Atlanta Hawks: 5 reasons to be excited for 2018-19 NBA season

5. Trae Young

Trae Young projects to be a dynamic scorer and a excellent shooter, though many people worry that his game will not translate to the NBA. If his NBA Summer League play is any indication, he will struggle to adapt at the beginning, but given time, he should become a solid contributor at the professional level.

One thing that will initially hold Young back will be his defensive abilities. He is relatively small for NBA standards (6’2″, 180 pounds). Something that new head coach Lloyd Pierce should look into is how head coach Brad Stevens was able to use Isaiah Thomas effectively in the Boston Celtics’ defensive schemes by essentially hiding him.

Stevens was successfully able to maximize Thomas’ time on the floor so that he could ultimately be a positive presence.

As long as Trae Young can become proficient enough in the paint and mid-range, then he can manipulate defenses however he wants. In doing this, Young also would force the defense to respect his driving ability, which would give him room to get his quick shot release off.

Young will be an exciting player to watch this season as he makes a push for Rookie of the Year honors.