I was thinking to myself, how often do 30/10 games happen in the NBA? Not very often, right? The vast majority of players in the NBA would be overjoyed to hit either one of those statistical marks, never mind both of them at the same frickin’ time. Keep in mind that I’m not talking about literal 30/10 games (of which there have been two others this season). I’m talking about games that are at least that good.
It turns out that there are 54 such performances this season, and when you add the two that have happened tonight (at the time of this writing, it’s Young and Reggie Jackson), you get 56. That makes Trae Young’s game look worse in comparison, although it’s obviously still great for a rookie, and it looks better still when you realize that James Harden by himself accounts for, like, one fourth of all 30/10 games this season.
If Young had played as well in the beginning of the season as he has this past month or so, the ROTY of the year race would be seriously competetive right now. But there was that stretch where he just really royally sucked bigtime wiener, and you can’t just throw that out like it didn’t happen. So no ROTY of the year for him. Sorry man, maybe next year.
Oh wait.