The Case for being extremely patient with Trae Young's development

[steady]

Not to say Trae is going to be Steph Curry because I don’t think describing him like that makes sense. But just to give an idea of how TYs SL numbers are nothing to be alarmed about

Curry - 5 games in Las Vegas SL. FG% 32.5. 3 PT% 34.5 Assists 4.2. Pts 17.4. (So it seems Curry’s inside game was not that developed yet either. )

TYoung - 4 games in Las Vegas SL. FG% 38. 3 PT% 38.7. (12 of 31 shots). Assists 6.8. Points 17. (This is including the game he left early )

Even if you include the awful games from Utah SL where the conditions are known to be horrible for shooters - bad sight lines and hard hoops — his FG% was only slightly worse than Curry : Curry 32.5 and TY 30.3. Points Curry 17.4 and TY 15.1.

It is his 3PT% that was much worse than Curry’s at 27.3 if you take Utah into account
but even including Utah he did manage 5.7 assists per game (versus Curry’s 4.2) and his TOs were similar to Curry’s at 3.6 versus 3.7.

[Jamaaliver]

Read on Twitter

I’m of two minds about this one. On one hand, yes, Trae Young should absolutely begin the season as the starting point guard because, well, the Hawks aren’t exactly looking to win games and there’s no reason not to throw Young in right away.

On the other hand, it might be better to bring him off of the bench as to ease him in and build his confidence against second units and maybe by December or January insert him into the starting lineup. We (collectively) saw how Young struggled at times in Summer League and in one sense you want him to learn from his mistakes and struggles but on the other hand you don’t want to see him struggle… It’s a hard one, but from a confidence and ‘adapting the the NBA’ perspective, I lean (very slightly) towards bringing Young off of the bench but wouldn’t waste too much time inserting him into the starting lineup.

[steady]

Another reason to bring TY off bench at start of season — assuming Lin is healthy and producing at a close to normal level (which for me is a fairly big if).

.. is that Trae seems to thrive when he is challenged and by just handing him starter spot you give away that positive motivation boost

[kg01]

I think we need to pull another pg body off the scrap heap to eat minutes until we know Lin can hold up for a season. Last thing I want is for a ... Linjury {pause for effect} to force Rayford onto the court for longer than our development schedule dictates.

[macd-gm]

I'll be mainly going to games to watch Trae but even I don't think he should be starting day one. Give him a chance to see how a pro controls a game from the outset.

[Jamaaliver]

The Rookie Curve: Trae Young’s Success Will Depend on Perpetual Motion

Atlanta’s newest star-in-the-making won’t be able to avoid the Steph Curry comparisons, so he might as well lean into it. That means learning how to dominate opponents off the ball. That’s no easy task.

No player at summer league was under a bigger microscope than no. 5 overall pick Trae Young.

[I]n seven games in Utah and Las Vegas, he averaged 15.1 points on 30.3 percent shooting and 5.7 assists a game. Young had the ultimate green light, with the freedom to shoot from any part of the floor at any point in the clock. He has not had a teammate who will push him off the ball the way that Jeremy Lin will this season in Atlanta.

In college, Young had an incredibly high usage rate of 37.1, which would have led the NBA last season; what he didn’t have was another playmaker on his team. Oklahoma gave its freshman point guard complete control of the offense, a role which allowed him to lead the nation in scoring (27.4 points per game) and assists (8.7). Young’s responsibility will have to decrease at least somewhat at the next level, if only to keep him healthy.

A huge part of Curry’s game in the NBA is playing off the ball, something Young rarely did in college. According to the tracking numbers at Synergy Sports, 23.1 percent of Curry’s offensive possessions in Golden State last season came when he ran around screens off the ball or got to the rim on a cut. Young, in contrast, used only 3.7 percent of his possessions on those plays in college and 4.9 percent in summer league.

New Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce will have several different options for his starting lineup. He could start Lin and Young in a small backcourt or start a more traditional lineup and bring one of them off the bench. No matter who starts, the two point guards will likely stagger minutes so that one is always in, the same way Houston does with James Harden and Chris Paul.

Young will get the opportunity to dominate the ball when he’s playing without Lin. His performance in those minutes could end up looking similar to what happened in summer league, when he struggled at times to create good looks off the dribble and settled for almost impossible shots against longer and more athletic defenders with a hand in his face. The biggest positive Young showed over the past month was his passing, which has always been the most underrated part of his game


No matter how well Young plays as a rookie, though, he’s likely to take a backseat to Lin when the two are in together, if for no other reason than that he needs experience in that type of role. Moving without the ball in the NBA, where bigger and stronger defenders grab and hold as much as they can get away with, isn’t easy. When Young didn’t have the ball this summer, he mostly stood in one spot and caught his breath. When he did try to move, he had trouble getting open.

The Ringer

[ChokeFasncists]

One reason I think he should come off the bench at the beginning is that he's relatively small in this league, his body isn't ready (apparently was worn down last season in college?) it'd be a high injury risk if he plays too much against competition that's too good too soon with too much pressure.

Fingers crossed, no Linjury!

