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Atlanta Hawks: Evaluating Trae Young’s rookie season so far

By Christopher Jeter

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 31: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks is seen during the game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 31, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 31: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks is seen during the game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 31, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Negatives

Overall, Young hasn’t shot the ball well. In fact, here’s what most of his games have looked like in GIF form. While he has put the ball through the hoop more consistently over the last month — he has a .425/.367/.825 shooting line since Jan. 2 — it has been a struggle all season for the rookie.

Even with his recent uptick in efficiency, Young’s shooting splits sit at .407/.317/.806. This explains why most of Young’s attempts from beyond the arc are either open or wide open looks; even though opposing teams occasionally mark him close, defenders have no problem either ducking under screens when Young has the ball or sagging off of him altogether, essentially giving him an open invitation to uncork a jumper.

Watch how lanky emerging superstar Pascal Siakam covers Young on this pick-and-roll:

Now, Siakam has a 7-foot-3-inch wingspan, so he can hover around the edge of the paint and recover in time to contest most players’ mid-range attempts. But even for players who aren’t a real-life Stretch Armstrong, this is the optimal way to defend Young: clog the paint to take away a layup attempt and force Young to shoot. Given that he only shoots 32.7 percent on pull-ups, 32.7 percent on open threes, and 31.8 percent on wide open threes, this strategy appears to be working.

Despite this and his tendency to give the ball away (only James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Devin Booker have higher turnover per game rates), the offense isn’t the problem with Young. In fact, the Hawks score roughly 4.3 more points per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor.

The defensive end is another story. Atlanta’s defensive rating jumps from 108.4 to 117.7 with Young on the court and it isn’t hard to figure out why. At only 6-foot-2, 180 pounds and without great athleticism, he is usually the guy most teams choose to attack when they’re on offense. Opposing big men can swallow him up on screens, just as Blake Griffin did here:

As of Feb 23, opponents are shooting 47.4 percent when defended by Young, though they only shoot 34.9 percent from 3-point range. Young usually gets into trouble inside — he allows players to shoot 79.4 percent from inside six feet — as opposing teams can exploit his slight build for easy baskets.

Young will probably never develop into an elite defender, and Hawks aren’t exactly the Bad Boy-era Detroit Pistons when it comes to keeping opponents from scoring. But the early returns for Young in that department aren’t looking good so far.

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