Oh Atlanta Hawks, how you guys have fallen from grace. Imagine if you would’ve kept Luka Doncic on NBA Draft night a few years ago. The franchise would surely be heading in a different direction and here we are, at a crossroads addressing a basketball player in Trae Young who has ALWAYS been immature.
Let’s trace it back to his days at Oklahoma. If you look at his brash bravado, his “me” mentality, shooting long distance shots to wow a bunch of 20 somethings in the crowd, that was his ammo. All eyes on me and that’s how it’s been all the way into the NBA. He’s been the guy who loves cameras being on him. He surely shows up in big moments from time to time and his memorable shooting night at Madison Square Garden is his shining moment in the league so far.
It’s not that Trae Young is selfish, he just has an ego, a big one. He likes to do things ‘his way.’ While that worked under his college coach Lon Kruger, the NBA game is totally different. When you had a coach in Nate McMillan who was a former NBA player and a point guard at that and you can’t work together, something is wrong. It’s not like Nate McMillan is a bad coach, his way of coaching is different from others.
Trae Young’s big ego doesn’t bode well in a league that has many great players and superstars. It’s about winning and the Hawks haven’t done much of it since Coach McMillan was let go of his coaching duties.
Trae expects favoritism and not having to do certain things. The only thing is, he hasn’t earned that yet. Sadly, he had Vince Carter to learn from as he was one of the faces of the league two decades ago and didn’t take advantage of it. He had a vet at his disposal to learn about being a star in this league, learning how to be a professional and be a leader. Let’s also be mindful that he has Atlanta Hawks great Dominique Wilkins at his disposal as Dominique is an analyst for Hawks games.
There’s no doubt, he’s a talented basketball player and he likes to play the villain in opposing arenas across America from college to now the NBA. His shooting spree through the Big XII in college got him drafted in the top 10. He’s a solid passer and can see the court and get his teammates involved when need be. Trae has a nice pick and roll game with power forward John Collins and center Clint Capela.
Here’s the reality, Trae Young is not a leader. He’s also not a Batman of a team. He’s more of a Robin who can play off of someone else’s talents and abilities. Where the Atlanta Hawks went wrong was not only firing head coaches Lloyd Pierce and Nate McMillan, but also giving Trae Young $205 million dollars.
You can talk to all of the coaches, scouts and teammates you want before drafting someone, it’s more of seeing people and how they operate from day to day. From the moment you drafted this 19 year old kid, you should’ve been watching his behavior, how he leads (if he ever has), that’s what should’ve been done.
Now, the Atlanta Hawks have a watchful eye on a basketball player who can only carry a team through his shooting and nothing else. Some players can’t handle the fame, the accolades and the comparisons. It’s now time to say that Trae is NOT the next Stephen Curry.
While Trae can shoot from long distances and knock down threes, Stephen Curry is more than that. He’s a proven leader, he can give guidance to new players, he’s a proven winner (4 NBA championships), and he continually pushes the NBA forward. Trae Young is not someone you can count on other than hitting a big shot in the waning moments of a game.
Is it time for the Atlanta Hawks to fully move on from Trae Young? He’s now on the trading block as per reports recently. At this point, it's time for the Hawks to start over. They’ve already traded Kevin Huerter to Sacramento (he’s in the NBA Playoffs this year), traded Cam Reddish (who will become a solid player under Coach Chauncey Billups in Portland) and they’ve been trying to move John Collins for the past two seasons.
Trae Young was the one the Atlanta Hawks should’ve been focused on moving all along. With $205 million dollars to sell to a team, two head coaches gone, how many teams are willing to take a chance on an immature, overrated, shooting guard who can make plays that the majority of point guards can in the league, shoot a better percentage and help their teams win along the way.
When your peers vote you as the most overrated player in the league, your double double average doesn’t mean much, your character does…
