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NBA: Would you rather build around Trae Young or Ja Morant?

By Luke Duffy

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 02: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks drives against Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies in the first half at State Farm Arena on March 02, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 02: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks drives against Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies in the first half at State Farm Arena on March 02, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Hawks
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Trae Young

The case to pick Young is a strong one, yet because of the Doncic connection and the way he plays the game, some people remain in denial about how good he already is. Yes if you gave 100 people a choice between Young or Doncic, more than half would pick Doncic, and rightly so. But what Young has done, in only his second season in the league, is superb.

He was an All-Star this year at only 21, and those who think that this year’s selection of players was weaker than in previous seasons are wrong. Not only that, but up until the season had to be suspended, Young was averaging a ridiculous 29.6 points and 9.3 assists per game. The was he scores is akin to a video game.

Young at this early stage of his career looks like Stephen Curry 2.0, having the same range but also a playmaking ability that could already be considered elite. Any time you’re being compared favorably to Curry you are doing well, but given that Curry has a career average of 6.6 assists per game (highest in a single season is 8.5 in 2014), Young will likely go on to be better in that area.

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Curry changed the game with his shooting, and there were always going to be those who came after him who imitated him. That Young is doing this so well, at such a young age and being even slighter in frame is hugely impressive. You can easily build a team around his skill set, which the Hawks are trying to do right now because the way he plays will remain relevant for a long time.

The drawbacks are obvious, however, and that is that Young is one of the worst defenders in the league. Then again if you’re putting the ball through opponent’s legs so often that they’re asking you to stop, then you are making such a difference on the offensive end that he can be forgiven for this. Still, if the Hawks want to win big, they need to ensure they have high-level defensive players around him.

This current season may never be completed, but if it is then Young is in the conversation to make an All-NBA team (even if it would likely be Third-Team). To be doing that, putting up essentially 30 a game, be an All-Star and the foundational piece of an exciting young team is hugely impressive, making Young a hard player to bet against when talking about guys to build around.