Why Atlanta Hawks Point Guard Has Become Underrated

Atlanta Hawks

guard

Trae Young

has averaged 25 or more points and 9 or more assists in each of the past five seasons.

However, among fans, journalists, players and management staff, Young’s reputation has fallen terribly low.

Every year, The Athletic conducts an anonymous survey of NBA players. This year, Young received the award third highest number of votes for the “most overrated player.” In 2023, Young actually received the more votes in the category.

During the off-season, Young was a popular business candidatebut around the league, interest seems limited.

In June, ESPN’s Bobby Marks It has been reported that Young’s commercial value is declining.

In July, ESPN’s Zach Lowe reported that the trading market for Young was “cold as ever.”

Unfortunately, negative stories have been spreading for some time. In 2019-20, Young averaged 29.6 points and 9.3 assists. Subsequently, he became the only player in league history to average 29 or more points and 9 or more assists in a single season and not making an All-NBA team. Additionally, Young was included in only 11 out of 100 ballots in the media.

Last season, Young averaged 26.2 points and 10.2 assists and missed the All-Star team. He made history once again, becoming only the second player in league history average 26 or more points and 10 assists in a single season and be excluded from the All-Star Game.

The only other player was Michael Adams in 1990-91, who played seven fewer games than Young and had an inefficient shooting ratio of 39.4/29.6/87.9. Adams’ Nuggets had the worst record in the NBA. Conversely, Young’s Hawks made the playoffs.

Last season, Young was selected to the All-Star team, but only as a replacement for an injured player.

Is Trae Young a perfect player? No. However, the pendulum has swung too far in the negative direction. As a result, the star point guard has become underrated. Let’s break this down.

Trae Young plays winning basketball

Young’s statistics are not “empty”

The “good stats, bad team” argument has become an increasingly popular one among NBA fans and journalists in recent years. Some players tend to put up traditionally impressive stats, but their teams are consistently bad.

In some cases, advanced statistics even show that the player has very little impact on the team’s success. Does Young fit these criteria? Absolutely not.

Let’s start by taking a look at his on/off statistics Over the years.

Looking back at the 2019-20 NBA season, we can see that the Hawks were actually +9.3 points per 100 possessions better with Young on the court. That efficiency differential ranked in the 93rd percentile, putting him near the top of the league. That positive impact continued over the next three seasons.

Yes, the 2023-24 season stands out. Still, Young played a career-low 54 games due to injuries, and there were obvious chemistry issues on the roster. This turns out to be an exception, not an average.

Over five years, Young’s expected win total is +69. Statistically, he has an impact on winning.

Let’s take a look at this from a more traditional perspective as well.

Young led the Hawks to the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals. During that run, he averaged 28.8 points, 9.5 assists and 1.3 steals. Led by him, the Hawks beat

The New York Knicks

in the first round, then ended the Joel Embiid-Ben Simmons era by beating the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round.

Since 2020, the Hawks have had the 15th best record in the NBA (161-157)They’re right in the middle of the pack. So, led by Young, the Hawks have been competitive.

Additionally, Young hasn’t exactly had a great team around him. During that stretch, the Hawks’ top five scorers were, in order, Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela, Dejounte Murray and De’Andre Hunter.

Murray is the only other All-Star-level player, and he hasn’t meshed well with Young.

Young and Murray are both elite point guards. Relegating either to off-the-ball play severely limits their value. Murray is also a career 34.5 percent three-point shooter, making it even stranger to put him in a perimeter role. Subsequently, Murray posted a negative on/off efficiency differential in each of the last two seasons.

Murray flashed his natural playmaking chops last season while Young was injured and should turn things around in New Orleans.

The ideal star to pair with Young would be an elite big man, one who Young can run with in the pick-and-roll. An elite 3-and-D wing like

Paul George

would also be a great choice.

Young’s traditional statistics are ridiculous

The playmaker is having a historic run

Even Trae Young’s biggest detractors will acknowledge his impressive stats, but let’s put things in perspective. Here’s a list of historic feats the 25-year-old point guard has already accomplished.

• 2nd player in NBA history to lead both points and assists in a single season (2021-22)

• Most consecutive games with 30 or more points and 10 or more assists (7)

• 2nd youngest player in NBA history to record 8,000 points, 3,000 assists, 1,000 rebounds (LeBron James)

• 12th most assists in first six NBA seasons (3,868)

• 8th most three-pointers made in first six NBA seasons (1,059)

• All-time franchise leader in assists, three-pointers and offensive zone plus/minus

Young is playing at a historic level. Sure, the focus will likely continue to be on his flaws, but that shouldn’t overshadow his strengths.

All statistics courtesy of Statmuse, NBA, Cleaning the windowAnd Basketball Reference

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