Trae Young ranked as the fourth-best passer in the NBA during his rookie season, averaging a strong 8.1 assists per game, yet the Atlanta Hawks floor general feels that part of his game is largely underrated by his defenders.
The shifty handles, the end-to-end speed, and the wet jump shot are all things opponents often hone-in on, leaving his vision as only a derivate portion of his game.
“It’s definitely not surprising to me,” Young told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. “I know the people close to me don’t necessarily think that’s surprising either. I’ve always been a really good passer. I think my scoring and my long-range shooting has been what’s stood out to most people, and so it’s easy to overlook my passing ability. Passing isn’t always the most sexiest thing to watch. So, I think people look past that and focus more on my shooting and the ball going into the basket. But I feel like my passing ability has been my best attribute growing up throughout high school, college and now the NBA. I’m just going to continue getting better.”
Young led the nation in points (27.4) and assists per game (8.7) during his lone season at Oklahoma, becoming the first player to do so at the Division I level. Yet his ability to find open teammates has been largely ignored, with defenders often focusing on his shooting ability and not letting him catch fire.
In truth, that two-way pick-your-poison skill set is similar to Steve Nash, who could pick a defense apart with his scoring or his vision — a double-edged sword that Young is happy to wield into every game.
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