Report: Lloyd Pierce had lost Trae Young’s support

Trae Young is very much the future for the Atlanta Hawks, and it sounds like he may have had a role in the team’s decision to fire coach Lloyd Pierce.

Chris Kirschner, Sam Amick, and David Aldridge of The Athletic reported on Tuesday that Pierce had lost the support of Young, among other players. The report states that Pierce and Young had “a difficult dynamic.” Pierce had allegedly taken a “tough love approach” with Young from Day One, which Young often pushed back against. The report adds that the two clashed on a number of issues, including Young’s shot selection and Pierce’s late-game decisions. Player support behind Pierce otherwise had also supposedly been dwindling towards the end with the Pierce-Young relationship said to be “a tone-setter of sorts” for the entire group.

Pierce departs from his post with a 63-120 record (.344) and zero playoff appearances in two-and-a-half seasons. Assistant Nate McMillan, who has 16 years of head coaching experience, will be Atlanta’s new interim coach.

The firing of Pierce may not fix all that ails the 14-20 Hawks however. Young has also had tensions flare up this season with some of his own teammates.