Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young ranked second-best player under 25

The Atlanta Hawks had literally spent years trying to solve the point guard position. Mike Bibby, Jeff Teague, Acie Law, and Dennis Schroder are just some of the recent names to try and fall shy. But they made a trade in 2018 — that might go down among the most balanced in sports history — to finally solve the problem.

Trading Luka Doncic for Trae Young on draft night got the Hawks front office panned. Not because they didn’t think Young was talented. But because many assumed that Doncic was that much better.

Fast forward three years and that entire line of thinking may need to be re-examined.

Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young beat out Tatum, Williamson among top-10 under 25

In an article for CBS Sports, Brad Botkin takes a look around the league and gave his take on who the best young players under 25 were in the NBA. Doncic indeed sits at the top where Botkin provides a compelling case. But he is the only player to rank above Young; something the author even offers is open for debate.

"“Only a player as great as Young can make you at least question whether the Atlanta Hawks actually won a trade in which they gave up the aforementioned Doncic. Remember, the Hawks also got Cam Reddish out of that deal. If he blossoms, this will be a difficult trade to evaluate down the road, the rare win-win in such a high-profile swap, as Young has already established himself as a point guard not too far from Doncic’s equal.”"

Young averaged 25.3 points and 9.4 assists in the regular season and 28.8 points with 9.5 assists in a record-setting postseason. Botkin does lament the electric guard’s deep-range prowess, but conceded numbers don’t tell the entire story.

It’s the second such list Young has inevitably shown up in recently. The best point made in this one is about Young leading the Hawks to the Eastern Conference Finals. This after adjusting his own playing style to better suit his teammates.

"“Bottom line, Young is a winner. His defense, at least with Atlanta’s current parts supporting him, isn’t nearly as detrimental as many presumed it would be in a playoff setting… But even if Young can be exploited more than he was in last year’s playoffs depending on the matchup, his offense is so great that I’m still putting him No. 2 on this list. “"

John Collins also earns an honorable mention. He’s coming off of a season that saw him put up numbers only matched by Kevin Durant.

It’s at least one more bit of praise for the leader of a team that surprised many in and around the NBA last season. That won’t be the case next season. But, at least for Botkin, the Hawks are better positioned than most to make the necessary progress.