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Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young is bound to face some criticism after being drafted with the fifth overall pick, much higher than most expected due to his frail frame and risky maneuvers with the ball.
Yet the Oklahoma product has managed to avoid criticism by staying off social media and keeping laser-focused on the task at hand.
“Of course it's tough,” Young told ESPN's Jackie MacMullan. “I just go back to the hotel and relax, not even turn on the TV, because I know they will be talking about me. [The criticism] isn't gonna help me. I've tuned out social media because that's a place that can really bring you down if you pay too close attention to what everyone is saying. So I don't.”
It was only a few minutes into Young's Summer League debut and the minute his first airball hit the hardwood, the word “bust” was being printed, shared, and tweeted within seconds of watching him play.
It would take two miserable games for Young to show otherwise, but the media was already writing him off as “too thin” and “too small” — thinking the Hawks had botched another draft pick with such a high overall selection.
Yet Young would eventually find his deadly stroke and his supreme confidence, learning early to keep his mind zoned into what's important and not what is being said about him, as the wave of criticism can often take a toll on young players trying to make a name for themselves.
