Trae Young leads the NCAA in points and assists and is a hot topic of discussion in NBA circles. With his skills, he reminds a little of Stephen Curry and has climbed to the top 10 in various mock drafts, but his deficits are also obvious. However, one thing is clear: his strong performance was not to be expected.
In the ESPN database, which provided college fresheners before the season, it took a long time to scroll down to find Young. The Point Guard was ranked 23rd, before it caused a sensation at the Oklahoma Sooners. Whether he would ever develop NBA potential was openly questioned – his stature seemed to be too slight and fragile.
In the meantime, completely different sounds are being played everywhere, not least by the superstars of the NBA – or THE superstar. Recently, LeBron James was asked if it would be right for Young to spend a second year at college:”That’s not a question,”he shook his head and said,”It’s like waking up in the morning or brushing your teeth, that’s not a decision to think about. He should be pro!”
A great expression of respect, but it is not for nothing. As in high school (42.6 points last year!), Young dispelled all doubts and dominated his first college season – in a way that is almost unprecedented.
Young is unstoppable in attack since the beginning of the season. Just a glance at his statistics summarizes his offensive firepower: with 28.0 points and 9.0 assists he leads the league in both categories. To date, only Dick Groat has been able to do this for Duke in the 1951/52 season, who later became famous in the MLB and in 1960 MVP of the National League.
He generates his strong numbers mainly through his greatest strength: the litter. Young always has his finger on the trigger from the centre line onwards and has already shot a few threesomes of the logo through the reuse this season. Accordingly, he often exerts pressure from downtown: Young takes over 53 percent of his throws from the perimeter, a total of dizzying 10.2 attempts per game (at a rate of 36.8 percent).
Its volume is based on the diversity of its degrees. It not only hits from the catch-and-shoot, but can also pull the trigger from the dribble. Young takes many of his threesomes at least from NBA distance and not only from the shorter NCAA three-line.
His second great strength is his good eye for the other players, which is especially apparent in pick-and-roll games. While Young often makes bad decisions and takes early throws from the parking deck in the semi-open field, he uses his fellow players wisely in the pick-and-roll.
However, he also tends to play too risky passes and plays and throws a total of 5.3 times per game the ball away. But: If help comes to the basket during the move, Young regularly finds the free man on the three-line.
Young also serves the Big Men with praise and prelude into the zone. With his arsenal, he turned the Oklahoma Sooners into one of the best offenses of the league in the first few weeks, even though his support cast is below average.
Oklahoma’s dependency on Young is reflected in his usage rate, which is 37.4 percent. Especially for Young personally, the step into the NBA will change a lot. The Freshman could also be convinced by coach Lon Kruger of the Sooners because, in the absence of alternatives, he was able to put the whole offense in his hands. In the NBA, on the other hand, he would have to queue up for most teams first.
Oklahoma’s dependence also has negative aspects, however, which have been particularly evident in recent games. After an extremely hot start, the Sooners have lost seven of their last eight games and could even miss the March-Madness tournament, not least because Young has lost a bit of his touch (19/76 threesomes).
Young recently explained these problems to himself:”I’m being defended harder and better scouted than any other player in this country. It’s much more difficult for me than it was at the beginning of the season:” The big media attention is obviously doing the rest of it, Young now has a target on his back. However, he still seems to be nervous and hits almost automatically (52/55 freebies) from the free-throw line.
Nevertheless, Young has problems without his litter because of physical deficits. He is only 1.88 meters tall and his wingspan is just as “long”. His appearance doesn’t allow a good defender to solidify at college, but due to his lack of physical fitness (81 kg) and strength, he also has difficulty making contact. This is all the more likely to be his downfall in the NBA.
Similar doubts once again accompanied the player with whom Young is most often compared today: Stephen Curry. Quite a few experts doubted that Curry would be able to transfer his offensive dominance to the NBA, which has become absurd in the meantime.
The two-time MVP himself has made a very positive statement about his “Double” Young:”He always seems to know what he is doing with the ball in his hands. He throws many deep threesomes and plays very creatively. It’s fun watching him,”Curry told ESPN.
The question is of course justified as to whether it is good for such a young player to be compared with such a highly decorated player as Curry. Especially since it should not be allowed to hide the amount of work he still has to do – not in order to get to currys, but to get to an NBA level in the first place. Apart from the physical, he must also become defensively stronger as a matter of urgency, especially since he plays there with the Sooners from time to time listlessly.
Chris Paul of the Houston Rockets warned Young in a conversation with Bleacher Report not to pay too much attention to the hype and adulation of other players:”If you play in the NBA, you’re not allowed to be a fan. The players who now tweeted about him will want to kick his ass.”
The implication behind this is clear: to be dissatisfied, to continue working. Young has already achieved quite a lot within a very short time – for example, Young is now ranked 7th in ESPN’s latest Mock Draft. Incidentally, a certain Wardell Stephen Curry II was also drafted at this position in 2009.