One of the more unique things about Trae Young is not just his scoring ability, but it's his playmaking that sets him apart from other players. Young recently had a career-high 22 assists in their win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but before that, he's been making it his goal to get his teammates involved. He currently leads the league with 12.5 assists per game, and it wouldn't be a surprise if that average got higher as the season went on.
Before their NBA Cup game against the Cavaliers, head coach Quin Snyder spoke about Young's willingness to get his teammates involved more this season, and what's allowing him to get so many assists.
“I think that's where us pushing the ball allows him to pass it. If we get guys that run, he's a willing passer, as we know,” Snyder said. “I think being multi-dimensional, where he's not just playing pick and roll with Clint [Capela] and [Onyeka Okongwu], but he's playing pick and roll with [De’Andre Hunter], [Jalen Johnson], [Dyson Daniels] and those guys.
“The tempo and the pace allow him to be instinctive, and it's been a point of emphasis. It’s something that he's embraced. We want Trae to play pick and roll with Clint and OO. That's a big part of his game and their game. But we don't want to just live and die on one particular concept. Having that variety is something that's helpful to Trae. He's able to impact the game in multiple ways, and sometimes it's something as simple as the hockey assist. He'll see a play ahead and doing that and letting that player make the pass, those are the things that don't necessarily show up.
“I think as much as Trae’s assist numbers are obviously high, if you look at his expected assists, they're even higher. He’s making the right play, and when we make shots and finish those things look even more impressive.”
Though Young can get a shot for himself, he's always been the player that looks for the assist first, and so far it's been helping the Hawks play at a face pace.
Trae Young finding teammates left and right this season
Every since Trae Young has been in the league, he's been able to increase his assist average every year. This year he's currently at 12.5 assists per game, and it's mostly due to the Hawks' pace and the number of players who can knock down shots. Young is good at getting his assists out of the pick-and-roll, but he's been surrounded by shooters who can knock down shots at a solid rate.
There's no doubt that the Hawks are a better team when Young is aggressive and scoring, but when his teammates are hitting the open shots he's getting them by manipulating the opposing team's defense.
Young is currently dealing with a right Achilles injury which may be one of the reasons why he hasn't been so aggressive the past few weeks when it comes to scoring, but as long as he can get his teammates involved, he's still someone that you have to watch out for.
Follow Us
Subscribe
