Trae Young
Of course, no Atlanta Hawks player had a bigger game than Trae Young. Though we’re split on what his best nickname is, there’s no question that Young certainly looked the part of a budding superstar against the Cavs on Sunday evening.
Young was carving up a lackluster defensive team in the Cavs. He thoroughly outplayed Collin Sexton, who was only taken 3 spots later in the draft than Ice Trae, and he outplayed any and every player that attempted to guard him.
His three-point shot was falling from all over the court, and it was nice to see him hit triples in both catch-and-shoot and off-the-dribble scenarios. After watching Young intently over the preseason and in his first three games, it seems that his three-point shot goes in far more often when he is able to firmly plant both feet and then take the shot with the ball is in his shooting pocket.
Sometimes when Young takes an off-the-dribble triple his shot’s wind-up takes too long and the timing is off on his jump. Though his shooting is still solid thus far in his three-game career (39.3 percent on 28 total attempts from long distance), that’s something to keep an eye on going forward.
Still though, to see Ice Trae lead the Hawks to a mammoth victory over the defending Eastern Conference champions (technically) with his shooting and passing would make any Hawks fan’s heart swell with pride and add to the excitement of this young team’s future.