Trae Young’s been playing way better to start the year than I anticipated. I’ve said this before. He just doesn’t have the look of a player who can come in and, if not dominate, at least be competent right away. Only problem is, he’s not making any threes.
That’s the whole reason I watch Hawks games. To see Young pull up from a gajillion feet away and plop a three in the net. Tonight, he was 0 for 7, bringing him below 30 percent for the season. I would suggest that he try and get more catch and shoots, something a little easier, but that’s not going to happen. The Hawks aren’t nearly competent enough for that. If he wants to take threes, those tough ones are the ones he has to take. Put him on the Warriors and see how things go.
Good news is that apparently Cody Zeller literally cannot do a single thing to stop him. I’m not about to rewatch the video to check, but it felt like 100 percent of Young’s points came when Zeller was switched on to him. There’s only one Zeller left in the NBA, though, and the Hawks don’t face him every game. A new strategy will be needed. Midrange? I’m still salty that Stephen Curry almost abandoned that part of his game; maybe Young can reinvigorate the art?