Trae Young is still overlooked by NBA Execs despite crushing all expectations

Trae Young is, and always has been, a better player than LaMelo Ball.

By no means is the goal to diminish Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball’s meteoric rise to the league. Already one of the best passers in basketball and a deadly shooting threat with defensive upside, Ball is going to be an All-Star for a long time in this league. With that being said, he isn’t and never has been a better player than Trae Young.

Ball had an impressive second season, reaching All-Star status at 20 points, 7.6 assists and 6.7 rebounds per game on a 51.7% effective field goal rate. By Young’s second season, he was a 30-point, nine-assist-per-night level player with roughly the same EFG percentage on greater volume. Young’s on/off differential has been +5.8 points per 100 possessions over the last three seasons while Ball’s Hornets were only 1.7 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor.

Numbers can serve as evidence, but the story is told on the court, where Trae Young is a transcendent and masterful orchestrator who makes his offense sing. Manipulative as a ball-handler, Young commands tremendous scoring gravity with his deep range and savvy slashing ability. Simply put, he gets buckets from everywhere on the floor despite being the focal point of opponents’ defensive gameplan. To this point in his career, Ball hasn’t reached those heights.

What sets Trae Young apart, not just from Ball, but from all his competition, is his work ethic. To be a skinny, 6-foot-1 guard and perennially contend for All-NBA selections is a testament to the countless hours that he puts in to be the best at his craft. From his high school days to Oklahoma, and now in the NBA, Young’s desire to master his craft is well documented.

So go ahead and keep undervaluing Trae Young — it’ll only fuel him to be even greater.