Trae Young

[J_T]

What's type exactly? For me type is about style of play. I don't care about style of play. I am talking about level of play. If you are also talking about the level of play, then you are basically saying that Trae Young should be drafted before Luka Doncic. We would have to agree to disagree on that one.

I think that Young should be drafted before Doncic. He is a better player now and will be a better player in the future.

I want to agree with it, but i'm still hesitant. He is special though.

I have my doubts with Doncic that's for sure.

You are actually doubting that Doncic is the better player RIGHT NOW? Forget the future, you are doubting that he is better player than Young at the moment?

[Alatan]

What's type exactly? For me type is about style of play. I don't care about style of play. I am talking about level of play. If you are also talking about the level of play, then you are basically saying that Trae Young should be drafted before Luka Doncic. We would have to agree to disagree on that one.

I think that Young should be drafted before Doncic. He is a better player now and will be a better player in the future.

I want to agree with it, but i'm still hesitant. He is special though.

I have my doubts with Doncic that's for sure.

Doncic is an ok player but i dont see elite talents and i see weaknesses. Young has weaknesses but has elite skills that could make him a top tier player.

[blazeyo]

I think that Young should be drafted before Doncic. He is a better player now and will be a better player in the future.

I want to agree with it, but i'm still hesitant. He is special though.

I have my doubts with Doncic that's for sure.

You are actually doubting that Doncic is the better player RIGHT NOW? Forget the future, you are doubting that he is better player than Young at the moment?

In the NBA. Short and Long term.

I don't know who's better because NCAA can not be compared to Euroleague and vice versa.

[doordoor123]

Which part? That it's more probable for him to bust than to become Steph Curry or that Trump signs an executive order praising him as the best shooter in the country?

Let's just say he has more chance of becoming a Curry type player than Doncic becoming a Harden type player.

What's type exactly? For me type is about style of play. I don't care about style of play. I am talking about level of play. If you are also talking about the level of play, then you are basically saying that Trae Young should be drafted before Luka Doncic. We would have to agree to disagree on that one.

I don’t really agree with Atalan or you on Doncic, but Young has the style of play for the NBA and the level. He doesn’t have the defense, but there are a good amount of starting point guards that aren’t defenders. I’m not saying he will be special too, but he’s a really good player. If a player can ball, a player can ball. He isn’t Jimmer Fredette at all. In this era it’s not easy to get another Jimmer since we look at more at physical ability and other traits that separate players, like doing the little things. Back then everyone only looked at scoring numbers.

There is no way he busts, even if he might have an underwhelming first two years or so (like most rookies). He’s an NBA player that can read and react, has a great feel for the game and can shoot with distance.

[clyde21]

So...we're looking at this guy as a top 5 pick now?

[UcanUwill]

I am just an ''youtube scout'', but this guy looks ridiculously good. I honestly like him more than Ayton from what I saw.

[Duke4life831]

So...we're looking at this guy as a top 5 pick now?

The kid has been great. But I think people have to remember that we are talking about a kid with major physical question marks dominating out of conference play. Im not trying to take away anything he has done, he has been great. Ive always thought that he would be a really good college player, but hes faced one ranked team and its not like Wichita State is loaded with NBA potential.

I think many of us that have followed college basketball for long enough have been burned on buying the hype from performances during out of conference play before. Im very curious how his stats are going to look during conference play and even then I think hes going to have major question marks with his size/athleticism and shot selection when it comes to how his game is going to transfer over to the pros. With that said, the dude has been a blast to watch so far this season.

[Mulhollanddrive]

Is his size that much of a question mark for his offensive game? You can find smaller PGs who have done what Young has done for a longer stretch at NBA:

Allen Iverson averaged 33 points (111 O-Rating) over 82 games.
Isaiah Thomas averaged 28 points (122 O-Rating) over 76 games.
Kemba Walker averaged 23 points (113 O-Rating) over 80 games.
Aaron Brooks averaged 21 points (110 O-Rating) over 50 games.

And historically John Stockton, Kevin Johnson, Tim Hardaway.

[prime1time]

Let's just say he has more chance of becoming a Curry type player than Doncic becoming a Harden type player.