[Jamaaliver]

This is a savvy response which says nothing while indicating he hasn't already abdicated the starting spot to Lin just yet.

Nice.

Read on Twitter

[Roy Tarpley]

^ It's the smart answer. Ultimately, both Lin and Young are going to get 20+ minutes, and then it'll become apparent which person should be starting. Also, Lin's health may play a role. If he's not fully recovered, it may make sense to start him off the bench. No hurry to make a decision. Everything will be clear by early October.

[Jamaaliver]

Will Trae Young Get Shorted in This Year’s Draft?

Size matters more than ever in today’s switch-everything NBA, which could affect where point guards like Young get selected on draft day


Mismatches get exploited regardless of the size or position of the defender, but in a league that switches everything against the pick-and-roll, smaller guards are more vulnerable than ever. Which brings us to a 2018 NBA draft class. There are four point guards likely to be drafted in the middle of this year’s first round:

• Trae Young, 19.7 years old, Oklahoma
  
• Collin Sexton, 19.4 years old, Alabama
  
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 19.9 years old, Kentucky
  
• Elie Okobo, 20.6 years old, France

Young is the best offensive player of the bunch; he possesses a rare combination of scoring prowess and passing vision. Young earned Curry comparisons before defenses homed in on him and his shooting percentages fell back down to earth. He also struggles defensively, which is notable considering how much size mattered in the playoffs.

Young is among the smallest of the group at 6-foot-0.5 without shoes, 178 pounds, and a 6-foot-3 wingspan. Young is comparable in size to small starting point guards like Kemba Walker and Darren Collison, or rotation point guards like Shabazz Napier, Joe Young, and Patty Mills. Considering we just witnessed small guards being attacked relentlessly in the playoffs, what does that mean for Young’s NBA upside?

Young is the worst defensive point guard projected to land in the lottery since Trey Burke in 2013. He rarely stays in his stance, struggles to fight over screens, gets bullied on drives and post-ups, and doesn’t cover much ground even when he’s engaged sliding laterally. He’s not a rebounder, either, and he often loses focus off-ball. Even if Young reaches his defense upside, opponents will still try to feast on him.

The common counterargument to acquiring a limited defender is that he can be hidden when surrounded by better athletes. Defense will be a tall task for Young in the NBA.

The big question when projecting his future: At what level does Young need to perform offensively to make his bad defense worth it? And is there a situation that can provide him the opportunity to reach that level?

The odds are it’ll be a steep learning curve for Young, as it is for most point guards; 24 is the average age active point guards are named to their first All-NBA team.

The Ringer -- Predraft

Spoiler:

Young’s destiny is unknown. I would bet strongly against him being a complete bust; he’s unafraid and capable of jacking up shots from deep off the catch, off screens, and off the dribble. And he’s a wonderful passer, too. Had his teammates actually hit shots, he’d have averaged even more than 8.7 assists.

But Young had a far longer leash in college than he’ll have maybe ever in the NBA, which helped boost his scoring numbers to the top of the college leaderboard. His flaws were also on full display. Young is a subpar athlete who struggles to finish around the rim and frequently gets his shot blocked or altered. That’s not all that different than Curry’s predraft scouting report, but Curry became an elite finisher by mastering creative touch finishes off the glass. Young can do that too, but there are no guarantees considering he’s smaller and not quite as athletic as Curry.

Young’s decision-making as a passer and shooter were issues in high school and college. He attempts too many risky passes that he has no business even trying; he averaged 5.2 turnovers with the Sooners.

I recently spoke to an executive about Young, and he summed up the debate in simple terms: If you don’t believe point guard defense matters, then pick Young. If you do believe point guard defense matters, then don’t pick Young.

[Jamaaliver]

Why Trae Young will and won’t be successful as a rookie

Some people think Trae Young is the next coming of Steph Curry and some think he’ll be a bust. I’m here to make the case for both.




Why Trae Young Could Struggle This Year

While it is well known that Young led the NCAA in points and assists, he also led the nation in another category: turnovers. He coupled 8.2 assists with 5.2 turnovers per game. The Sooners lost 11 of its final 15 games. Young’s numbers fell across the board in conference play, slashing just .393/.326/.863 against the Sooners more quality opponents. The biggest knock (other than turnovers) on Young’s offensive game, was that he didn’t shoot the ball at great percentages when it really mattered.

While the NBA Summer League is far from the final measuring stick for NBA prospects, it isn’t exactly encouraging that Young shot just 23.1 percent from the field and 12.5 percent from three in Utah, particularly as a guy who comes in to the league as a “shooter.” Young also averaged 3.6 turnovers across three games in Salt Lake City (before improving in Vegas) and posted a -56 plus/minus. Again, this is all to be taken with the saltiest grains of salt. If anything, it adds even more intrigue for the regular season. Young was playing against far lesser talent in the summer league than what he will see in the NBA, but he was also playing with lesser players.

Peachtree Hoops

[ChokeFasncists]

Why Trae Young will and won’t be successful as a rookie

Some people think Trae Young is the next coming of Steph Curry and some think he’ll be a bust. I’m here to make the case for both.




