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Trae Young has been selected at #7 on the Liberty Ballers Big Board.
The Oklahoma product has drawn the attention of many for his scoring prowess, and Trae has showed flashes of the skills that every team wants in a modern point guard. Young has seemingly unlimited shooting range to go along with crafty handles which he utilizes to get space from defenders. He has impressive court vision paired with a tremendous passing ability, making him a capable initiator despite his propensity for shooting. His size (6’2”, 6’4” wing span, 175 lbs) is a major question, though, when it comes to whether or not Young can be a 3-level scorer. Can he finish over bigs at the rim? Can he fight through contact for layups?
His size comes into question on the defensive side of the ball as well. Young’s frame doesn’t project well for defending NBA bodies. And while Young demonstrates fluidity with his quick-twitch abilities when ball handling, he doesn’t really possess speed (he’s no track star, in other words). Personally, it’s hard to imagine Young being an impactful defensive player at any point of his career. But a decreased offensive workload and just generally caring could make him someone who an otherwise good defensive team could hide.
A part of Young’s game I found to be impressive was his understanding of when to change speeds. When he’s handling the ball with intent to score, he’s very methodical in his attacks and will use different gears in creating space — he’s not always operating at 100 mph, in a good way.
The team that selects Trae Young is hoping to get someone whom an offensive scheme can be built around. He has many tools that project him to meet those standards, but it’s also not hard to imagine Young being so limited defensively that a bench role is best suited for his services.
On to #8
Poll
Which player would you place at #8?
This poll is closed
-
12%
Colin Sexton
(57 votes) -
29%
Wendell Carter Jr.
(139 votes) -
39%
Mikal Bridges
(186 votes) -
7%
Miles Bridges
(36 votes) -
4%
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
(20 votes) -
2%
Zhaire Smith
(10 votes) -
1%
Kevin Knox
(6 votes) -
1%
Lonnie Walker
(7 votes) -
0%
Robert Williams
(1 vote) -
0%
Jontay Porter
(4 votes)
Liberty Ballers Community Big Board:
- Luka Dončić - PG/SG, Real Madrid
- DeAndre Ayton - C, Arizona
- Jaren Jackson Jr. - PF/C, Michigan State
- Marvin Bagley III - PF, Duke
- Michael Porter Jr. - F, Missouri
- Mo Bamba - C, Texas
- Trae Young - PG, Oklahoma
- To be determined