Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero and former NBA player J.J. Redick recently commended Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young on his defense.
While Young has never been confused with a defensive stopper, Banchero and Redick took time on Redick's podcast, ‘The Old Man & the Three,' to praise Young for what they saw as improved effort and competence on defense.
“Is it just me or is Trae Young better defensively this year,” Redick said before also saying the defense Young exhibited during the Hawks' 117-110 overtime loss to the Magic on Jan. 7 was the “best [he'd] seen” from the 25-year-old Atlanta guard. Banchero concurred with the sentiment.
“I kinda stopped going after him,” Banchero admitted. “Like you said with his shows, it was kinda getting me stuck in the mud and then I'm just right back to where I was. And he was doing a great job of being there and then getting back, like you said, closing out and being there on the closeout. … He made some good plays during that game. He had a big block with like a minute left and they scored on the other end.”
Banchero an All-Star, but not Young
Despite the praise for his defense and some eye-popping offensive stats, Young was not included in the Eastern Conference roster for the NBA All-Star Game. There is still a possibility Young will be added as an injury replacement, though, for either the Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid or the New York Knicks' Julius Randle since both are likely to miss the Feb. 18 All-Star showcase in Indianapolis.
This season, Young is averaging 27.3 points, 10.9 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting a career-high 38.3% from three-point range. He ranks first in the NBA in total assists, second in assists per game, eighth in total points, 10th in points per game, ninth in total steals, and seventh in steals per game.
The main reason Young missed out on an All-Star selection is likely the Hawks' record. At the time All-Star voting closed on Jan. 20, Atlanta was 18-24 and 10th in the Eastern Conference, sitting above only the Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, and Detroit Pistons. No players from any of those five teams or the Hawks were named All-Stars.
Unlike Young, Banchero was named to his first All-Star Game as a reserve in just his second season. The 2022 No. 1 overall selection has taken a leap from his already-impressive rookie year; he is averaging 23.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.0 assists while shooting .454 from the field and .361 on threes. The Magic have also remained in the NBA Play-In picture, sitting in a tie for seventh place with a 26-23 record.
The next time Orlando has to meet Atlanta is Feb. 25. It will be the final meeting of the season for the Southeast Division rivals; the Hawks are 2-1 this season against the Magic.
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