There are different things that a player wants. They all want to win a championship but one thing that Atlanta Hawks superstar Trae Young wants is some simple respect. Apart from being named to the All-Star team just prior to the COVID hiatus, there has been little but criticism come his way.
For so many years Young has been told that he is too small, that he is not a top-level player due to not defending, that he is a foul-baiter. All of this has added fuel to his internal fire which drives him each and every day to be the best version of himself that he can possibly be.
Just this offseason Young was desperate to represent his country. Given that he had just led his team to a surprise Eastern Conference Finals berth, getting just two games from the NBA finals, he should have been in the squad ahead of players like Keldon Johnson and JaVale McGee.
The Atlanta Hawks will be hoping that 2021-22 will see the end of the Trae Young snubs.
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The NBA may finally be recognizing the brilliance that is Young. They have rewarded the Hawks with their first Christmas Day game since 1989 and this is largely thanks to the play of Young. He is exciting to watch and the NBA has given Young a massive stage on this day.
The problem is that Young was snubbed from the All-Star team last season. He had the chance to play in his home city but NBA fans, then the media and coaches did not see him worthy of the honor. He was only named player of the week once last season, just prior to the playoffs.
Now, NBA 2K have released their ratings and they have Young at 87, which given the way he is playing is not showing enough respect. This is a similar level to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and Tobias Harris. He is also lower than Klay Thompson who has not played in two seasons.
This just shows that the perception of Young, while it will change as he continues to lead the team to playoff success, is still that he is not good enough. This has led to him not making the All-NBA teams despite finishing second in assists per game for the last two seasons and also being one of the most dynamic scorers over the same time.
For Young, it would certainly be financially beneficial to make an All-NBA team because his bonus will kick in. However, that is certainly not the main motivation for Young to be named for this honor. He just wants some respect, which he has more than earned.