When the Atlanta Hawks traded back in the 2018 NBA draft to secure the services of Trae Young they knew that they were getting an offensive genius. What they could not have known was just how much of a genius they were getting.
Everything that he does on the offensive end is focused on making the game easier the longer it goes on. He will drive in for a floater on one possession, and if he makes it he may do it again on the next possession or he will lob it to one of his big men for the score. He is one of the best at getting an assist in the restricted area. The next time down he will kick it to the open man from in the corner for another shot.
He also seems to jack up some unadvised 3-point shots, in an effort to keep his defender guessing. This is why it is so hard to stop Young, he is always doing what he can to create doubt in the mind of the defender. However, the reason it is successful is that Young can do things that other players cannot – with regularity.
The Atlanta Hawks have the best super long-range snipers in history.
Young sits atop the list of the most 3-point attempts in the NBA from 30 feet and beyond. There are not a huge group of players who are on this list, but, this list is a fairly exclusive one. It includes LeBron James, Donovan Mitchell, Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, and Damian Lillard who have taken less than 50 of their attempts in their career.
The players who have attempted between 50 and 100 are Jordan Poole, LaMelo Ball, and Luka Doncic. Stephen Curry has attempted140 in his career but by the far, the most prolific is Young who has attempted 207 from beyond 30 feet in his career.
Of the players listed, only James and Poole have a better percentage of attempts made from this distance than Young. James has made 35.5 percent of his 31 attempts from beyond 30 feet, and Poole has made 33.3 percent of his 51 attempts. Young has made 29.5 of these shots which means that he is a genuine threat from this distance.
The fact that he needs to be defended the instant that he crosses the timeline. This, with the addition of another quality playmaker like Murray, is going to free up so much space on the court. This offense, once they figure it all out, is going to be incredible this season. It all starts with Young doing everything he can to make like difficult on the defense.