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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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Final Thoughts

Most fans figured that it would take some time for Young to adjust to the professional game; there’s a big difference between feasting on the likes of West Virginia and taking on some of the best athletes in the world on a nearly nightly basis.

With that in mind, Young has more or less played up to expectations through the first three months of his pro career. Sure, it looks disappointing if you thought he would burst into the league as a Steph Curry clone, but even members of Curry’s own gene pool have failed to live up to those standards.

Keep in mind that even Kevin Durant struggled as a rookie before developing into one of the best players of his generation — he only made 28.8 percent of his threes with the then-Seattle Supersonics in 2007-08 — so Young could conceivably make a similar jump next year.

Young’s development hinges heavily on his shooting percentages improving, which he has done as he has gotten acclimated to the speed of the NBA. But if he can’t creep those rates up to even league average, teams will give him all the space in the world to shoot. It won’t be as bad as, say Ben Simmons, but it’s worth being concerned about, at least in the short-term.

Additionally, Young stagnating on offense would make his poor defense harder to ignore. Optimally, Atlanta would like to eventually find some switchable 3-and-D wings to make it easier to hide Young on that end, but if they can’t and if the shooting doesn’t get better, the Hawks may ultimately regret trading away Doncic to get Young.

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Of course, it’s too early to dissect if the Hawks or the Dallas Mavericks won that swap. The Mavs have their budding star and while Young still has plenty of room to grow, he has shown more than enough to suggest that he will play a huge role in the Hawks’ future.

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