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Does anyone even remember what it looks like for Trae to hit a three? Ice Trae is starting to be an apt nickname, but not in a good way. Honest question: Does he hit these deep threes off the dribble in an empty gym? I’m trying to be patient, but I’ve seen no evidence that these are good shots. I’m in the start Lin camp for now - see if Trae can get some confidence back coming off the bench and see if we can actually stay in some games.

I was one of the ones who freaked out the most when we drafted Trae Young. While I did see some upside in him, I also thought he had major bust potential - and I also preferred Luka or JJJ, who, of course, were still on the board. I'm no longer concerned that Trae will be a bust - and I've quickly become a fan since the regular season started - but I do have one remaining concern that I didn't expect to have initially, and I'd welcome everyone's thoughts about what's going on and how Trae is likely to develop in that area. Concerns Alleviated & Reasons for Optimism: I didn't watch Trae much in college, and, to be honest, I had no clue he was such a brilliant passer - truly an artist in that regard - so his passing ability alone has relieved my initial concern that he might be a total bust. He's also exceeded my expectations as a defender, and he's been much better getting to the basket and scoring as a young rookie than I expected (I was afraid he'd struggle to get separation or penetration on the perimeter and have trouble finishing in the paint due to his lack of size, length, and explosive leaping ability). But Trae is quicker and smarter than I thought, and he knows how to use the threat presented by his shooting and passing to create for himself, too. Finally, I didn't like the way he played in summer league (thought he jacked up way too many long 3s early in the shot clock), but I've loved the way he's played like a true pass-first PG in the regular season. In sum, I no longer see him as a bust, and I now see some legit All Star potential - plus, he's competitive and fun to watch. Concern I Didn't Expect: Like I said, I didn't really watch Trae much in college - mostly just saw all those highlights of him bombing 3s. So I initially thought shooting was the one elite skill he could build on, as long as he was able to get his shot off against NBA athletes. However, as of this posting, he's shooting .271% from 3-point range - and I still don't necessarily love his shot selection on 3s. Additionally, he only shot 32% from 3 over his last 20 games in college, and he was also ice cold from 3 for the most part during summer league. So how concerned should we be about this? Have teams already figured out how to take away his 3-point shooting? Or is he likely to get this corrected as he grows and develops in the NBA? Given Trae's passing, competitiveness, smarts, and skill as a playmaker, I think he could become an All Star if he can shoot .400% from 3. Do you think he can get his 3-point shooting going to that level? If so, how long do you think it will take? And what do you think his career 3-point shooting percentage will be? Would welcome your thoughts. Thanks!

I've quickly gone from a Trae doubter to a Trae fan. Love the way he competes (and the passing). Also like the way he's running the team offensively in actual NBA games a lot better than the way he played in summer league. Fun to watch.

I bet it’s the bounce he’s missing now. When I started getting old, I could never quite get it through my head that when I jumped I’d go about half as high as I expected. Made layups hard all of a sudden, because I always thought I’d jump higher the next time - but I never did.

Good to hear. I’m now rooting for him, too, mostly because it’s my pattern to get mad at the Hawks for not drafting the guy I wanted on draft night...but to become reconciled and positive by the time the regular season rolls around. Let’s go Trae!!!

I largely agree with the SI article in terms of the relevant considerations and the pros-and-cons for both teams. At this point, just have to wait to see how it plays out. Could be a homerun for both teams, a homerun for one team and a disaster for the other, reasonably good deals for both teams, largely inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, or anything in between. So much depends on how Luka and Trae perform over the next few years and what happens with the Mavs pick. I was highly skeptical of the deal on draft night, but who knows. For the time being, I'm going to refrain from having an opinion until I see how things play out a bit further...here's hoping Trae comes through and the Mavs' pick conveys and turns into a quality player for us.

In making this thread, I was asking a question rather than making a point, and the question doesn’t depend on whether Jimmer is or isn’t a pure PG. In sum, Jimmer’s 6’1 frame and lack of athleticism meant that his high volume, deep-3 game didn’t translate to the NBA despite the fact that he went 10 overall. I’m guessing you didn’t watch Jimmer play much, or maybe we simply disagree, but Jimmer and Trae are very comparable in many ways....and to me, there’s an equal chance that Trae ultimately has a career like Jimmer’s as there is that he has a career like Nash or Curry. Yes, Trae’s a better passer than Jimmer - and Jimmer’s refusal to change his game to pass-first mode was part of his problem in the NBA - but Trae isn’t exactly pass first, either. He’s a more talented passer, but will Trae’s passing matter if he can’t beat guys off the dribble, finish in the lane, or shoot it from deep at a higher clip than he did over the second half of his freshman year and SL? Maybe he can, but my main question is: Why do we believe Trae is more on the Nash/Curry side of the continuum rather than the Jimmer side?

