Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young has been named a starter for the Eastern Conference in the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 16 as the capstone of NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago. His inclusion among the starting five makes him the first Hawks player since center Dikembe Mutombo to earn a start in the All-Star Game.

Even with the Hawks owning an 11-34 record entering play Thursday, Young's inclusion among the starting group seemed like a logical choice due to the workload that he has had on a nightly basis. In the 40 games that he has appeared, Trae Young is averaging 29.2 points, 8.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds per contest. In addition, he is knocking down an average of 3.5 threes per game, which has helped spur his scoring average to the third-best mark in the league.

For all of the flack that the Atlanta front office has received in the wake of the Draft night deal in 2018 that brought Trae Young aboard at the expense of dealing Luka Doncic to Dallas, there is another dimension to this story.

Trae Young has blossomed into a star in his own right. His staggering range from beyond the arc has made him a must-watch commodity on a nightly basis, and alongside John Collins, he has established a clear one-two punch for the franchise moving forward.

Mutombo was a four-time All-Star during his four and a half seasons spent with the Hawks organization. Should Trae Young continue upon the trajectory that he is currently following, he likely has a handful more of All-Star appearances — and starts — in his future.

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