When the Atlanta Hawks traded the rights to international sensation Luka Doncic to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Oklahoma point guard Trae Young on draft night in 2018, there were tons of skeptics that believed Dallas had gotten the better end of the deal.
While Doncic's star continued to rise leading up to the draft, Young's Oklahoma Sooners had a cataclysmic collapse that nearly resulted in them missing the NCAA Tournament, where they would lose in the first round anyway.
Their stock had been going in different directions leading up to the draft, and that continued to be the case after Young suffered a brutal November where he shot just over 35 percent from the field and below 20 percent from beyond the arc.
However, Young steadied the ship, and over the last three months of the season he was arguably one of the best offensive point guards in the entire league, posing a legitimate challenge to Doncic for the Rookie of the Year award.
Young averaged at least 23 points, nine assists and four rebounds in both February and March, leading all rookies with 10 of the highest assist performances and scoring 49 points in a victory over the Bulls in March.
The sensational performances Young put up alongside fellow youngster John Collins has Atlanta feeling very good about the future of the organization. And after the Mavericks' top-five protected pick fell out of that range in the Lottery, the Hawks now have two picks in the top ten.
Still, if Young hopes to lead the Hawks back to the postseason, he needs to make some improvements to his game as he looks to join the elite tier of point guards.
Here are three areas Young should try to improve in this offseason.
3. Perimeter shooting
Young finished the year shooting 32 percent from beyond the arc, but that number is somewhat deceiving. For example, he shot under 20 percent from deep in November but also shot close to 44 percent in February.
It is hard to say that someone must work on their “consistency” because that is more of an intangible, but Young could use repetitions this offseason in just getting shots up and taking a number of jumpers every day.
Young is excellent in getting into the lane and making plays off the dribble. He established a particular effectiveness working with Collins in the pick-and-roll.
But imagine if he fulfilled some of the promise he showed in college as a sharpshooter and a bomber. This is part of why Damian Lillard has continued to improve as a scorer: he has extended his range and makes opponents guard him beyond the three-point line.
Even if Young can improve his percentage by around five points, he will not only become a more dangerous scorer but also open up the floor for him to slash and make plays for the rest of his teammates, an area where he obviously excels.
2. Strength
For as small as he is (just 181 pounds), it is pretty amazing that Young can finish at the rim. That said, he could stand to put on some added muscle.
The league at large is getting stronger and faster by the day, and the point guard position is no exception. For every Young and Kemba Walker, there is a Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul, two bigger guards that use their strength and physicality to thrive.
Not that Young will rely on his physicality, he is more about shiftiness and agility. But he is also hardly a sharpshooter like Steph Curry, and if he wants to continue to play in the paint then he would stand to benefit from getting stronger.
In reality, Young needs to get stronger and be more conditioned for defensive purposes. He was one of the worst defensive point guards in the league last year, and frequently struggled to fight through screens and get into other guards with his body.
Speaking of which…
1. Defense
Not only did Young struggle to defend in the pick-and-roll or chase shooters around screens, but his footwork was also very subpar.
There were too many occasions where Young's eyes were too connected to the ball handler, and as a result he would totally lose track of the man he was guarding.
Of course, the Hawks were one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA as a whole. Collins has the athleticism and imposing will to make plays on the interior, but they lack defensive playmakers on the perimeter.
Young averaged less than a steal per game, which is below average for a point guard. Given his reflexes and quickness, he should certainly be able to notch more pilfers next season with improved footwork and strength.
If Young can become an adequate defender and improve his IQ, he may actually have some more energy conserved to be a better and more efficient offensive player later in games.
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