Hoops Habit
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NBA: 4 players whose talent is being wasted right now

By Luke Duffy

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 05: DeMar DeRozan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs dribbles in front of Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on April 05, 2019 in Washington, DC. 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 Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 05: DeMar DeRozan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs dribbles in front of Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on April 05, 2019 in Washington, DC. 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 Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Hawks
NBA (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /

4. Trae Young

This is not meant as a slight at all, because the fact Trae Young makes this list after only a season-and-a-half in the league tells you all you need to know about how good he already is. He is part of an Atlanta Hawks team that is clearly rebuilding and putting the pieces together so that they can hopefully approach contender status in the next three to five years.

Young has been so good so soon however, that his own personal development has accelerated past that of the Hawks as an organization. This isn’t a problem, Young is only 21, has no reason at all to be agitated by where the team is right now and will still be on his rookie deal for some time yet.

But he’s also already been named an All-Star and was averaging a ridiculous 29.6 points per game before the season came to a halt. So while his star figures to shine bright for a long time to come, right now he is playing for a Hawks outfit that is only going to be seen if you tune in to League Pass to check them out.

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https://twitter.com/TheTraeYoung/status/1247634187001245696

Young’s offensive game demands a large platform, his ability to shoot from anywhere and how he “Panna’s” other players to the point they complain about it is the kind of play that is hugely attractive to watch. It is just a shame that Atlanta isn’t the biggest market (although it has typically captured the imagination when they’ve had a good team), and the Hawks right now are not good.

Even watching Young try and improve defensively, while scorching opponents, is worth tuning in for. He’s not very good on that end right now, and that’s putting it nicely, although his slender frame doesn’t help him. But he is a star who is going to be overlooked for some time yet until the franchise improves, which is a shame considering how good he already is.