What's type exactly? For me type is about style of play. I don't care about style of play. I am talking about level of play. If you are also talking about the level of play, then you are basically saying that Trae Young should be drafted before Luka Doncic. We would have to agree to disagree on that one.

I don’t really agree with Atalan or you on Doncic, but Young has the style of play for the NBA and the level. He doesn’t have the defense, but there are a good amount of starting point guards that aren’t defenders. I’m not saying he will be special too, but he’s a really good player. If a player can ball, a player can ball. He isn’t Jimmer Fredette at all. In this era it’s not easy to get another Jimmer since we look at more at physical ability and other traits that separate players, like doing the little things. Back then everyone only looked at scoring numbers.

There is no way he busts, even if he might have an underwhelming first two years or so (like most rookies). He’s an NBA player that can read and react, has a great feel for the game and can shoot with distance.

They might lose some games, and he might have some bad shooting nights but conference play will change nothing. I don't care what level of basketball it is, any player that can knock down jumpers and have good handles is going to dominate offensively. Players will play him for the shot and he will continue to make them look silly. But above and beyond that the dudes a great passer. Unsurprisingly, everything with him is interrelated. So his great ball handling allows him to squeeze through tight spaces and probe the defense all the while keeping his head up and looking for open teammates. Do you know how hard that is to do? This will translate into conference play and it will translate into the NBA. And his defensive decencies are over blown. At any given time, almost every team has one-dimensional spot up three point shooters on the floor. Just put Trae on them. It's what the Warriors do with Steph all the time. Trae is an elite talent, and anyone who has the chance to draft but doesn't will regret it unless they draft a great player. It is not a stretch to say that he is the most skilled 19 year old player I have ever seen. Heck, dude is more skilled than some all-star pg's...

[blazeyo]

What's type exactly? For me type is about style of play. I don't care about style of play. I am talking about level of play. If you are also talking about the level of play, then you are basically saying that Trae Young should be drafted before Luka Doncic. We would have to agree to disagree on that one.

I don’t really agree with Atalan or you on Doncic, but Young has the style of play for the NBA and the level. He doesn’t have the defense, but there are a good amount of starting point guards that aren’t defenders. I’m not saying he will be special too, but he’s a really good player. If a player can ball, a player can ball. He isn’t Jimmer Fredette at all. In this era it’s not easy to get another Jimmer since we look at more at physical ability and other traits that separate players, like doing the little things. Back then everyone only looked at scoring numbers.

There is no way he busts, even if he might have an underwhelming first two years or so (like most rookies). He’s an NBA player that can read and react, has a great feel for the game and can shoot with distance.

They might lose some games, and he might have some bad shooting nights but conference play will change nothing. I don't care what level of basketball it is, any player that can knock down jumpers and have good handles is going to dominate offensively. Players will play him for the shot and he will continue to make them look silly. But above and beyond that the dudes a great passer. Unsurprisingly, everything with him is interrelated. So his great ball handling allows him to squeeze through tight spaces and probe the defense all the while keeping his head up and looking for open teammates. Do you know how hard that is to do? This will translate into conference play and it will translate into the NBA. And his defensive decencies are over blown. At any given time, almost every team has one-dimensional spot up three point shooters on the floor. Just put Trae on them. It's what the Warriors do with Steph all the time. Trae is an elite talent, and anyone who has the chance to draft but doesn't will regret it unless they draft a great player. It is not a stretch to say that he is the most skilled 19 year old player I have ever seen. Heck, dude is more skilled than some all-star pg's...

That's true.

People have a recency bias and are afraid to nominate guys so early because of past failures of similar players and because the NBA has such a high bust rate...

But is he really similar to the likes of Burke, Jimmer, etc? I don't think so.

This player is just so talented and really has no holes in his game as far as offensive production goes. People are questioning his finishing ability at the next level.. but Young to me looks like a player that is very adjustable, and if he has problems finishing at the rim, he is for sure going to develop an elite floater to counter that... whether it's instant or takes a year or two, he is going to have that in the NBA because of his elite touch and absurd skill level.

It's funny that we are questioning a player with such skill... it just shows you how crazy hard it is to be successful in the NBA and how much better and demanding the NBA is today compared to the past.

