Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young etches his name in history

Great things were expected of the fifth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Just three games in, Trae Young has already made history with the Atlanta Hawks.

The Atlanta Hawks‘ fifth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft has had a tough start to his season, but found a recipe for success against the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday evening.

In the third game of his NBA career, Trae Young showed why the Hawks had invested him, hitting 13 of his 23 field goal attempts, including six 3-pointers, for 35 points. With the ball in his hands, Young also dished out 11 assists, becoming just the 12th rookie in NBA history with at least 35 points and 10 assists in a game.

With this game, Young showed why comparisons to Stephen Curry may not be exaggerated. His six treys in the game were the third-most by a player with at least 35 points and 10 assists. Young joined an elite club that not only included Curry (who did this twice as a rookie), but LeBron James and Hall-of-Famers Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson and Michael Jordan (who did this four times).

Trae Young also became one of the few players in NBA history to achieve this feat before turning 21 years old.

Young also made his way into the Hawks’ team history books. It has been 13 years since the team has had a rookie player score 30 or more points in a game, going back to Salim Stoudamire in 2005. It has been an even longer drought though since a rookie for the Hawks has posted 35 points:

That rookie for the Hawks in 1974-75 was John Drew, and he hit the 35-point mark on four different occasions.

The one statistical category that may not be talked about much among those who have posted a 35 and 10 game as a rookie is turnovers. We don’t have data for turnovers beyond the 1983-84 season, but in the 11 recorded 35-10 games since that season, Trae Young is the only player with just one turnover. Michael Jordan had only two turnovers in his fourth 35 and 10 game during the 1984-84 season, as did James and Curry (in his second 35 and 10 game).

Young’s stellar performance has also marked a historic start to the rookie’s season.

Three games in, Trae Young is making the Hawks look good for trading back for him over Luka Doncic. From a scoring standpoint, his game 35 and 10 game is even in a rarer crowd as a rookie.

Only two other players in the last 35 years have had a 35-point performance within their first three games as a rookie. The other two happen to be legends Shaquille O’Neal and of course the GOAT, Michael Jordan.

Trae Young has found himself in good company right away. If he continues to knock down triples and find the open guys as he has, he has the chance to continue making the record books in his rookie season.