given action.
Whether Paolo is playing or not, the scheme leans heavily on isolations and two-man sets. That’s not enough in today’s NBA, especially with the kind of versatile talent the Magic have.
The offense should be more dynamic - more movement, more options, more creativity.
And that’s where the coaching staff comes in. The pieces are there.
Paolo is still the centerpiece, and Bane has shown he can be the catalyst. But they need to be used together - not in alternating possessions, but in synergy.
That’s how this team reaches its ceiling.
If that doesn’t happen, the questions won’t be about Paolo’s talent - they’ll be about how he’s being used and whether the coaching staff is maximizing what they have.
The Bottom Line
In both Atlanta and Orlando, we’re seeing what happens when teams are forced to adapt. The Hawks have found a more balanced identity without Trae Young, while the Magic have unlocked new dimensions by empowering Desmond Bane. But in both cases, the stars still matter.
The challenge now is reintegration - not just plugging Trae and Paolo back in, but evolving around them. If the Hawks and Magic can strike that balance, they won’t just survive their stars’ absences - they’ll be better for it.