The NBA season is still a ways off, but it’s never a bad time to start thinking about how things might play out during the 2024-25 campaign. The offseason is at its quietest point, and it’s unlikely at this point that any big moves will be made with just two months to go until the season begins.
When you take a look at the likely MVP candidates for the upcoming season, you’re likely to see a lot of familiar names. Can Nikola Jokic win his fourth MVP award? Can Luka Doncic finally win an MVP award? What about players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, or Jalen Brunson? All of these guys should be in the running, but could there be an unlikely candidate? Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz wrote about some unlikely candidates for the upcoming season and mentioned Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young as a possibility:
“The three-time All-Star averaged 28.4 points per game and was named to the All-NBA Third Team the year before the Hawks acquired Murray. There’s no reason to believe Young won’t once again be among the league’s leading scorers.
Young and Murray were the only two Hawks to average at least 17 points per game last season. The team got younger by trading Murray for Dyson Daniels and selecting 19-year-old Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick.
For Atlanta to have a chance to win most nights, Young will need to be under more offensive pressure, both as a scorer and as a creator. Of course, the team’s success could hurt his MVP chances.
Coming off a 36-win season, the Hawks don’t look much better on paper after trading their second-best player for Daniels, Larry Nance Jr. and draft picks. Risacher won’t have the impact a No. 1 pick typically has, and there’s plenty of unproven talent on the roster overall. If Young gets this team playing .500 basketball, it’ll be a big accomplishment.
Only three players in NBA history have averaged at least 30 points and 10 assists per game: Russell Westbrook, Tiny Archibald and Oscar Robertson. If Young becomes the fourth player this season, it could propel him into the MVP race.
I wrote about why Young It would be a good bet that he would win the MVP award in the near future, and the case is pretty simple. Regardless of your opinion of him, Young is an incredible offensive player, one of the best playmakers and shot creators in the league, and capable of scoring massive points. If Young were to average 30 points per game and 10+ assists per game while shooting efficiently, guiding the Hawks to a top-four or top-five record in the Eastern Conference, and not be a total liability on defense, then he might have a case. It wasn’t covered last season, but Young has made some strides in forcing turnovers, whether it be steals or charges. He’s never going to be a plus player on that front, but he may be better than his reputation suggests.
Young will have the ball in his hands a lot more often with Dejounte Murray gone and that will give him more chances to put up big numbers and maybe win games. I don’t think Young will be a legitimate MVP contender, but it’s not the craziest idea either.