Why Trae Young Could Struggle This Year

While it is well known that Young led the NCAA in points and assists, he also led the nation in another category: turnovers. He coupled 8.2 assists with 5.2 turnovers per game. The Sooners lost 11 of its final 15 games. Young’s numbers fell across the board in conference play, slashing just .393/.326/.863 against the Sooners more quality opponents. The biggest knock (other than turnovers) on Young’s offensive game, was that he didn’t shoot the ball at great percentages when it really mattered.

While the NBA Summer League is far from the final measuring stick for NBA prospects, it isn’t exactly encouraging that Young shot just 23.1 percent from the field and 12.5 percent from three in Utah, particularly as a guy who comes in to the league as a “shooter.” Young also averaged 3.6 turnovers across three games in Salt Lake City (before improving in Vegas) and posted a -56 plus/minus. Again, this is all to be taken with the saltiest grains of salt. If anything, it adds even more intrigue for the regular season. Young was playing against far lesser talent in the summer league than what he will see in the NBA, but he was also playing with lesser players.

Peachtree Hoops

With monumental question marks hanging over TraeLin, it'd be one of the most intriguing pre-seasons ever.

[Jamaaliver]

The Sporting News

[Jamaaliver]

Young wants to break Curry's single-game threes record

Trae Young has drawn comparisons to Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry and for good reason.

The Atlanta Hawks rookie thrives on taking shots from beyond the arc and Young has his eye on something that Curry has accomplished during his NBA career. In a recent interview with Aaron Dodson of The Undefeated, Young revealed that he wants to break Curry's single-game threes record and believes that it's something that he's capable of accomplishing.



"I would like to break it," Young said. "I definitely feel like I'm capable of breaking it. But that's a lot of threes in a game. I ain't gonna lie."



In a 116-106 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Nov. 7, 2016, Curry knocked down 13 threes throughout the game. The Warriors star guard connected on 16 of his 26 field goal attempts, including a 13-of-17 shooting performance from long-range.

That is certainly a lofty goal for Young considering that he yet to take the court in an NBA regular season game. Young is certainly confident to say the least this early in his NBA career. While he only knocked down double-digit threes in one game as a freshman, the potential is definitely there with the abundance of shots that Young takes from deep. While shooting for the stars in terms of Curry's record is quite ambitious. it's clear that the young guard wants to be in the conversation of greatness.

24/7 Sports

[macd-gm]

Well considering he hit 10 in a college game, I don't think 13 is out of the question.

[jayu70]

If it comes within the natural flow, that's Ok - if he's gorcing the issue yrying to do that....no, no, no.

[macd-gm]

Overall Trae shot 36% from 3. In games where he had 10 or more 3 point attempts he shot 39%. For the most part he let it fly when he knew he was hot. Obviously there are exceptions.

[ChokeFasncists]

Long road ahead, he'll have plenty of opportunities if he plays well in general.

[Jamaaliver]

Deservedly so, Young will be the focus of fans and everyone who is interested in watching the fifth overall pick perform in a professional setting. It is important to note that the Hawks are not placing any pressure on Young to match his performance to his hype coming into his rookie season.

“We’ve seen already [in Summer League], Trae has one bad game he’s a bust, then he hits seven threes and all of sudden he’s an All-Star,” Schlenk said while addressing the crowd during the Hawks’ season preview celebration. “It took Steph Curry, when I was with Golden State, three years. It was the fourth year that he started to put it together. Every night you’re going against a different style of player [and] you’re learning the league.”

The only thing that may be consistent about Young’s season is that it will change constantly. The real test will be how he responds to those changes. In his lone year at Oklahoma, Young shot 40 percent or better for the first three months of the season. During the latter part of the year, as teams looked to defend him in different ways, his three-point shooting dipped drastically over the last two months of the year.

Young is likely to encounter a similar shift in the NBA, but on a more elevated level, especially in the event Young can get a good feel for his offense early and gets in a comfortable groove. Young noted that he is ready for those types of challenges and that his experience at Oklahoma helped to prepare him for the extra attention during his pre-draft workout in Atlanta.

“I think for [Young] it’s just to see the growth and how to handle situations,” Schlenk told reporters. “Starting to learn how the game is officiated, starting to learn how different teams play defense, starting to read situations quickly before they develop. He’s got a great knack for that already, but it’s going to be at a different pace and getting used to the pace of the game.”



One thing that Young showed at Oklahoma, and during his struggles in Summer league, was that his passing is so developed that he can lean on making plays for his team when the defense loads up on him. Schlenk, on draft night, following the trade with the Dallas Mavericks, lauded Young’s playmaking calling he and Maverick Luka Doncic the “two best playmakers in the draft.”

Young led the nation in assists in his one year at Oklahoma, and that was one of the determining factors in the Hawks decision to make the draft night deal to acquire the electric point guard.

“Obviously [Young] gets a lot of notoriety for his long-range shooting, but I think his ability to pass the ball is what we really liked about him,” Schlenk said of Young on draft night.

Defpen

[ChokeFasncists]

“It took Steph Curry, when I was with Golden State, three years. It was the fourth year that he started to put it together."

Even then, he did average 17.5/6 as a rookie. He also played 3 years of college ball tho.