Trae Young has never lacked self-confidence.
Young appeared on the “Million Dollar Worth of Game” podcast and said some intelligent and thoughtful things… but of course, that’s not going to be the headline. He also said this (hat tip Hoopshype):
“I used to have this saying: I hate when I see guys that are tall, and that’s all. You know what I’m saying? They’re just tall, and that’s it. They can finish, they can do some stuff, but if I was 6’8″, I feel like I would be the best player to ever play this game just because of my mentality and the smartness I have on this game. I feel like there’s a lot I can bring, but there are a lot of deficiencies because I’m 6’1″, 6’2″. It’s tough, and I’m playing in a big man’s game, you know what I’m saying? But I make it work.”
Young is a three-time All-Star, an elite scorer and passer entering his prime, around whom Atlanta management has struggled to build a winner. How much of that failure to win is on Young is the question. When the Hawks looked to trade him or Dejonte Murray this summer, there was a much stronger market and a better return for Murray. Teams did not show much interest in an undersized point guard who has to have the ball in his hands to be effective and is a liability on defense. There are questions around the league about if anyone could build a contender around Young (even though the Hawks reached the Eastern Conference Finals with him).
Talking hoop beyond himself, Young said the only person stopping Kevin Durant is Kevin Durant — Young feels the same way about his game — and also talked about the hardest guards to cover in the league, but he had a hard time keeping that list short.
“There’s a lot of great guards in the league right now. I mean, it’s not just one guy. They all bring something different, so I don’t think it’s just one guy. If I had to pick the top five hardest guards to guard, I’d say KD, Dame, Steph, Kyrie, Shai — outside of myself. I mean, I’m in that category if I don’t count myself. Those five are really good guards. I mean, Luka’s in there too. It’s a different guard every night, you know what I’m saying? Even if you think of the worst team, the Pistons, they’ve got Cade Cunningham. He ain’t no slouch. You know what I’m saying? It’s tough every night.”
One of Young’s interesting comments was that he believed NIL money could hurt some players development because they chase the most money over the best situation.
“I feel like now kids are going to choose the money instead of what school fits them best to ultimately help them achieve their dream of getting into the NBA. The coaches are probably running down what they can do for them on the court and all these things, but then at the end of the conversations, they probably ask, ‘Hey, so what’s the money part? What’s the real thing?’ Kids just don’t understand that if you sacrifice the mindset of wanting to get money now and make sure you’re locked into your craft, the money will come, and it will flow in even more later on.”
The money is flowing for Young, he’s entering the third year of his five-year max contract, but the pressure is on him. After this season Young will be extension eligible, and whether the Hawks want to extend him at the max — or any other number — could depend not only on the numbers he puts up this season but how much he elevates the Hawks. Can they win with him? And where does No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher — who has a lot of development to do to live up to his potential — fit in?
It’s going to be an interesting season in Atlanta.
