New Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young was drafted with high expectations for the organization. Young was the first point guard picked in the draft, ahead of other highly touted prospects like Collin Sexton and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Even after using their lottery pick on a point guard, the Hawks went out and traded for veteran Jeremy Lin, further bolstering their backcourt.
The acquisition of Lin immediately raised questions about who would start for the Hawks on opening day against the Knicks in Madison Square Garden.
Young is ready to take the starting role, but he is aware that the spot might go to the more experienced Lin. Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that if this happens, there will be no hard feelings for the rookie.
Trae Young on whether he or Jeremy Lin should start: "We’ll just wait and see what happens. I don’t get caught up in all of that. I know I’m going to get a chance to play and do what I do on the court. I just need to control what I can control."
— Chris Vivlamore (@CVivlamoreAJC) August 15, 2018
If you're a Hawks fan, this is exactly what you want to hear out of your star rookie. As someone who has been compared to Stephen Curry for months now and had a college season that captivated the nation, Young could have easily said that he deserves to start immediately, especially for a rebuilding team.
The battle for a starting role will be an interesting one to watch in training camp. Young has shown flashes of brilliance in his college and Summer League games, but he needs more overall consistency in his shooting and decision-making. Lin needs to avoid injuries after only playing 36 games last season for the Brooklyn Nets.
This reserved but confident response shows maturity beyond Young's 19 years of age. If this maturity translates to the court, the Hawks should be in good hands.
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