Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young has faced a wave of criticism early in the Summer League, after struggling with his shot, combining for a futile 9-of-37 in his first two games in action.
Perhaps the comparisons to two-time MVP Stephen Curry have hurt him more than anything, as many have expected his elite range to carry over to the NBA level rather quickly.
Yet the Oklahoma product would trade the comparisons from that two-time MVP to another — Steve Nash.
“I try to be Steve Nash more than Steph,” Young told Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. “I do blend Nash and Steph a lot, but my favorite player growing up was Steve Nash. I get a lot of Steph comparisons, and I agree I do have a few attributes that are similar to Steph. But Steve Nash is a Hall of Famer, though, and Steph will be one day too. I know I always have to show and prove my passing ability. I have to get better on that aspect, and I definitely work on that a lot.”
Young has shown flashes of being a Nash-like wizard with the ball, finding his teammates often when he's under a trap or timing a run to the rim. Despite the airballs or bad misses, he's shown the ability to keep himself in the game and not get lost when the ball isn't finding the hoop.
“I shoot my shots, and sometimes they’re going to go in, sometimes they’re not. I live with that,” said Young. “Everyone on the outside might come down on me, but I put in the reps so I’m confident every time I shoot.”
The Hawks face an interesting conundrum, with Dennis Schroder and now Jeremy Lin in the roster — two point guards that could pose a threat to Young's minutes if the franchise can trade one or both of them to another team before the start of the season.
Follow Us
Subscribe