Trae Young
Pro comparison
Combination of Steve Nash and Stephen Curry
NBA projection
All-Star
Measurements
6'2" 180 lbs 6'4" wingspan 19 years old
Combination of Steve Nash and Stephen Curry
NBA projection
All-Star
Measurements
6'2" 180 lbs 6'4" wingspan 19 years old
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Strengths
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Weaknesses
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Write Up
Trae Young exploded on the draft scene and shot up boards due to his record setting scoring and passing. He's the first freshman to lead the NCAA in both points and assists per game. Young is a special prospect offensively and there aren't a lot of things he can't do on that side of the ball. He showcased his scoring instincts by averaging 27.4 pts per game on a variety of shots (pull-ups, runners, 3 pt attempts, etc.). His greatest skill is his shooting ability, he shot 36% on a whopping 10.3 attempts per game (he had the green light at Oklahoma), he can shoot it from virtually anywhere on the court and isn't afraid to do so. This kind of shooting ability creates an immense amount of gravity on the court, which frequently opened up shots and driving lanes for his teammates. While Young is a great shooter, he may be an equally great passer as he possesses exceptional court vision and has the touch/accuracy to set up players for easy buckets (averaged 8.7 assists). Young doesn't get much credit for being high level athlete, and he's not in terms of explosiveness/burst, but he is deceptively quick and extremely crafty which allows him to seemingly blow past defenders at times. His hyper quick release also requires him to create less space which tends to negate his lack of elite level athleticism. Lastly, he does a good job of using hesitation moves and fakes to get to his spots on the court and draw fouls (shot 8.6 FT's per game).
Young, however, is a fairly polarizing prospect and has some weaknesses that could cause him to slide in the draft. He is a smaller player, he's listed at 6'2" and 180 lbs (might be a bit generous) and doesn't have the frame to add a large amount of muscle. His lack of size mostly limits him defensively, but does hurt his offensive versatility if he's not paired with a larger playmaker. His lack of strength also allows larger defenders to stay in front of him and steer him around the court. While Young showed the ability to get wherever he wanted on the court in college, it's questionable if he has the athletic tools to do so as freely in the NBA. He's not overly quick/explosive and may struggle to get past athletic defenders and finish in the paint. With how high of a usage rate Young posted this past season (37.1%), it's not surprising to expect a decent amount of turnovers, but 5.2 turnovers per game is more than you'd like to see. He's a special passer, but he does tend to gamble or commit careless turnovers at times. Defensively, Young projects to struggle in the NBA and will need to make up for his lack of physical tools with increased effort/care factor. He has occasionally shown the ability to be disruptive defensively, but needs to do it more often. Overall, Young is a special player/talent and is perhaps the toughest player to defend in the draft as he's dangerous from 50+ feet. He has some fairly dramatic weaknesses, but is capable of unlocking a teams offense like few others in this class.
Trae Young exploded on the draft scene and shot up boards due to his record setting scoring and passing. He's the first freshman to lead the NCAA in both points and assists per game. Young is a special prospect offensively and there aren't a lot of things he can't do on that side of the ball. He showcased his scoring instincts by averaging 27.4 pts per game on a variety of shots (pull-ups, runners, 3 pt attempts, etc.). His greatest skill is his shooting ability, he shot 36% on a whopping 10.3 attempts per game (he had the green light at Oklahoma), he can shoot it from virtually anywhere on the court and isn't afraid to do so. This kind of shooting ability creates an immense amount of gravity on the court, which frequently opened up shots and driving lanes for his teammates. While Young is a great shooter, he may be an equally great passer as he possesses exceptional court vision and has the touch/accuracy to set up players for easy buckets (averaged 8.7 assists). Young doesn't get much credit for being high level athlete, and he's not in terms of explosiveness/burst, but he is deceptively quick and extremely crafty which allows him to seemingly blow past defenders at times. His hyper quick release also requires him to create less space which tends to negate his lack of elite level athleticism. Lastly, he does a good job of using hesitation moves and fakes to get to his spots on the court and draw fouls (shot 8.6 FT's per game).
Young, however, is a fairly polarizing prospect and has some weaknesses that could cause him to slide in the draft. He is a smaller player, he's listed at 6'2" and 180 lbs (might be a bit generous) and doesn't have the frame to add a large amount of muscle. His lack of size mostly limits him defensively, but does hurt his offensive versatility if he's not paired with a larger playmaker. His lack of strength also allows larger defenders to stay in front of him and steer him around the court. While Young showed the ability to get wherever he wanted on the court in college, it's questionable if he has the athletic tools to do so as freely in the NBA. He's not overly quick/explosive and may struggle to get past athletic defenders and finish in the paint. With how high of a usage rate Young posted this past season (37.1%), it's not surprising to expect a decent amount of turnovers, but 5.2 turnovers per game is more than you'd like to see. He's a special passer, but he does tend to gamble or commit careless turnovers at times. Defensively, Young projects to struggle in the NBA and will need to make up for his lack of physical tools with increased effort/care factor. He has occasionally shown the ability to be disruptive defensively, but needs to do it more often. Overall, Young is a special player/talent and is perhaps the toughest player to defend in the draft as he's dangerous from 50+ feet. He has some fairly dramatic weaknesses, but is capable of unlocking a teams offense like few others in this class.