This guy would have been a top shelf HOF in the 80's/90's no question asked.

[The-Power]

The kid has been great. But I think people have to remember that we are talking about a kid with major physical question marks dominating out of conference play. Im not trying to take away anything he has done, he has been great. Ive always thought that he would be a really good college player, but hes faced one ranked team and its not like Wichita State is loaded with NBA potential.

What major physical question marks exactly? I mean yes, he's not big with a relatively small wingspan but his combination of size and speed seem to be fine for a PG with this level of skill.

Yes, he's only faced one ranked team but it's not like he's only beaten up scrubs either. Oregon is a talented team which he completely destroyed, and USC has a couple of potential NBA/G-League players as well (and they have been ranked this season). Not to mention Arkansas. He has produced against every opponent thus far with a consistency that is absolutely rare – conference play or not.

Generally it makes more sense to focus on his skills rather than raw production anyways. He can obviously shoot from deep and his passing skills and court vision are much more advanced than I anticipated – this holds true independent of whom he plays against. He has won me over even though I still recognize the risk with him. The potential, however, is real.

And let's not forget that the rankings of the top-ranked players is heavily influenced by how they looked in HS along with their own non-conference opponents they played against. The exact same passage I quoted above could also be about Bagley and it would be just as true. We have to see how they all adapt to stronger opponents, and ultimately to the NBA. But for now all we can work with are performances against the teams they are scheduled to play, and study their skill-sets and athleticism in those games.

It's totally fair to point out potential issues one sees and doubts one has but we shouldn't just stop ranking players based on our knowledge because we are cautious and skeptical not necessarily about a players' skills but their competition because that's true for all of them. To me, it makes most sense to go by what we know even if it's a major change in perception and, if something doesn't translate as much as expected in games against better opponents, adjust the ranking again. For now I see little reason to believe that Young won't produce against better opponents.

[clyde21]

Just watched the clip of him vs. NW. Wow. Color me impressive.

Great handle, very quick, has good court vision, can make tough passes, can run and shoot from anywhere. I'm a fan. Obvious question marks are defense and off-ball prowess but he's an offensive dynamo.

[blazeyo]

Just watched the clip of him vs. NW. Wow. Color me impressive.

Great handle, very quick, has good court vision, can make tough passes, can run and shoot from anywhere. I'm a fan. Obvious question marks are defense and off-ball prowess but he's an offensive dynamo.

You are not impressive Clyde.

[E-Balla]

Honestly I'm not high on Trade Young but only because he's ugly as hell. In all seriousness dude is a monster. Only Bagley and Doncic are better. I don't care if he's small and unathletic if he can shoot and handle the ball.

[arh1109]

S. Nash

[clyde21]

Just watched the clip of him vs. NW. Wow. Color me impressive.

Great handle, very quick, has good court vision, can make tough passes, can run and shoot from anywhere. I'm a fan. Obvious question marks are defense and off-ball prowess but he's an offensive dynamo.

You are not impressive Clyde.

That's not what my mom told me.

Real talk though, this guy is legit. I haven't seen enough yet to see how he does in terms of team defense, off-ball skills and his ability to facilitate OU's offense, but he's got real skills that you can see right away will translate to the NBA.

[Dr Positivity]

I haven't been able to watch much college basketball this year but this guy's season so far

[SlowPaced]

From what I've seen, he looks far too skilled not to become a very good point guard despite the lack of physical tools. Excellent shooter with range, super crafty, and a creative playmaker. For offense, the size issue is overrated, the league has never been more favorable for undersized guards than it is right now.

He's going to be a liability on defense, but the league does have star point guards who don't play any defense such as Kyrie, Lillard and IT.

[Audi]

Paired with guys like Issac and Gordon to help remedy those defensive liabilities...would be a beautiful fit for Orlando.

[yoyoboy]

I doubt the Nets will be bad enough for us to get him (I think he's going 5 at worst), so I hope he goes to a team like Chicago, Philly, or Atlanta. I just don't want to see him in Orlando, Sacramento, or Charlotte, where they haven't been too successful at player development and imo, don't have as much upside collectively. Young has the ceiling to potentially be the best offensive player in the league. Obviously it's far, far from a given he reaches that though.