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Atlanta Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce has some high praise for Trae Young, telling reporters that the rookie point guard is the team's Kyrie Irving.
Lloyd Pierce, in his first season as the man in charge of the Hawks, was asked how he would defend Trae Young if he was an opposing coach. The first-year coach said he would utilize a tactic teams use against Irving.
Pierce said if he was scheming to defend Trae Young, he would use an aggressive approach with respect to traps/blitzes.
“He’s our Kyrie.”
— Kevin Chouinard (@KLChouinard) November 23, 2018
Trae Young is still struggling with his shot this season, but his passing and playmaking have been really good. The 20-year-old is averaging 16.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game while shooting 38.9 percent from the floor, 23.8 percent from beyond the arc and 82.4 percent from the free-throw line.
The University of Oklahoma product is averaging close to four turnovers per game, as teams are using their length to make things difficult for him on the pick-and-roll. However, learning how to decipher different pick-and-roll coverages is something that takes time to learn.
During his rookie season in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kyrie Irving won Rookie of the Year and posted averages of 18.5 points and 5.4 assists. Irving came into the league as a more gifted scorer and finisher around the rim, while Young's passing ability is what separates him from a lot of young guards.