Continuing our top 25 list is Trae Young. The ultra-talented yet often controversial Atlanta Hawks guard. Young’s statistical production and elite skill set are undeniable. However, Young’s style of play isn’t for everyone and there are a lot of questions surrounding the 24-year-old. Regardless, Young is an intriguing and entertaining player with the potential to rise the rankings even more.
Top 25 NBA players 2023-24: No 24 Trae Young
Trae Young’s biggest strength: A shooting and playmaking threat
In his five years in the league, Trae Young has had elite production and is a dangerous offensive threat. Young is a gifted scorer he has averaged at least 25 points in his past 4 seasons. He is best known as an elite shooter with unlimited range however he is also a good finisher and isolation scorer. Trae pairs his shooting ability with great passing vision and playmaking abilities. The elite combination of shooting and playmaking is perfect for a modern point guard. While Young has proven he is an elite scorer who can lead a high-powered offense developing as an off-ball player and defender would evaluate Young’s spot in the ranking. Although Young is a gifted offensive talent he needs to become more comfortable playing off the ball this would help Atlanta’s offense and Young’s overall impact.
Season recap
Last year was a rocky season for Young. While Young’s production and numbers were still elite. Young’s reputation took a hit in the minds of many. This was the first year of the backcourt pairing of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, the duo yielded mixed results. For the majority of the season, Atlanta held a .500 record ultimately finishing 41-41 and 7th in the conference losing to the Celtics in the first round. The backcourt duo has a lot of upside and showed some great moments during the season.
However, the fit is somewhat questionable and the two guards had trouble sharing offensive responsibility leading to awkward offense at times. Due to mid-season struggles as well as apparent tension between Young and Head Coach Nate McMillan, McMillian was fired in February. Shortly after Quin Snyder was hired as the new Head Coach. Snyder’s offensive is more movement-based both on and off the ball which evaluates the backcourt duo. This potential was shown in the first round against the Celtics where Atlanta was able to steal two games. A full season of Snyder and another season of the backcourt duo could lead to better results.
Season outlook
The pressure is on Young to adapt his game this year. Throughout his career, Young has been an ultra-productive player but needs to improve his off-ball play. This could evaluate both Young’s play and the backcourt pairing with Murray. The Hawks didn’t have any major improvement this off-season however they took the philosophy of less is more. Trading John Collins to the Jazz was their only notable move. The Hawks still have an extremely solid roster around Young and another season with Murray along with a full season with Snyder will benefit Atlanta.
This could lead to the Hawks jumping into the top five in the East. However for this to happen Young needs to change his playstyle while continuing to produce at an elite level. In the middle of last season, there was a flurry of trade rumors surrounding Young. If Young doesn’t make these adjustments and the Hawks disappoint there’s a chance these trade rumors pick back up.
The Last Word
Young is one of the most divisive players in the league. Many people believe he is an ultra-talented guard whose offensive talent and production make him a top-15 level player. However just as many people believe Young is an overrated ball-stopper who will never have true team success. Ultimately whatever side of the argument you’re on it’s fair to say this year will help solidify Young’s ranking.