Jimmer didn’t play more SG than PG. He was primarily a PG at BYU, brought the ball up, and led the team in assists. I watched about half his games his senior year. Also, Jimmer and Trae are almost exactly the same size - except Jimmer is longer, with a 6’4 wingspan - and they both lack elite athleticism, scored like crazy in college, and jacked up a ton of crazy deep 3s. Jimmer was also an underrated passer, though not as good as Trae, which is reflected in his DraftExpress Souting report. That’s where the comparison comes from, although I’ll acknowledge that Jimmer is closer to a combo guard than Trae. But I worry that Trae’s lack of size/athleticism may make it hard for him to do in the NBA what he did in college. Again, hope I’m wrong, but still don’t fully get this pick at the moment. http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Jimmer-Fredette-Video-Breakdown-3676/ https://bleacherreport.com/articles/570367-2011-nba-draft-byus-jimmer-fredette-may-be-the-best-point-guard-in-the-ncaa

Also, one problem with the Mike Bibby comparison: Don’t see Trae completing this transition:

What confuses me about Trae Young is his usage rate and the depth of his 3s as a true freshman. If his freshman year had been his senior year, and he’d slowly progressed up to it over the years, I’d say take him in the second round. But I can’t really think of anyone - not Steph or Jimmer or Buddy Heild - who played like Trae as a true freshman .... getting that kind of green light to take those kinds of 3s in the modern game. Is he breaking the mold and pushing the boundaries even further in the post-Steph era? Or is it simply misguided? Can’t tell....

I can see the Bibby comparison in some ways, but hadn’t thought of it myself or seen previous discussion of it. Still not a No. 3 pick-worthy comparison, to my mind, but obviously a solid player.

Sorry, accidentally triple posted this topic, apparently. Should you wish to reply, please follow the advice of Rocky’s trainer, Mic, when told that Rocky was seeing three of ‘em out there: Hit the one in the middle!

Sorry, posted it twice by accident. Should you wish to respond, please do so on the other thread with the same subject line. Cheers!

So, I’ve been critical of the decision to trade the No. 3 pick for Trae Young regardless of the extra 1st-rounder. My main problem was with a) Trae’s diminutive size, turnovers, defense, and shot selection, plus b) my high belief in Doncic and JJJ. That said, after watching SL all the way through, Trae’s passing is better than I realized (as long as he’s throwing it to someone inbounds and on his team), and he’s kind of fun to watch. I had a similar fascination with Steph Curry and Jimmer Fredette in college. However, I was sold on Curry, on the fence about Jimmer, and not sold on Trae coming out of school. (Admittedly, I had more time to watch Steph and Jimmer and watched most of their games, but only watched the end of Trae’s college career, which was less than impressive.) Anyway, just watched Jimmer tear it up in the TBT. 41 points, deep 3s, everything he did in college. Trae’s a better passer, clearly - and he also had success earlier in his college career, which matters, and Trae’s more of a pure PG - but Jimmer is a little bigger and stronger. And lest we forget, Jimmer went No. 10 overall in the NBA draft. TEN OVERALL, which is closer to where most teams had Trae on their boards. And Jimmer had moments that rivaled anything Trae did in college. So, my question is: Who is Trae Young? Steph/Nash, or Jimmer? I think his career will mirror one side or the other of this coin, but not sure which. Watching Jimmer at the TBT tonight, it’s like he can score 40 on anyone, anywhere...except in the NBA. Can Trae Young find a way to do it in the NBA? His passing gives me a measure of hope, and, presumably, he’ll find a way to hit some 3s, but I’m still skeptical. Trae’s fun to watch, though, when he gets it going....just like Jimmer. But what makes you think Trae willl be playing in the All Star Game in 6 years, rather than in the summer on TBT? Thoughts?

I was actually looking forward to watching Trae play tonight. His passing down the stretch last night was brilliant. I’ve been critical of him, but he was starting to win me over, at least in terms of seeing the long-term potential. Going to try to be patient and positive when the season comes around.