Alright Hawks Fans, Let’s Get Excited About Trae Young

Alright, now that the dust has settled and we have all taken a deep breath, it is time to get excited about the future of this iteration of the Atlanta Hawks as a basketball team and, in particular, it’s time to get excited about the team’s electrifying new point guard: Trae Young.

Travis Schlenk and the Atlanta Hawks organization did everything they could to keep their draft plans secret up until the pick was made, but it seems as if they knew who they wanted the entire time.

The Hawks got their guy with the 5th overall pick in Trae Young after drafting Luka Doncic at number 3 and swapping picks with the Dallas Mavericks for their number 5 pick and their first round pick next year (top 5 protected).

A lot of fans (including myself) were disappointed in passing on Doncic, but if Trae Young pans out to become a successful NBA point guard and the Hawks land two (potentially three) lottery picks next year they easily won this trade no matter what Doncic does for the Mavs.

The sharpshooting, play-making, electrifying player that led the NCAA in both assists and points his freshman season at the University of Oklahoma comes to Atlanta determined to make a difference. He is a guy that genuinely seems excited to be a part of the Atlanta Hawks and is ready to prove all of his doubters wrong.

https://twitter.com/TheTraeYoung/status/1010177714370818049

And he isn’t the only one excited that he landed in a Hawks uniform — Quavo of Migos (who might’ve swayed Schlenk’s opinion) was elated:

While Trae Young may not ever live up to the Stephen Curry comparisons, he has the same kind of impact when he steps on the court and crosses half court with his jumper cocked and ready to fire at any time. People tune in to see him play whether they are fans or haters. Numerous NBA stars showed praise for the new face of the Hawks including LeBron James and even Steph Curry himself. Atlanta finally has someone that can fill the seats.

When it comes to lottery picks, there is no such thing as a guarantee and there will always be question marks surrounding them. For some reason, everyone has decided to focus much more on Young’s than they have on the other guys that went in the top side of this draft. So we are going to shed a positive light on what this guy brings to the table, and why the Hawks bet their future on his unique skill set.

While some believe that Young is a “volume” shooter and only averaged so many points because of the amount of shots he took, when you look at his numbers he was actually a pretty efficient scorer.

He shot 42% from the field and 36% on 10 three point attempts, averaging 27.4 points, 8.7 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game. While the three-point percentage leaves something to be desired, it is very encouraging as his shot selection will only get better as he matures as a basketball player.

Schlenk pointed out Young’s ability to pass the ball after the pick was announced and the trade was made. Passing should be much easier for him in the NBA, where the floor will be more spread out, and he will be surrounded by better talent on his own team.

If you watched any Oklahoma basketball games last season, you could see that there was not too much talent surrounding Young on the court, which made it much easier for teams to solely hone in on Young and try to take him away, which makes his almost 28 PPG average even more impressive.

His ability to space the floor, knock down open jumpers, and pass the ball to open teammates will make him valuable even if he doesn’t live up to the hype. If he does live up to expectations or exceed them he will become the superstar Atlanta has been starving for. His game perfectly fits the modern-day NBA and he has only scratched the surface of his potential.

Sure he’s a little undersized, but so is Dennis Schroder, Young actually is a bit bigger according to his draft profile. There will be growing pains for sure, but the early stages of a rebuild process is the perfect time for him to go through the trials and tribulations of the NBA. In the end, if you have the ability to lead the nation in both points and assists at the highest collegiate level, you’ve obviously got copious amounts of game.

While still a top 5 pick, Trae Young still gives off that “underdog” vibe. He is a guy that the city and its fans need to wholeheartedly embrace and get behind because they have no other choice. He is here, he is ready to work, and I personally am ready to see what he’s got. The national spotlight will finally give Atlanta some attention, and Philips Arena will truly go back to being the “highlight factory” it was dubbed years ago.

Next: Warriors of the East? Thoughts on Hawks 2018 NBA Draft

So hop on the bandwagon, add that number 11 jersey to your closet, and enjoy the show.