Thunderous Intentions
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NBA Draft: The enigma Trae Young – deciphering guard’s superstar potential

By Tamberlyn Richardson

PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 15: Trae Young #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners drives to the basket against Fatts Russell #2 of the Rhode Island Rams in the second half during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at PPG Paints Arena on March 15, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 15: Trae Young #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners drives to the basket against Fatts Russell #2 of the Rhode Island Rams in the second half during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at PPG Paints Arena on March 15, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) /
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NBA Draft, Trae Young
OAKLAND, CA – MAY 8: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors and Trae Young shake hands before Game Five of the Western Conference Semifinals against the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 8, 2018 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California.  (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Skills:

There is much to like about Trae Young in terms of his potential. The Curry comparison has merit if for no other reason than Young’s range. But, there are other tangible areas of their games which bear resemblance.

Especially notable is his ball handling skills. Although not as astute as Curry, Young is a quality ball distributor with surprisingly good court vision given his height. Additionally, Young demonstrated adeptness at passing with either hand.

Several pundits cite Trae Young’s advanced pick and roll decision making. What this speaks to is Young’s high basketball I.Q. which most definitely will be necessary at the pro level especially since he’ll be tasked with running an offense and dealing with larger defenders.

Yet, the major asset of Trae Young is his ability to score and do so virtually from any where past half court. And, because of defenders needing to respect his shooting efficiency it also opens lanes for him to drive with a view to scoring or creating for teammates.

Finally, Young is comfortable taking clutch time shots and more accurately invites those opportunities.

Weaknesses:

Clearly Trae Young’s size is going to be the biggest question as he meets with prospective teams. And, not just in terms of his overall height, but his weight, strength and meager 6’3″ wingspan. After setting records early in the NCAA season Young regressed to close out the College year.

His perimeter shot took the biggest hit in efficiency. Through the first 16 games he connected on 68 of 167 triple attempts for 40 percent. In the second half these numbers fell off with Young hitting 50 of his 161 attempts for 31 percent.

Granted, teams were better prepared to force his shot or run him off the perimeter. Plus he’ll need to deal with much taller guards at the pro level and not turn over the ball in those situations.

As he moves into the pro level Young must add strength and combine it with his ability to change speed. Young’s capacity to master this area will play a major part in how successful he is at the pro level. If he adapts, it will force defenders to respect his drive or ability to set up teammates. If not, it will stifle his new team’s offense.

The obvious issue will be Young’s defense. Can he add enough strength and intelligence to not completely erase the benefits he’ll add offensively?

Ultimately, channeling Curry may well be Young’s best bet since his physical limitations won’t change other than adding strength.

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